“Hi?” she squeaks out before looking around at everyone in the restaurant who seems to have gone quiet as they watch our exchange. “I think you need to sit down before we get thrown out.”
I snort but it’s because of how uncomfortable I feel, not because I find her light joke funny. Harmony is like me, she uses humor in awkward situations. I’m glad to see she’s not changed in that respect.
Tris slowly sits down and I know it’s time for my disappearing act now they’re both here and sitting down together.
I put up a finger as I fish inside my pocket, pretending my cell is ringing as I bring it up to my ear. “Cole. You’re sure? Now? Fine.” I push it back into my pocket after pretending to hang up. “Sorry, Tris, Harm, duty calls. Another time?”
“You—”
Before Tris can shoot the whole idea down, I smirk and look between them both. “Hey, considering you’re both here, you should stay and have lunch instead.” I can see the anger on Tris’s face, but tough shit. I wink and walk backward. “Catch you later.”
I turn and don’t look back as I walk out and jog down the sidewalk to my office building. I don’t go inside, instead I go toward the parking lot and jump into my car, knowing exactly where I’m headed. I can’t get the worry and urgency in Tris’s voice out of my head. If something’s wrong with Amelia, I want to know about it.
The last few weeks she’s turned from the smart, funny woman that looks after Tris’s kids to being all of that and more. She’s insanely attractive, yes, but her mind and kindness are the most beautiful things about her.
I want to know what makes the dimple in her right cheek show when she’s gazing off into nothing. I want to show her the things I love and take her to places only she rivals in beauty. But all of that will have to wait because I want to get to the bottom of what’s going on with her first.
I pull up in front of Tris’s house and take the steps two at a time, pushing on the door handle. I frown when it doesn’t open. Strange.
I walk to the side gate to gain access to the backyard, but I find that locked too. They never lock it. Great.
Walking back to my car, I take off my tie, unbuttoning my top button, and rolling up my sleeves. I leave my tie in the car and walk back toward the gate, ready to tackle getting over it. It’s just under a foot taller than me, if I can scale a rock face I’m damn sure I’ll be able to get over a seven-foot fence.
I make sure I have a good grip on the top before I pull myself over, trying to find somewhere to put my foot. My left hand wobbles at the top and I feel myself topple, completely unbalanced.
I catch myself at the last moment as my body flips over the other side, jumping down in one piece and blowing out a breath—that was close.
Making my way over to the pool house, I see Amelia inside through a part of the blinds that are covering the windows. She’s sitting on her sofa with her legs crossed, stuffing popcorn into her mouth as she stares intently at whatever is on the TV screen.
I watch her with a smile on my face for a minute, taking in her features. The emotions that pass over her face as she goes through the emotions on the screen with the characters are really something to see. She's in her own little world.
I consider knocking but I don’t want to take her out of this moment, so I open up the door and close it quietly behind me. I look around the place, smiling at her huge record collection before my gaze falls on the TV. She’s watching a horror movie on her own. Is she crazy?
Smirking to myself, an idea forms in my head as I tiptoe behind her and the sofa, leaning against the wall. I have to say, it’s a little disconcerting she’s not been very perceptive that I'm already here. But she has no reason to be; this is her own space.
Her breath catches and she leans forward as the killer on the screen pops out from behind a curtain and I hold my breath, ready to pounce.
I look up at the large clock on the wall after I’ve finished cleaning the floors of the entryway, noticing it’s just after one in the afternoon. My stomach rumbles, almost like it’s now remembering it hasn't been fed.
Putting the cleaning supplies away, I do another walk around of the whole property, double-checking everything is locked up before going to the pool house. As soon as I step inside, I get the same prickly feeling I had this morning but I refuse to acknowledge it. Instead, I pull out my favorite horror movie and draw the blinds on the doors, leaving a small gap where sunlight streams inside.
I haven’t watched a horror movie in the middle of the afternoon for what feels like months. It’s my favorite pastime—but only watching them while the daylight shines bright
outside. As soon as the sky darkens, there’s no way you would catch me watching one.
Clicking the buttons on the remote, I load the DVD into the player before walking into the kitchen.
Pulling the cupboard open, I grab a packet of popcorn before popping it into the microwave as I hum along to the theme tune of Texas Chainsaw Massacre—the original. Listening to the sound of the corn as it pops, I push everything out of my mind, determined not to let a thought come into my head while I spend the next ninety minutes engrossed in the movie.
I pour the popcorn into a bowl, toeing my sneakers off as I walk back to the sofa, flopping down into the comfiness and letting the throw pillows swallow me up.
Shoveling mouthfuls of the sweet popcorn in my mouth, I watch with rapt attention and wide eyes.
The sound of a woman grunting comes through the speakers as she pushes herself up into a standing position. She gets into the hallway, looking around as a door opens, revealing Leatherface. I cringe when I see his mask is made from skin—human skin. His butcher's apron hanging around his torso—ready for the blood.
I lean forward, holding the bowl in the gap of my crossed legs as he chases her down the hallway.
“Get her!” I shout.