Where Shadow’s Hide

Smile for the Neighbors

Chapter Two:

Smile for the Neighbors

The knocking came again, three slow, deliberate taps. Adrian calmly lifted his coffee and took another sip. The apartment fell silent. Another knock followed, loud and sharp. Scarlett glanced back at him, but didn't dare to move he caught her looking and smiled. "They can wait a second." He set his mug on the bench. "People tell you a lot about themselves if you don't rush to answer the door." Scarlett wasn't sure what he meant.

She wasn't sure she wanted to. He walked towards the entrance with the same easy confidence he carried everywhere. Halfway there, his reflection caught in the stainless steel fridge doors she watched it happen. His shoulders relaxed, the tension melted from his face, his smile softened.

By the time he reached the handle...The man Scarlett feared was gone, replaced with the man everyone else loved. A delivery driver stood on the doorstep holding a small parcel. "Good Morning," he said. "I have a package for Adrian Cross." "That'll be me." He grinned. The driver handed him the scanner, "Just need a signature." as Adrian signed, the delivery driver looked passed him and saw Scarlett, she looked at the floor, Adrian watched the exchange before he said "Thanks. Have a good day." " too." The door closed.

Adrian turned the parcel over once before placing it neatly on the kitchen bench. "I'll open it later," he said, and Scarlett nodded. Neither of them mentioned the interrupted conversation. Adrian glanced at the clock. "I should get going." He slipped his keys into his pocket before walking towards Scarlett. She instinctively stepped aside. Instead of passing her, he stopped.

He gently cupped her face in both hands. His smile was warm, tender, the same smile that made strangers trust him within minutes. He said, "You're mine, Scarlett." She nodded. "You'll be here when I get home, won't you?" Scarlett forced herself to hold his gaze. "Of course," she said. He kissed her forehead. "So..." His thumb brushed softly across her cheek. "Be a good girl today..." She nodded. He leaned closer, "and don't forget..." His voice barely rose above a whisper. "I notice everything." A chill crept down her spine. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the moment was gone. He smiled again. "I love you." The reply left Scarlett's mouth automatically. "Love you too." He walked out the front door.

A moment later she heard his car start. She stood perfectly still until the sound faded into the distance. Only then did she breathe. Scarlett locked the front door.

She went and made the bed. Smoothed the duvet until there wasn't a single crease. Straightened the cushions on the couch. Folded the throw blanket until the corners lined up perfectly. She wiped the kitchen bench, then wiped it again. The apartment was spotless. Every few minutes she found herself glancing towards the driveway, just in case. Adrian had come home unexpectedly before. Sometimes because he'd forgotten his wallet. Sometimes he'd forgotten paperwork. Sometimes... for no reason at all.

She looked at the clock, 8:30. It felt like lunchtime. She picked up a book from the coffee table, read the same paragraph three times, then set it back down. She thought about going for a walk, but the idea disappeared almost as quickly as it came. If Adrian came home and she wasn't there... Her stomach tightened.

She was allowed to go to work and back home, that was it, and she still had an hour before she had to leave, so instead, she made herself another coffee. She stood at the kitchen window, watching the quiet street outside. People walked their dogs, a father pushed a stroller past the house, a courier van stopped two doors down. Life carried on. It always amazed her how ordinary the world looked when hers felt anything but.

By the time the clock reached 9:30 a.m., she'd run out of things to do. The silence settled over the apartment; it should have felt peaceful. Instead... it felt watched.

A gentle knock at the front door made her jump. She stood perfectly still. Another knock, soft, patient. Nothing like the sharp rap of the delivery driver earlier. She opened the door.

A woman stood on the porch with kind eyes, silver hair tucked into a loose clip, and a plate covered with a blue tea towel. "Hello, dear," she said warmly. "I'm Margaret Lawson. My husband and I moved in next door this week." She smiled. "I made far too many blueberry muffins." Scarlett blinked.

For a moment, she forgot how to speak. No one had ever knocked on her door simply to be kind. "They're still warm," Margaret said. Scarlett accepted the plate carefully. "Thank you," she whispered. "It's lovely to meet you, I'm Scarlett." Margaret smiled. "Lovely to meet you too, dear."

For the first time that morning... Scarlett smiled a genuinely happy, warm smile. Margaret's eyes lit up. "There it is." Scarlett frowned. "There's what?" "That smile." Margaret laughed softly. "I've seen you leaving for work the last few mornings, and you don't seem very happy, dear." Scarlett's stomach tightened.

Margaret frowned. "I'm sorry, dear, it's just you always look so... sad." The smile slipped from Scarlett's face. "Oh goodness, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." "It's okay," Scarlett whispered. "No, it wasn't my place." Scarlett offered a small shake of her head. "Really... it's okay." Margaret looked at her for another moment. Not judging, simply noticing. "If you ever need a cup of tea..." She gestured towards the house next door. "...or just someone to talk to, I'm usually home." Something fluttered in Scarlett's stomach.

Nobody had ever offered her that before. Not without expecting something in return. "Thank you," she whispered. Margaret smiled one last time before heading back down the path.

Scarlett watched until she disappeared inside her own home. She closed the front door gently behind her, and the apartment was silent once again. She carried the warm plate of blueberry muffins into the kitchen and placed them carefully on the bench. Margaret's kindness lingered with her; it felt unfamiliar, almost frightening. She couldn't remember the last time someone had been kind simply because they wanted to.

A small smile found its way onto her face. Her phone vibrated. The sudden sound made her jump. She looked at the screen: Adrian. A knot tightened in her stomach. She opened the message. "Don't eat too many blueberry muffins. ❤️" Scarlett stared at the words.

The smile disappeared from her face. Slowly, she turned towards the front window. Margaret's house stood quietly next door. Had Adrian driven past? Had someone seen Margaret visit? Or... had he simply known she would? Her thumb hovered over the keyboard; she wanted to ask him how he knew.

Instead, she locked her phone and placed it face down on the bench, and for the rest of the morning, she couldn't bring herself to eat a single bite.