I notice the car parked on the side is the same car that Tigerlily disappeared into the other day, so I open my door.
“Cal—” Zephyr starts.
I wave him off. “Relax. Let’s see what our little Tiger is up to.”
I walk up the lawn, scanning for cameras. It doesn’t take long to spot them. One by the front door. One on the corner of the house. One pointing at the driveway.
Ha. Her dad doesn’t even try to hide them.
He won’t know who I am, so I don’t care about them. I knock on the door.
The noise inside stops immediately. Girls’ voices go quiet.
“Who is it?” someone calls out.
I scratch my head. “Uh, I’m a Mormon. Have a second to talk?”
The door opens.
Four girls and a ten-year-old stare at me.
Tigerlily’s eyes go wide. The others gasp.
The ten-year-old crosses her arms. “I’m sorry, who are you?”
I recognize one of the girls from campus. Madison something. Cute. Blonde.
“I’m Madison’s boyfriend,” I say.
Madison’s jaw drops. “What!”
Tigerlily looks like she might faint.
The ten-year-old narrows her eyes. “Well, this is a girl’s night.”
She tries to close the door on me, but I catch it with my hand.
“I just need a second with Madison.”
The girls look at each other. Confused. Suspicious.
Madison steps outside. I pull out my phone, open the notes app, and type one word.
Camera.
She looks around and spots the one mounted on the wall.
I type again.
What’s your number?
She pulls my phone out of my hand, her face turning pink. She types in her number and hands it back.
“Text me, I guess,” she says.
I nod, then I pull her into a hug to make it believable. It’s awkward as hell as she hugs back but doesn’t fully commit.
I release her and walk off.
