Finding her key under the same flowerpot where it always is, I sneak in easily again, having arrived at her house in the middle of the night. I've finally caught up on some much-needed rest after weeks of following her night-and-day, but I am still pissed with myself for not getting there earlier. I should be keeping a closer eye on her. Who the fuck needs sleep? All I need is her, my little bird.
The house is quiet as always, all the lights off except the night light in Dove's bedroom. I make my way to the bathroom first, digging through her laundry like I always do. My fingers wrap around her worn panties, a cheeky pair of hipsters this time, simple black lace. I inhale her scent. Roses. God, I want her. It's getting increasingly harder to stay away from her, to convince myself I shouldn't just barge into her bedroom and alert her to my presence. So what if she resists? I can easily overpower her, and she doesn't need this life. Doesn't need the patronizing Robin or his stupid, fake girlfriend. She would miss Sam, that's for sure, because I would, too. But everyone else is disposable. Including that photographer prick who's been trying relentlessly to force his way into Dove's life. I'll deal with him soon enough.
While I'm going through her stuff, a noise rattles me. But when I turn around, there's nothing. The house is still in the night with no movement at all. I must've imagined it.
I keep going through her things, making a mental note of every little change she's made in the apartment since the last time I've been here. But there isn't much. Dove doesn't really shop for food, not unless she's getting something for Sam. It makes me worry about how much she's eating. I remember her skeletal body when I played with her the other night. She was painfully thin, emaciated. I'd take better care of her than she does. If only she'd see that.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
I spin around. Dove's brother, Robin, is standing in the doorframe as my heart beats into overdrive. He's wearing pajamas. I realize he must've come over to spend the night with Dove. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I should've known I wasn't careful enough tonight. I didn't even check the driveway for his car, I was so fucking eager to get into Dove's house and see her again. But he's here, in the fucking flesh. And as his eyes take me in, realization dawns on him like someone's hit him with a ton of bricks. He knows who I am. He knows what I've done. And now he's going to cut my Dove fantasy short. But I can't let that happen.
"Holy shit," he mutters. "It's you."
I approach him but he holds up his phone as a warning. I speak in slow, hushed tones, because I don't want to wake up Dove. "It's okay. I'm a friend of Dove's, I'm just checking up on her because –"
"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Robin hisses at me. His look is one of pure disgust, and he's snarling the words at me, obviously having recognized me. I remember the bruise he gave Kade, having mixed us up years ago. Does he know I'm not my brother? Has he realized I'm not dead at all? "I've already called the cops. The game is up. Get the fuck away from my sister's stuff."
My heart threatens to beat straight out of my chest. For the first time in my life, I'm fucking terrified. Not because I know I'm going to jail, but because I know I'm going to lose Dove if I do.
And I can't let that happen. I can't lose Dove. Even if it means...
"Fuck," I mutter.
"Yeah, fuck is right," Robin snarls in disgust. "What the hell were you thinking? You thought you wouldn't get caught? I'd kill you myself for what you did to her, you sick fuck. Get away from her stuff. I'm not telling you again."
I move away from the laundry basket. One of my hands goes behind my back while I raise the other one in surrender. My heart is beating a million miles a minute and I know this won't end well. Getting busted never does.
The possibilities run through my head. I could run. But then Robin would reveal what he knows to Dove, and she'd spend a lifetime looking over her shoulder. I would never be able to get her.
The other option is to dispose of the man who just caught me. I've killed before. I could kill again. But as I stare at the man in front of me, I remember how much he means to Dove. That he's one of the rare bright lights in her life. I can't take Robin away from her. But what fucking choice do I have?