Aaron grinned. “I’m kidding, you know? About the date. I know you two are just friends.”
She smiled and cuddled up to him. If only that were true.
CHAPTER TEN
The Fall
SLOAN WOKE UP FRIDAY MORNING ALONE in her bed. It was the day. The day of the prom. The day of her fall.
Aaron spent the night, but, at her mother’s insistence, he stayed on the couch. It was fine with her. She needed time to think. It would probably prove to be a very long day.
Since she didn’t have to go to school, she stared at the ceiling, thinking about the facts she did know. Someone had switched the medicine in her bottle to prescription strength, similar to the ones Darcy took. If her stalker could get in her house and in her car and in her locker without being detected, it wasn’t a stretch to believe he could switch the medicine.
It was like he was a ghost and could walk through her walls without being detected. Like maybe she’d trusted him — or her — at one time. Maybe he or she had even been in her house. ICU had been in her house Wednesday night. In her bathroom while she’d showered. Her body shook thinking about it. She hated the thought that someone had snuck in and had caught her so vulnerable.
The cellphone on her nightstand started singing, and she picked it up, expecting it to be Mackenzie ready to chat about their prom plans. Mackenzie didn’t know about the final flower she’d gotten via text yesterday. No one knew. To protect her family, she had to keep it to herself. If ICU could sneak into her house, he could make good on his promise to hurt the people she loved.
It wasn’t Mackenzie’s name that popped up. Unknown number. Perfect.
Her hands shook as she pressed the open button.
One more rose. A real one this time. Time for the Fall. Are you excited for prom? I am. Scared to show? Don’t be. Someone is falling tonight. You? Mackenzie? The little boyfriend of yours? Your choice. Get pretty for me. And comb your hair. It looks like a rat’s nest. ICU.
Sloan threw her phone on the bed and ran to the window. No one was on the street or around from where she could see. Freaking out, she fell to the floor and propped her back on the door. Pulling her legs up to her chest, she hugged them and sobbed into her knees.
She couldn’t do this. But if she didn’t go, if she refused and locked herself in her room like a hermit, he would hurt the people she cared about. Did she doubt him? No, she didn’t.
For what seemed like eternity, she sat on the floor crying, thinking, praying, needing a way out. With a pounding heart, she did the only thing she knew to do. She crawled over to her bed, grabbed her phone, and sat back down on the floor. Looking through her contacts, she called the one person she didn’t want to dial, but knew she had to. Too much was at stake not to let someone know.
It only took two rings for the person on the other end to answer.
“Good morning. Detective Morgan.”
SLOAN TOOK EXTRA TIME getting ready. She washed her face and splashed cold water under her eyes. It was going to be a long day, and she needed to relax as much as she could. Thankfully, Detective Morgan believed her about the threatening letters and texts. Sloan even forwarded the last one to the detective before deleting it. She couldn’t let Aaron or her mom see it. Detective Morgan hesitated when Sloan insisted they not tell her mother what was going on, but agreed when Sloan explained how Mr. ICU had threatened to hurt her. After a tense conversation, it was decided that an extra officer in an unmarked car would post outside Sloan’s house to protect her mother in case Mr. ICU made good on his threat early.
Detective Morgan also said she’d find a way to chaperone the prom. Her niece went to school there and she, being a good aunt, would go and volunteer. Her niece wouldn’t be too happy about it, but it would be okay. Whoever her stalker was would just assume Detective Morgan was being a good aunt and not a police officer. That was the hope anyway.
Sloan had hung up feeling hopeful for the night that her nightmare would be over and she could move on with her life.
Once she got downstairs, she didn’t feel as confident. She heard muffled whispers coming from the kitchen when she got halfway down the steps. She paused to see if she could hear what was being said. Her turn to be stealthy.
“I’m worried about her, that’s all.” Aaron said. “She’s gotta be freaking out.”
“She didn’t get a rose yesterday, right?” her mom asked.
Sloan’s heart ached. Yeah, she’d gotten one. No, she hadn’t told anyone but Detective Morgan.
“Right. It’s strange, though, don’t you think? Do you think Sloan got one and just didn’t tell us?”
Aaron knew her so well.