Page 36 of Two Guys, a Girl, and a Tripod

“Sophie,” he breathes my name and it sounds like a prayer. “Can I kiss you?”

In response, I move just enough to bring our lips together. The kiss is a lot more chaste than I intend it to be and lasts just moments. What I really want to do is wrap my arms around his neck and pull him tight against me, but I hold back.

When Brody pulls away, I can feel the hesitation. His breathing is ragged as he stares down at me.

“I had a great time,” I say with a grin before lifting on the balls of my feet. I give him one last quick peck on the lips and turn back to open my car door. He holds it for me while I slide in.

“Let me know when you get home safe,” he says. “You’re ok to drive?”

“I’m good.” I force myself to sound normal as if I wasn’t about to jump his bones seconds ago. “Drive safe Brody. I’ll text you.”

“Good night, Sophie.”

The whole drive home, I can’t wipe the grin from my face. Parking my car, standing from the driver’s seat, rounding Natalie’s car next to me to get to the front door. Smiling the entire time. Grinning like a goddamn idiot.

My smile falters when I see the front door. Stuck to the dark green wood with a small steak knife, is a piece of paper with two large, crudely written words.

My heart stops. Or does it speed up? I don’t know. I can’t hear anything. My world is spinning. Nothing else exists except that door and that note.

I can’t touch it. If I don’t touch it, it’s not real. If I don’t touch it, he was never here.

I have to touch it, though. I have to take it down.

My whole body trembles and I reach up to pull on the note, ripping it the rest of the way through the blade. The paper shakes in my hand as I study the letters, trying to glean something from them, but I know who did this.

Caleb is in Los Angeles.

He knows where I live.

He’s coming for me.

He wants me terrified.

10

Sophie

The realization, the panic, the sheer terror. It all threatens to drown me. I crumple the paper and pull the knife from the wood. I nearly drop my keys in my haste to unlock the door. Once inside, I press the buttons to turn on the alarm and wait for it to chime, indicating it’s activated.

My breathing is ragged and my eyes stare vacantly, even as I reach the top step. Natalie is nowhere in sight. Stomping over to the trash can, I step on the lever to lift the lid and it smacks the wall behind it. I toss the cursed items into the mostly full bag. Before letting the lid fall, I grab the paper towels from the side and cover the note, shoving the knife down between other bits of garbage.

As if I can scrub the evidence of Caleb’s arrival from my life, I let the hot water run over my hands in the kitchen sink. Even when the soap is gone, I keep them there long enough for steam to obscure the window above.

“How was the date?” Natalie’s voice makes me jump and spin while drying my hands. Her footsteps must have been too quiet to break through the fear.Fucking ninja. “Sorry,” she laughs. Her smile fades when she realizes I’m not laughing with her. “What happened? Are you ok?”

She rushes forward, grabbing my hands still holding the soft tea towel. My mouth opens and closes several times, trying to form words, but none come.

“What did he do?” Her expression turns angry.

I shake my head, still attempting to speak.

“N-nothing,” I choke out. “He didn’t- It’s-” I can’t form the words.

“Soph, what happened? You have to tell me or I can’t help.” She reaches up to cup my cheek before pulling me into a hug, my arms trapped between our bodies.

A sob bursts forth, causing me to convulse and I squeeze my eyes shut against the tears that burn and threaten to consume me. I can’t stop shaking my head. I can’t stop the thoughts, the memories, from flooding my mind.

“H-he’s here.”

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