Page 51 of My Secret to Protect

Grinning, I meet her gaze now.

‘Yeah, you’re right. Let’s take Beans home, then we can go get your ice cream.’

‘Then steaks.’

‘You know you’re eating backward, right?’

She smiles. ‘I’ll leave a gap.’

Sittingonmybackporch, I stare up at the sky. It was hot as balls today, and now it looks like we have a storm rolling in. The porch is well-covered, and it’ll still be a warm night even if it rains. Bree always loved listening to the rain and thunder. I’m wondering if she still does when I realize she was supposed to be coming over. I lift my wrist. It’s only just past six, but I thought she would have been here by now.

After we walked home from the ice cream shop, she told me she was going to take a shower and get cleaned up, then she’d head over to my place, but that was three hours ago. I pick up my cell but there’s nothing, so I check the burner, nothing there either.

‘Come on, bud,’ I call to Beans, feeling uneasy with the radio silence. ‘Let’s go find your new bestie.’

Something feels off. Turning back to my place, I grab my gun from the box by the back door and shove it into my waistband at my back.

Making Beans walk at my side instead of running ahead, I make my way around to Bree’s backyard through the gap in the fence to see her porch lights on and the back door open, but there is no noise and no sign of her. Beans edges forward as though he knows something I don’t, and I nod for him to go. He finds something, barking to tell me, and I jog up to catch him up, my heart racing until it stops as I find her sitting curled into a ball on the floor of the porch.

‘Hey,’ Bree says brightly, the forced enthusiasm in her voice in contrast to her body language. ‘You’re here.’

She swallows as she gazes up at me, and I take in the situation. She’s sitting, tucked away behind a support pillar, making herself as small as possible and trembling, her gun in her hand.

‘Yeah, pix, I’m here.’

I hold out my hand for the weapon, and she nods as she lets me take it and immediately reaches for Beans, who covers her body with his like he’s a weighted blanket.

‘So, I know it’s fast, but I was thinking maybe I could sleep over at your place tonight.’ Her eyes are hopeful, and I nod.

‘Yeah, short stuff,’ I hold out my hand to pull her up, ‘that sounds perfect.’

I’m maintaining eye contact, and I try to get a read on what’s happening here, but she just looks terrified. As she stands, I notice the package in her hands, and I know I need to get her alone.

‘Come on, pix, we’ve got some steaks to grill.’ She nods, and I pull her back door closed.

Beans runs ahead to my place as I lead Bree through our joined backyards and into my house, shutting the door behind us.

‘What’s going on?’ I ask, and she immediately starts to cry. ‘Bree,’ I push, needing to know but also fucking hating seeing her like this.

‘He was in my house,’ she whispers through her tears, and I feel my eyebrows pull together. I feel the tightness in my jaw and the way my nostrils flare with rage.

‘You saw him? Did he hurt you?’

‘No, he—’ She closes her eyes and works to steady her breath, then paces to the couch and sits. ‘I was taking a shower, and when I got out, the bathroom door was open. I knew I’d closed it, so it was weird. I didn’t lock it because the front and back doors were locked, and I was alone, but I know I closed it, so I was already freaking out.’ She inhales a sharp breath and blows it out. ‘I walked into my bedroom, and there were rose petals everywhere, all over my bed, my floor, there were candles lit and soft music playing, and on the bed, there was this.’

She holds up the package, and I take it. It’s a large envelope that I can see she has already torn open, so I reach in and pull out the wad of photographs. Bree walking around town and working out at the gym. Bree holding a bottle of wine on her porch and looking around. Her sitting in a restaurant alone, checking her phone. Then there are others. Bree with her girls at a mall and with me, dancing at the bar, in the diner, walking through town, me kissing her on her front porch. She was right. He’s been watching all this time and without meaning to, I smile.

‘This is good.’ I say, and her head snaps up as she glares at me.

‘He wasinmy house, Arlo. In my bathroom, while I fucking showered, and I didn’t know.’ She holds up a Polaroid, but not enough that I can see it clearly. ‘A photo of me, naked, taken minutes before I found all this. He was right fucking there, in the room with me and I had no clue, and you are saying this is good?’

‘It is, Bree.’ I move to sit next to her and notice she is still trembling. Placing her gun on the coffee table, I pull out my own and put that down, too. I notice Bree’s gaze fall on the two weapons, but she doesn’t say anything. ‘The whole point of this little act was to draw the son of a bitch out. It’s working. That means we’re getting closer to catching the piece of shit.’

‘I can’t go back there, Arlo. My doors were locked, but he got in and out easily.’

‘No, you’ll stay here now.’ I’m resigned. I knew the fucker was in there the other night, I knew she hadn't left a window open but there was nothing to confirm it, he left no clues, but this, tonight, nah, he's not getting that close again.

‘I can’t move in with you after two dates. Most of my dates don’t make it past one. My family knows I’m a slow mover.’

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