Page 8 of Always Right Here
“So, how were your first few nights?” She asked.
“They were alright. I’m really happy to have the security up and running though.” I sighed.
“Did something happen?” It was like she could read me like a book.
“It was probably nothing…” I tried to let it go, but Korie had crossed her arms over her chest and stared at me like she was waiting for an explanation.
“I was…taking a bath my first night and I could’ve sworn I saw someone looking at me through my bathroom window.”
Korie shifted uncomfortably, shifting her gaze away from me before clearing her throat.
“You think, or you did?” Her voice was colder than I’d heard it since I’d been back home. Disappointment tugged my belly, I didn’t want to give the wrong answer.
“Um…I don’t know. It’s an old house. I was probably just being paranoid.”
“Oh. Well, uh, with these new cameras, you should be all safe. And if you ever feel spooked or need help working the system, you can always give me a call.”
“Thanks, Kor.” I let out a sigh of relief. “I have company tonight, so it should help.”
Korie’s eyes snapped to me, darker than before.
“I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”
“I’m not,” I answered, the words tumbling out of my mouth. “My best friend, Rayne, is coming to stay over. Do you remember her?”
“Ahhh, yeah. I do.” She pushed off the counter and picked invisible lint from her shirt. “Well, like I said, give me a call if anything goes wrong. I’ll see you around.”
“Housewarming party!” I yelled after her. She turned to look at me. “I’ll see you at the housewarming party.”
“Right, I’ll be there. Have a good night, Riah.”
Chapter 8
The Stalker
Connecting to her newly installed security system was easy enough. My baby was terrible with tech; she would never notice. She would never notice me listening to her, watching her, or zooming the camera into the place where her and her guest’s arms met as they sat side-by-side on the couch.
That bitch was way too touchy-feely for my taste. Best friend, my fucking ass.
She talked about how shitty her boyfriend was. How terrible he was treating her. How henever gave her any attention. How all she wanted was a man to treat her right. But I saw the way she was looking at Riah. Leaning closer to her. Relishing in her attention. Innocent Riah was too sweet to notice. Too nice. Caring. Too amazing of a friend.
I almost let it go. I almost trusted that the bitch would stay in her place. But when she started getting a little too tipsy and brushing Riah’s hair behind her ear, I had enough. Riah might be too nice, but I sure as fuck wasn’t.
Chapter 9
Riah
Having Rayne over reset my nerves to equilibrium. Even if she was extra touchy-feely due to a broken heart and a little too much to drink, I finally felt like I was relaxing. For a moment, my confusing feelings about Korie dissipated. The anxiety of starting a new job in a few days fell to the back of my mind. And the fear of someone watching me through my window was left in the past.
At least for a few minutes.
Glass sprayed through the air, shooting towards where Rayne and I huddled on the couch. The scream of the shattering window. The thud of something hard and heavy slamming onto the floor in front of us. It all grabbed me by the neck and ripped me back into my panic.
I could barely think through Rayne’s yelling and crying. I tapped into the security app Korie downloaded on my phone, trying to organize my thoughts enough to remember how to sound the alarms and call for help, but it was useless. My hands shook. Every sense was on overdrive. It was a wonder I managed to open the dial pad and punch in911.
Rayne and I hid ourselves in the pantry as we waited for the police to arrive. She wanted to run and it took all my strength to hold her back and remind her that whoever had sent a brick hurtling through the window could still be outside.
Minutes later, the police pounded on the door. Carefully, Rayne and I crept out and scurried to open it. I noticed a few officers circling outside with flashlights while two stood in the doorway with their badges on display.
