I checked behind me.
Nothing.
I quickly looked from right to left, taking in the space.
Nothing.
And even more. . .now the steam wasn’t just lingering. It was multiplying. Rolling heavier. Curling so thick it blurred out the floor.
What is going on?
That’s when I heard it.
A low hiss, steady and constant, cutting through the muffled rippling of the bath.
My gaze flicked toward the far right, where the glass shower stood.
Aww. I see what he did. He turned the shower on. That’s why there’s so much steam in here right now.
Through the haze I stared at the shower. Spray hammered against the tiles.
He’s crazy.
He’d filled the room on purpose, so a veil of steam would be thick enough to hide him anywhere. At this point. . .with all the steam. . .he could be five feet away, and I wouldn’t see him until he wanted me to.
My chest tightened.
He wasn’t just hunting me—he was building a hunting ground. Every hiss of the water masked his breath. Every drifting curl of steam swallowed his shadow.
Very clever, Kenji. So. . .you want to jump out and scare-fuck me. Nope. I don’t think so. I’ll catch you first.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to pierce the haze, but the shower was a wall of silver spray, shapes bending and vanishing behind it. He could be in there now, standing utterly still, watching me struggle to find him while the steam kept him cloaked.
I held my breath, just for a beat, to hear past the hiss of the shower, listening for the softer sound of his breath hidden under it.
Hmmm. I don’t know. . .
A thrill ripped through me, mixed with fear and aching.
Alright. . .if he is in the shower, I can slam the glass door shut, trap him in the steam and make him beg to get out.
My heart boomed in my ears.
Okay. . .I’ll see if he is in the shower first. Then, I’ll get something to protect me. I’ll teach him to mess with a tiger.
I had to think of this like an investigative assignment for a top paper. I mapped the bathroom like a crime scene in my notes—steam clouding the evidence, shadows moving like suspects, the shower staged as the most obvious culprit.
If I were going to get caught, I’d at least make Kenji work for the headline.
Looking from side to side the whole time, I slowly walked forward, shifted my weight to the balls of my feet, and softened my steps so even the marble wouldn’t hear me.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Four.
