My parents blink at the brightness, and my mother reaches over to take my hand. “Stay with us, Seth.”
“I will,” I promise.
Even though when I was younger, when I was lonely, they never stayed with me.
8
MADISON
Curled up in the corner of my couch, I pull a blanket over my lap and clutch a package of cookies. A Korean zombie flick plays on my laptop screen, but I’m not really watching it. I’m more content to just sit here under the blanket and remain perfectly still. I don’t want to leave this spot for the foreseeable future.
The police came out to investigate the camera in my tree. They took it with them, but one of the detectives confessed to me that she didn’t think they’d find anything. She said something about local storage, and sketchy brands that don’t require strict registry for users. I will likely never know who set up that camera, or when. Or even why. The front porch seems a weird spot to watch. I guess I should just be grateful that it wasn’t pointing into my bedroom window.
The thought makes me shudder and tug my blanket closer.
On the bright side, the police checked my property for any other rogue cameras, and they found nothing.
I love my great-aunt’s house. I really do. But sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t have stayed in that cramped apartment with Hugo and Felix. That was such a toxic situation, though—I had to get out, and sooner was better than later.
I sometimes wonder how my old roommates doing. It’s entirely possible that they’ve died of scurvy because I’m not there to buy fruits and vegetables.
A zombie eats a guy’s face in a very gruesome way. I barely notice. The gore is nothing more than background at this point.
The house creaks ominously.
“Shut up,” I mutter. “I’ve had enough of you.”
The creaking stops.
“Yeah, that’s right, punk,” I say to the wall. Resolutely, I turn back to my laptop. I’m going to pretend to watch this movie and I’m going to pretend to enjoy it.
Damiano texts that he and Seth are coming over. I text him the new gate code. I wonder if they found Seth’s parents, but I’m afraid the answer will be no. It’s better to ask in person. I hope they’re okay.
When the guys arrive, they have to wait a little longer on the porch while I unlock everything. I also peer through the peephole to make sure it’s them. Yeah, that damn camera got me paranoid.
“Hey.” Seth’s smile falls as soon as he sees my face. “What happened?”
Damiano takes me in his arms, looking me over at the same time like he’s searching for injuries. “Tell us everything.”
“I’m okay, I promise.” I squirm in his hold, even though I’m secretly enjoying the attention. “Just spooked.”
Seth carefully closes and locks the door behind him. “Okay. Talk to us. Tell us why.”
“It’s dumb. There was an old camera hanging in one of my trees. I had the police come out and take it down, but they don’t think they’ll find any info on it.”
Damiano’s eyes narrow. He runs his hands over my shoulders and arms. “You’ll come stay with us, until we figure out who’s behind the camera.”
“It could’ve been there for months before I moved in,” I say. “I don’t think we’ll ever know.”
“Bella.” Damiano kisses my cheek. “Come live with us.”
“What?” I shake my head. The idea is tempting, but… “Damiano, that’s—that’s too fast.”
“Nove is the most secure building in San Esteban. And Alessia moved out a couple of days ago. She’s going back to Italy. You won’t have to see her.”
I frown. I honestly wouldn’t have minded if Alessia stayed. It’s not like we would’ve ever been best friends, but now that I know she was more afraid of Francesco than she was in love with Damiano, I have more sympathy for her. She was in a bad situation and seeking an escape—it’s understandable.
“It isn’t Alessia holding me back.” I take his hand and bring it to my lips so I can kiss his knuckles. He looks touched, and a little amused, at my gesture. “It’s more that I like living here, as weird as it is. And I like my independence. This is the first time I’ve lived alone in years. I want things to stay this way for a little while longer.”
