I watched them all a few minutes more. My mom trying to sing “O Holy Night,” laughing when she got the words wrong. My dad putting his arm around Grandma Mercer, tears glittering in her eyes as she found an ornament I’d made in first grade with my school picture. Laurel holding up her stocking, loudly asking if they all thought it was big enough. Drake, under the piano, slyly opening the crumpled napkin containing Emma’s forgotten cookie. And Emma. Emma, unpacking the ornaments one by one, running her hands lovingly over them. Wondering about the history behind each one—where it had come from, what it meant, who picked it out. But there would be time to learn all that, time to hear her family’s stories and become a part of them.

And then I felt myself drifting, slowly detaching from the world I’d always known. For a split second, panic shot through me. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to leave them. But then my eyes fell on the tree, on our little silver stars. Laurel had hung hers just below Emma’s. I understood then. We were a constellation. We would always be together.

I turned toward Emma, the twin sister I never got to meet in person, who’d lived my life and brought me peace, even though it had nearly cost her everything. “Thank you,” I whispered.

In the reflection of the stars, I saw my form glowing brilliant silver-gold, getting brighter and brighter until I couldn’t even look at myself. I was turning into energy, pure and vibrant. I took a last look at my family, my constellation, beautiful and bright.

“Remember me,” I said, knowing they would. And then, as fast as a shooting star, I was gone.

Acknowledgments

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to everyone who made this series possible, including Lanie Davis, Sara Shandler, Katie McGee, Josh Bank, and Les Morgenstein at Alloy, as well as Kristin Marang and her digital team. Also thanks to Kari Sutherland and the Harper team for all their good thoughts and proper direction. And to Jen Graham: You are truly amazing and beyond helpful. I don’t know what I’d do without you!

Also a shout-out to the people at Alloy Entertainment LA and ABC Family—I love what you have done with the TV show, and I hope the fun continues! And thanks, too, to all the readers of this series—I hope you’ve followed the mystery to the very end. I love hearing from you—please don’t stop the tweets, letters, and comments. Hooray!

About the Author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SARA SHEPARD is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Pretty Little Liars. She graduated from NYU and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. Sara has lived in New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Arizona, where the Lying Game series is set.

TRUTH OR LIES?

Also by Sara Shepard

ALSO BY SARA SHEPARD