“Why wouldn’t it be?” she asks, with a slight edge in her voice that wasn’t there before. “I’m just getting settled. Nothing to worry about.”
I let the silence hang, my eyes flickering back to the window. It’s a quiet night, but I can’t shake the nagging feeling in the back of my mind. Something’s not right. Someone’s been here.
“Yeah,” I say, my tone softening, though I can’t fully convince myself. “Just making sure.”
She nods, that light flickering behind her eyes, trying to keep it together. “I’m good.”
I don’t push it. There’s a part of me that wants to tell her she doesn’t have to handle everything on her own. That she doesn’t need to cover it up, that it’s okay to need help.
But I know she won’t let me.
She’s too proud.
“Something’s off,” I say, the words slipping out before I can stop them. “You sure no one’s been around here? There are some weird tire tracks outside.”
Aurora frowns but tries to shake it off. “I told you, I’m. fine. Couldn’t that be someone just passing by?”
I don’t believe it. Not for a second. I’ve been around enough to know when something’s wrong, even if it’s subtle. I move toward the window, checking the latch again with more force than necessary.
“There’s something about this place…” I mutter, more to myself than to her. I’ve got a gut feeling that’s gnawing at me, and I’m not about to ignore it.
Aurora watches me for a beat before her eyes flicker to the driveway. She looks back at me, finally speaking up.
“I… I thought I was just being paranoid,” she admits, almost to herself. “I thought it was nothing, but I saw a truck idling out there for a while the other night. It’s probably not anything, Finn. I’m just… thinking too much.”
My eyes narrow. “A truck?”
I take another step closer, the hair on the back of my neck standing up. I can’t shake the feeling that this is more than just a coincidence.
“How long was it idling?”
Aurora shrugs, as if she’s brushing it off. “Not long. Maybe a few minutes. But you know how it is around here. Small town. Maybe someone was lost or just passing through. It’s fine.”
I stare at her, watching her try to downplay it, but something inside me tells me it’s not fine. My instincts scream that I’m not being paranoid. I’ve been around long enough to know that when your gut tells you the atmosphere is off, you don’t ignore it.
I pull my phone from my pocket and hit Ryder’s number, stepping into the other room to make the call. I can’t put this off. This isn’t a feeling I’m willing to dismiss.
The phone rings a few times before Ryder picks up.
“Yeah?” His voice is gruff. I guess he’s already pissed about something. That’s Ryder for you… always a bit on edge, but with good reason.
“Ryder,” I say quickly, not wasting time. “Something’s off. I’m at Aurora’s cabin, and there’s… well, there’s signs. Tire tracks, the window latch… I don’t like it. I think someone’s been here.”
There’s a long pause on the other end. I can hear him sigh, the sound low and annoyed.
“Shit,” he mutters under his breath. “Are you saying what I think you are? You’re sure?”
“Yeah. And there’s more,” I add. “She mentioned seeing a truck idling outside. I don’t know, man, but it’s too much to ignore. Especially with… everything that’s been going on.”
Ryder curses again. “Fucking hell. I’ll come over. Send me a pin of where you are.”
I hang up the phone and turn to face Aurora. She’s standing by the window now, her arms crossed, her face pinched with frustration. I can tell she’s trying to keep her cool, but she’s worried.
“So, who was that?” she asks tightly, her eyes searching mine. “Who did you just call?”
I can see the way her shoulders stiffen, the way she’s bracing herself. She doesn’t want this. She doesn’t enjoy the feeling of being watched or taken care of. But I’m not about to sugarcoat it. She needs to hear this. She needs to understand.
“His name’s Ryder,” I tell her. “He owns The Hollow with Zane and me. He’s not the kind of guy you want to mess with, but he’s the kind of guy you want watching your back. He’ll make sure you’re safe.”
