Lights on. Curtains open. Emily staring out the upstairs window, my shadow behind her.
My blood ices.
“Pack a bag. We’re not staying here tonight.”
She obeys without argument, stuffing belongings into a rucksack.
I hate that she didn’t trust me enough to tell me right away—almost as much as I hate the fear in her eyes.
But that’s on me.
And I’ll fucking fix it.
We’re out the door within minutes. I take the bike—harder to follow, easier to disappear.
I know exactly where to take her. I don’t ask permission; they won’t turn her away. And I doubt Gia knows they exist.
I slam the bike to a stop, march up the drive, and bang on the door.
It swings open to a tangle of pink hair and a cockapoo that launches at my feet.
Carina blinks. “What are you doing here?”
Emily steps out from behind me. I didn’t tell her where wewere going, but her whole body drops with relief when she sees Carina. Then she’s wrapped around her, crying into her shoulder.
Carina shoots me a glare sharp enough to slice skin. “What did you do?”
I lift my hands. “Nothing. We just need somewhere to stay tonight.”
She murmurs something to Emily, whose head bobs up and down at whatever she said. Carina guides her inside with an arm around her. The door stays open—my invitation.
Inside is aggressively pink, softened by splashes of grey.
Nate’s already on his feet, eyes narrowed. “Someone better start talking before I get stabby.”
I open my mouth, but Emily beats me to it. She tells them everything—Gianna, the stalking, the texts. Everything she didn’t tell me.
Carina whistles. “Damn. Two stalkers?”
“Two?” I echo.
She rolls her eyes. “What the fuck do you think you are?”
…Fair.
After we fill them in, Carina leads us upstairs.
“You can sleep in here,” she says, opening the guest room. Cosy. Neutral. Not pink.
I step to follow Emily in, but Carina plants a hand on my chest. “Where do you thinkyou’regoing?”
“To get ready for bed?”Obviously.
“It’s fine,” Emily murmurs. “He can sleep in here with me.”
Carina hesitates, still blocking my way. “Are you sure?”
Emily nods through a yawn. “Yeah. He’d just sneak in later anyway.”