"I love this part," she murmurs when the protagonist makes his grand speech. Her head rests against my shoulder, her hand finding Matthew's in her lap.
The movie ends, but none of us move. The fire crackles, casting shadows across our faces. Morgan's breathing has deepened, her eyelids heavy.
"Bed?" Matthew suggests quietly.
I nod, lifting Morgan gently. She stirs but doesn't wake fully, her arms looping around my neck. Matthew follows us to the bedroom, pulling back the covers as I lay her down.
In the darkness, with Morgan sleeping between us, I allow myself to exhale. For tonight, at least, we've given her peace.
Morning comes too quickly. I wake to the sound of my phone ringing. Morgan stirs beside me as I reach for it, squinting at the screen.
"It's your dad," I tell her, sitting up.
Morgan sits up too, her hair a wild tangle, her eyes still puffy from sleep. "Answer it."
I put it on speaker. "Isaac?"
"Trenton." His voice is tight, controlled in a way that immediately puts me on alert. "Is Morgan with you?"
"I'm here, Dad," she says, leaning closer to the phone.
There's a pause, then, "I need you all to listen carefully. Don't interrupt. Don't ask questions until I'm finished."
My stomach drops. Beside me, I feel Matthew go still.
"Ethan just called me," Isaac continues. "He's my old friend from the department. They found two bodies in the state forest early this morning. Women. Different stages of decomposition."
Morgan makes a small sound. I take her hand.
"They look…" Isaac's voice breaks slightly. "They look exactly like Morgan. Hair color, height, build. The captain thinks they're all part of Harris's pattern."
The room tilts. I feel Matthew's hand land on my shoulder, steadying.
Morgan's hand is ice in mine. I watch as her face drains of color, her eyes fixed on the phone as if she could see through it to her father's face.
"They're searching for Harris now," Isaac says. "Full department resources. But I want you to be careful. This man isn't just a stalker. He's…"
"A killer," Morgan whispers, the words barely audible.
"Stay inside," Isaac instructs. "Don't answer the door for anyone but me or the police. I'm on my way now with Ethan."
"Dad—" Morgan's voice cracks.
"I'll be there in twenty minutes," he promises. "Just hold on."
The call ends. For a moment, none of us speak. The silence in the room is heavy, suffocating.
Then Morgan's composure shatters.
"He was going to kill me," she says, her voice rising with each word. "He was going to kill me and leave my body in the woods like those women."
I pull her into my arms, feeling her tremble against me. Matthew moves to her other side, his hand rubbing circles on her back.
"We won't let that happen," I promise, though the words feel hollow against the reality we now face.
"Charlie," Morgan gasps, pulling back. "What about Charlie? If he's killed before…"
"We don't know," Matthew says quickly. "She might still be alive."