Page 76 of Make the Play

There’s a chorus of tiny footsteps above us, then the creak of the stairwell. “Mama?” Meadow’s voice calls.

“I’ll tuck her in,” Charlie murmurs, brushing my arm. “You good for a second?”

I nod. I’m not, but I nod anyway.

The house smells of popcorn and lavender baby lotion. A few toys are scattered across the rug, and a half-folded baby onesiesits forgotten on the arm of the couch. It’s so normal, sosafe, that the contrast knocks something loose in my chest as I sink down into the sofa.

Jake appears in the doorway a minute later with his arms crossed, wearing athletic shorts and a scowl that’s doing absolutely nothing to hide the soft panic behind it.

“You wanna tell me what happened, or should I guess?”

I shake my head. “It’s nothing. Just didn’t want to be alone tonight.”

“If Chase—”

“It’s not him,” I cut in. “He’s fine. I haven’t seen him since this morning.”

Charlie reappears then, sliding onto the couch beside me and shooting Jake a look. He mumbles something about tea and disappears into the kitchen.

She turns back to me gently. “What’s happened, babe?”

I take a breath so deep it scrapes against my ribs. I know I’m not going to get away with dodging her. It’s fucking impossible even when I try, so I come clean.

“Someone followed me home tonight.”

Her eyes widen, mouth dropping slightly.

“What?”

“I mean, I think they did?” My voice feels thin. “I don’t know… Maybe I was just being paranoid. But it felt wrong.”

Charlie pauses, scanning my face before shaking her head gently. “No, Zo. If you’re this shaken, it wasn’t nothing.”

Her saying it out loud settles something in me. I realize it’s relief, and I’ve been waiting for permission to believe it myself.

“I’ve also been getting some weird messages… Since the whole thing with Chase went public.”

Her frown deepens, but she doesn’t say anything yet.

“Nothing that bad,” I add quickly. “Just creepy. Vague, you know? Like someone’s watching too closely.”

Charlie’s eyes soften, and she gets that look—the kind that usually comes with unsolicited advice that ends up being right. “You should tell Chase, babe. He’d want to know.”

Before I can answer, Jake’s voice cuts in from the kitchen doorway.

“What would who want to know?”

We both turn to find him standing there with two steaming mugs of tea, eyes fixed on me, already knowing he’s not going to like the answer.

Charlie takes her cup with a quiet thank you, but I don’t reach for mine.

“She was followed home tonight,” Charlie says carefully. “So she came here instead.”

Jake stills. “What?”

“I’m fine,” I say quickly. “Really, I—”

“You think someone followed you and you didn’t call Chase?”

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