A WHIRLWIND OF COLOR

27

“I’m not jumping to conclusions. He told me he had issues with substance abuse.”

She shook her head.

“I swear, Melissa. We had dinner earlier and he told me his version of everything that happened between. He brought up the drug thing. I’m not making stuff up about him.”

“Penny, you never told me that before. I…” her voice trailed off. “Maybe it’s a new thing? Since you got hurt? He’s taken all of this really hard.”

“No. He said he had those issues before he started teaching. He basically said his life was horrible before we met. I overheard a conversation between him and Rob earlier too. James said that I saved him. And after our talk, I think he meant from his life as an addict.”

“If that’s true, you kept it from me.” She looked hurt, like it was my fault she had been kept out of the loop. I didn’t even remember any of it. She couldn’t be mad at me.

“I don’t know why he’d lie,” I said. “He was trying to woo me. It seems like a bad idea to mention something like that on a first date.”

“Yeah.”

“Still a catch, huh?”

“I mean…all I know is what you’ve told me. And you always seemed happy. He always seemed perfect. But maybe…” her voice trailed off.

“Maybe tall, dark, and handsome isn’t all it’s cut out to be? Especially when it’s combined with serious, liar pants, druggie.”

“I feel like this is just a misunderstanding.”

“Well, it’s possible he did lie. Because he sat there and told me all about our perfect wedding and failed to mention the part where he got shot. Did you know that?”

“Yeah, I was there. I was your maid of honor.”

At least some things seemed like they were right in this world. “And have you looked around the apartment? There are pictures missing from the walls. And there are doors locked upstairs. There are so many secrets in this house. And it feels like someone is watching me all the time, I can’t even explain it.”

“Well, the last thing is easy to explain.” She pointed to a device mounted in the corner of the living room. “You are being watched. James has cameras everywhere.”

A chill ran down my spine. “Why?”

“Your security guards monitor everything to keep you guys safe.”

“They’re watching us right now? Are they listening to us too?” I looked over at the camera.

“I don’t know. You get used to it though. I forgot the cameras were even there until you just mentioned it.”

It was like I was living in one of those books that I had to read during one summer for a high school English class: 1984 and Brave New World. I don’t know why they made us read them at the same time. Ever since then, I always got them confused. But I knew in one of them someone was always watching you. Or maybe it was both of them. Either way, those were terrible dystopian worlds. How had my life turned out so wrong?

“One of the security guards told me that I was in danger,” I said, still looking at the camera. “That someone tried to hurt me. So despite them and all this fancy equipment, I still got hurt. Which means I’m still in danger.”

“You’re safe here. Trust me, if you leave, you’re putting yourself at a much greater risk.”

“Of what?” Tell me. Someone f*****g tell me what’s going on.

“I promised James I wouldn’t say anything, but keeping you in the dark is clearly not helping anyone. Someone tried to kill you. We know who did it, and there’s a warrant out for his arrest, but the police haven’t caught him yet. Everyone’s worried he’s going to come after you again. That’s why you have to stay here, where it’s safe.”

Safe? If I stayed here, I was a sitting duck. If I was a murderer, the first place I’d look for a victim was her home. How naïve was everyone?

“Trust me, Penny.”

I stared at her. And suddenly all I saw were all the things that were different from the Melissa I remembered. She was a complete stranger. Trust her? I didn’t know her.

Friday

“There are a ton of cameras in this apartment,” I said as I stared at one of the two that were mounted in the kitchen. I had walked around searching for them, despite Melissa trying to distract me. “How many do you think there are total?”

“I don’t know,” Melissa said. “I don’t live here.”

“But if you could guess. How many do you think are in each room?”

“At least one.” She shrugged. “Maybe two or three depending on how big the room is and if there are any weird angles I guess.”

“Are there more than just two in here?”

“Penny, I really have no idea. I only see two.”

She was being very unhelpful. I wasn’t trying to hang out with her right now. This was no time for a girls’ night. I was in a life or death situation. Couldn’t she see that? I was busy planning an escape, which now seemed impossible thanks to all these stupid cameras. “Do you think James watches me all the time? Like when he’s at work and stuff?”

“No. I told you, they’re for security reasons. I doubt he ever watches you. At least not without your permission.” She winked at me.

Gross. “He just has other people look at me?” I lowered my voice. “There’s a camera in my freaking bathroom. You can get arrested for s**t like that.”