“It’s been rented.”
The words slammed the breath out of me.
“What—what do you mean it’s been rented? The sign clearly says—”
“I plan to take it down this morning. If you’d called just a few hours earlier…”
I pressed a hand to my forehead, fingers threading through my hair. “Are you serious?”
“Rented last night. No one’s touched it in six years. I was about to demolish it.”
“For how long?”
“A month.”
My breath hitched. “One month?”
“Yes. He paid in cash.”
He?
The word rang like a warning bell in my skull.
No.
No way.
“Do you know any other place that might be—?”
“No, dear. Every place listed’s been snapped up. Mine wasn’t on the site because it was due for tearing down.” He clicked his tongue. “I’m sorry.”
No. No, no, no.
My stomach twisted with the helplessness of it all, but above that, fury pulsed beneath my skin like it had nowhere else to go.
“Thanks,” I ended the call and lowered the phone slowly. My fingers were stiff, curled tightly around the device, and the anger that started building in my chest now scorched hotter with every breath.
I stepped off the porch, trying to keep my breathing steady.
I was being toyed with.
It wasn’t a coincidence. No. No, no—I wasn’t that naive and stupid. Hehadto be behind this. I refused to believe that suddenly every house had been rented the exact same time he moved into mine. For the same duration.
The chill morning air was doing nothing to cool the inferno roaring through my veins. My thoughts had become loud, crashing against each other like waves, frothing with confusion, panic, and rage.
Why?
Why go to such lengths?
If he wanted me gone, why not just make me leave? If he wanted me dead, why play?
If he had all those houses booked, why wasn’t he living in them? Why choose mine?
Unless…unless they weren’t for living in.
What the hell was he doing?
Was this part of some scheme? Weeny Man had told me to stay away from him.
