“Where… Where did you find this?” I try to hide the fear I’m feeling, but the trembling of my voice gives me away.
“In the foyer on the table where the pictures are. I told you they were moved.”
My brain short-circuits, and I know I have to leave. I need to go see Cynthia and tell her it’s time to run again. I don’t want to scare Kyla, but I can’t tell her what’s going on. I… I just need to leave, need to get out of here and devise a plan.
After all this time, he’s after me again. What if he never left? What if he’s been waiting for the perfect moment to show himself? The bad thoughts trickle in slowly, and I have to stop them before I drown in them. I shove away from the table and push past Kyla, who’s standing in front of me like a statue.
“Where are you going? Is this some type of joke? You know how OCD I am. If you’re trying to fuck with me, Siân, just say so now,” she says, trailing me. I grab my purse and shove my hand inside to grab my keys.
My heart thunders in my chest, and a wave of dizziness slams into me. Everything I did was for nothing. Everything. All the moving, name changes, friends lost. All the years have been wasted, and for what? Him to find me all over again?
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I jump. A scream catches in my throat, and I whirl around, realizing it’s only Kyla. Shit. I was so caught up in my thoughts, I forgot she was here. She’s staring at me like I’m a wild animal ready to attack.
“I’m sorry I have to leave. I need to go see Cynthia,” I stutter.
Kyla’s nose wrinkles, and I can see her anger rising. “You can’t just leave without telling me what the hell is going on.”
I stare at her, pleading with her to understand. She’s my best friend, and I haven’t failed to realize that I’ve endangered her by association, but I need to figure things out before I tell her anything.
“I’ll explain everything later. I’m sorry.” I turn and walk out the door before she says anything else.
I can feel her eyes on me as I walk away, and I feel horrible because all over again, things are falling apart. He’s found me, he’s fucking found me, and while the last thing I want to do is run, what other option do I have? I climb into the car and shove the key into the ignition. The engine roars to life, and I pull away from the curb, racing down the street. My brain feels like it’s been put in a blender. All I can think about is running, disappearing into the night before he gets ahold of me.
Cynthia is going to be devastated. Ugh. I grip the steering wheel a little tighter. Oh, God, Cynthia, she’s given so much of her life to keep me safe. She’s made sacrifice after sacrifice and lost years with her family just to be my family. We’d finally gotten some peace and have each built some semblance of a life here. She’s bought a house, made friends with the woman down the street from her, and even joined a knitting club. And now—it’s all been for nothing. We’re going to have to move again, make name changes, and leave everything we have here behind, and I fucking hate it. She deserves so much better, but is there no other way around it?
I grit my teeth, trying to think if there could be another way, but the only other option is facing this man head-on. An image of Christian pops into my mind, and I see him telling me to take back control. I see him telling me to push back and not let my stalker dictate my life. Am I strong enough to do that?
I get on the interstate, the speed of the car climbing higher and higher. My heart is racing, and I’m paranoid all over again.
I continuously look over my shoulder and in the rearview mirror. Thankfully, nothing happens, and after a short drive, I exit and enter the suburbs on the outskirts of town.
By the time I pull up to Cynthia’s house, I’m shaking. I park the car and force myself to walk up the front steps. Fear and anger cycle through me. This is all my fault. Had I been more careful or safer perhaps, maybe he wouldn’t have found me again.
I pound against the heavy wood door, and a second later, it opens. Cynthia’s eyes are big, and the look on her face tells me she knows something terrible has happened.
“What is it, sweetheart? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
My heart sinks into my stomach. “He’s found us. There was a note. At the house Kyla and I share. He’s back. He’s found us again.” There is no hiding the devastation in my voice. I’m sinking deep inside myself.