What are you drawing?
Regan
Are you really sitting somewhere stalking me while texting to get to know me??
Rook
Yes. Aren’t you glad you haven’t been alone all night?
Regan
I would rather you either come inside or leave. Where are you, anyway?
I slipped the mask I brought back on, climbing down off the second-story balcony I had been looking into and walking back to the main living room she was sitting in.
Themainliving room because there was more than one. I had spent the last hour looking around and getting a better idea of the layout of the house. I wasn’t sure how my plan would come together to take down Cameron Fletcher, but any information I could gather would be helpful.
I stepped in front of a window where she would notice me immediately.
The scream that escaped her was a bonus.
“Rook!” she yelled. “What is with the mask?”
Rook
There are cameras all over this place. Do you think I would willingly show my face?
“Why are you here?” she asked, loud enough I could hear her.
Rook
Again. I’m stalking you.
She marched over, throwing the huge window open. “Aren’t you doing a really bad job at stalking me if I catch you?”
“You didn’t catch me. I made my presence known because I couldn’t take one more silent episode of Dateline without screaming.”
She leaned down onto the windowsill. “I could turn on subtitles if it’s helpful.”
“It would be nice. At least I would find out the ending,” I said, grinning behind the mask.
“You could come in and actually listen to it.”
“You’re inviting your stalker in to watch TV?” I asked. The second I felt like I was getting a glimpse inside her head, she said something like that and threw me off. I never knew if she scared of me or interested in me? Or maybe she didn’t even know.
“I’m just saying I have the TV and some more cookies, so it’s not a bad deal for you.”
“What’s in it for you?”
“Not sitting in this huge house alone, freaking out because someone just texted me and got me all scared someone is going to break in.”
I smiled again, thankful the mask hid it.
She reached out, hooking a finger under the bottom of the mask and pulling it up. Her eyes went wide, quickly looking over my face. It had to be the best look at me she had gotten so far.
“I feel like stalkers should be creepy old weirdos. What is it you’re stalking me for? Do you really not have better things to do?”
“Just curious about how the other half lives,” I said, looking past her into the fancy living room. “And no, nothing at all. You didn’t answer my question.”