"I thought," Rachel continued. "That if I dug up dirt on this smuggling operation, I could send Max to jail and get him off my trail and make him pay for killing that guard, even if he didn't go to prison for that crime. I started asking questions and spending more time with my friends, and I got too close to the group. Someone recognized me and told Max. I was shocked when he showed up in the city. I called your mom and told her Max was in New Orleans, and I needed to get out, but I was afraid to leave my apartment. She said she'd be on the next plane."

"I couldn't let her face him alone," my mother said.

"I told her to bring the stones that I'd left with her in case I needed to barter them," Rachel continued. "When your mom got into town, we were supposed to meet someone to get me a new identity. The meet was at an old cemetery, which seemed perfectly ironic for starting a new life, but Max caught up to us. He had his friend, Jonah, with him, and I ended up killing him in self-defense. I hit him over the head with a shovel. It gave us time to get away."

"For the next few days," Rachel continued, "there was nothing but chaos in the area. Rising waters were everywhere. The place where I'd been staying was flooded. We couldn't go back there even if we wanted to. I said something like someone will find my stuff and think I'm dead." Rachel looked at my mom. "And then we both realized that was the only way out. We had to die in the storm. There was no going back. Max had seen both of us."

"So you faked your deaths," Dani said heavily. "It seems like you had other choices."

"Maybe. But we had to decide fast," Rachel said.

"And protecting you girls was my priority," my mom said. "I couldn't risk going back to you, to your father, to the life I'd led. I would have put everyone in danger."

"Wait a second," I said, looking at Rachel. "Max didn't know you had a twin before New Orleans? How is that possible?"

"I met Max when I was pissed off at your mom. I told you that I was angry and envious of her life," Rachel said. "I didn't talk about her to anyone. I didn't tell Max I had a sister. I told him I had no family, and that's why I needed money."

"Okay," I said, trying to keep up with the story. "What happened after you left New Orleans?"

"We started over," Rachel said. "I told your mother I'd never ask her to come to me again. We had to stay apart, but we'd send each other postcards whenever we were thinking about each other. It would be our way of saying I love you."