Page 87 of Stay With Me

“We will. Because you’re not staying here alone.”

I pin my eyes on him. “You’re not the boss of me, Charlie,” I practically hiss at him.

“Well, I’m the boss of this house so, there’s that,” he snarls back. “And I’m not leaving you out here like some sitting duck while I’m twenty minutes away at work.”

“Fine. I’ll resume my house hunting first thing tomorrow.” I glare at him, daring him to challenge me.

“God, you’re so fucking stubborn,” Charlie growls.

It’s like Charlie and I forget we have an audience, until Ben clears his throat. And then I look up to see Trina’s narrowed eyes volleying back and forth between me and Charlie, her brow wrinkled. I swear she looks suspicious.

Leave it to Ben to try to lighten the mood. “Geez, Trina. I bet nobody would have guessed we’d be the ones getting along tonight and these two would battle it out, huh?”

Trina ignores him.

“What did you two want to talk to me about?” she asks. She doesn’t take her eyes off of us.

I get a prickly feeling on my skin like the ones I got in high school when I’d done something she’d be upset with and then walked around convinced she knew all about it. Then, eventually, I’d be so paranoid I’d just confess it to her.

“Nothing. It can wait until another time.” I’m certainly not going to burden my sister with this when she has a damn stalker.

* * *

CHARLIE

Trina and Ben stay another twenty minutes or so and then go home.

Emily hasn’t said a word to me. I watch as she grabs her e-reader and disappears into the office, closing the door. Clearly, she’s angry with me, and I’m sure she’s upset about the situation. Still, I have a sense I need to give her a little alone time.

I grab a glass of water, walk back out to the deck, and plant myself on one of the rockers Emily loves. I do my best thinking when I’m alone and in the dark, so the surrounding pitch black of the night soothes me.

I can’t believe Trina has a stalker. How does that even happen in a town the size of Elladine? It would have to be someone new in town, or maybe someone who saw her at the gym we box at. Our gym is on the border of Elladine and Meadow Creek. Maybe someone from over there saw her and got obsessed.

I stop myself from this spiral. I have to trust that Ben and his team are on this and considering all possibilities. And I have to keep Emily safe.

I peer out into the yard, to the vast expanse of woods surrounding the house. She’s going to remain pissed, but I can’t let her stay here alone. It would be so easy for someone to go unnoticed out here while they try to gain access to the house.

My jaw is tight and my body tired. I clasp my hands together and stretch them over my head, a yawn escaping me. It’s time for bed, but first, I need to fix this with Emily.

A few minutes later, I’m back inside and I lift my hand and rap against the door of Emily’s office.

“Come in.”

When I open the door, I find her sitting on the reading nook platform, her body up against the window, her knees drawn to her chest, and her eyes focused on the darkness outside.

I walk over to her and stand next to the nook.

“Is it okay to sit?” I ask.

She’s still not looking at me.

“You’re the boss of this house, so you can do whatever you want.” Her tone is petulant as she throws my words from earlier back at me.

I climb in next to her, leaving several inches between us.

“I’m sorry I said that. I was frustrated and I didn’t mean it how it came out.”

She still won’t look at me, but I’m staring at her, willing her to turn her head. That’s how I notice the faint quivering of her jaw and see the first tear as it falls from her eye. When I lift my arm, she must catch the movement in her peripheral vision because she scoots into my side, and I wrap my arms around her.

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