Page 27 of Pulse
“Was I supposed to?”
I shake my head, even though he can’t see me. “No. You weren’t. I just thought maybe you needed something and just came in. The magnets that you always mess with were moved. I know you didn’t move them last night.”
“Magnets? What are you talking about?”
“The magnets …” Troy’s texts buzz again. “You know, the two magnets on my refrigerator that you like to move around.”
“What?” He chuckles. “Sweet pea, I don’t touch your magnets. You warn me every time not to.”
My throat narrows, and I still.
Is he screwing with me?
Burt has moved the magnets three times over the past couple of weeks …hasn’t he? I rack my brain to remember why I assumed it was Burt but can’t remember.
If it’s not him, then who is it?
My heart drums against my ribs.
“Did you happen to see anyone here today?” I ask, my words falling fast. “Was anyone here at all?”
“Not this afternoon, but your friend Morgan just pulled up.”
“She did? Just now?”
“Yeah.Hi, Morgan,” he calls out.
My breath comes in and out rapidly. “Burt, I need to go. Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime.”
I end the call and race to the front door, pulling it open as Morgan’s knuckle is poised to knock. She takes me in and moves back.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
“I don’t know.”
“What’s going on? I just stopped by on the off chance you were here. I thought we could grab dinner, but I feel like I just interrupted something.”
“Come in,” I say, allowing her to enter my house. I shut the door softly.
Suddenly, everything feels off. The oxygen in the room decreases, and energy flows through the walls. I feel like an outsider in my home.
I steady myself. “I’ll preface this by saying I’ve had a long day. And Mallory had us doing hot yoga today, which has messed with my brain before.”
“Okay.”
I square my shoulders to hers. “I might be losing my mind, I don’t know, but I think …”
It feels ridiculous to say it. My brain’s going too fast to get a grip on my thoughts. Everything I start to say feels like a terrible overreaction.
“What’s going on?” Morgan asks. “You’re freaking me out.”
“I’m sorry. I just … Do you know the two squirting magnets you got me for my birthday?”
She nods.
“They keep moving around on my fridge. Both of them. I assumed it was Burt because he’d been here right before I noticed it the last three times. But I just got home from work, and they were moved. I know they were in the right places this morning.”
