Page 63 of Hide From Me

I hate that each inch of her skin is slowly being hidden from my view. I’ll have to focus more on the mission coming up, and I don’t know how often I’ll be able to see her because of it. But at least I accomplished one thing tonight… I hope the ghosts that haunt this place enjoyed the show. The thought has me grinning like an idiot.

Raylen bends down to pick up my mask, tossing it into my lap, but her attention is solely focused on the skin across my chest. I can almost hear her unasked questions, yet she doesn’t voice a single one. Instead, she picks up her phone, scanning the area once more as if she wasn’t just staring at me.

“You heading to Laura’s?” I ask.

“Yeah, she gets lonely without me,” she replies.

I roll my eyes. Maybe I get lonely without her too, but I can’t take her back to base just yet. “Maybe she can keep you company for a bit anyway. Things are picking up at work, so I’ll be busier than usual.”

Standing, I back her into the wooden box once more before she can slip away—there’s no doubt she’s preparing to do just that.

“You need me, though. Just call, and I’ll be there. Understand?” I mutter, placing a kiss on her head. I almost swear I hear her hum in contentment, but she quickly clears her throat to cover it, shoving against my chest. I wish she would understand that she’s not stronger than me; her little pushes only spur me on. Still, I step back with a laugh, giving her time to harden her features despite the flush on her cheeks.

She growls, shining her light in my face to hide her expression, and I grin.

“I hope you have a horrible night, monster,” she growls, her frustration betraying her smile as she awkwardly shifts the light to avoid tripping while backing towards the door.

“That’ll be impossible, knowing I’m dripping out of you right now!” I call after her.

“Oh myGod,you’re as bad as Jack!” she yells, the door slamming behind her.

Still grinning, I drop into the chair and drag a hand through my hair.

I need a cigarette. A drink. Maybe meds.

But at least now Iknowshe’s falling for me.

And no one—not even her—can convince me otherwise.

Fifteen

Raylen

01-06-2026

My House

"I know, Mom," I growl, tucking my phone between my ear and shoulder to grip the steering wheel hard enough that the cracking leather sticks to my sweating palms.

"And you didn’t think to tell your father or me? We want to be supportive and help you. We can’t do that when you don’t even think to let us know what this time of year means to you." Her tone remains light, but there's a trace of judgment in every word.

"Why would I stress out my wonderful parents when I'm a fully capable adult?" I try to sound like my old self—the girl who used to make light of everything—but my attempt falls flat, as it always does. My therapist says I hold resentment toward my parents for not helping when I needed them most.

But how could they have helped with something they didn’t even know about?

"This isn’t a joke, Raylen. This is your life."

There it is.That sharp edge every mom has when she’s convinced she’s right. Our relationship has always been a rollercoaster, but maybe that’s just the nature of mother-daughter relationships. I pull into the gravel driveway, the trees growing thicker and darker, the sun bleeding out behind their branches.Home. I haven’t been here in days, but I needed to grab some clothes. Thanks to Moe’s new habit of letting me know when he’ll be around, I can plan whether to stay here or crash at Laura’s. Who knew communication could solve half my problems?

Not me.

"You’re right, Mom," I say softly. "It’s my life. I can’t hide forever."

I say it as if I believe it, pretending I’m not still flinching at every creak and every shadow. I’m a survivor, so why does it feel like I’m still running?

"I just want you safe until we can determine if he’s still a threat."

He’s not, though. He hasn’t been for a long time.

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