Ethan stared at me for a minute before starting the car. When he pulled out of the parking spot, he drove around the diner.

“Ethan, what are you doing?”

“I want to make sure he’s gone. Humor me.”

What could I do? I wasn’t driving, and I didn’t want to get into a fight with Ethan over some creepy guy. We drove around the diner twice, just in case Ethan missed anything the first time around. I tried to keep my eye-rolling to a minimum. I knew he cared and that was why he was being cautious, but I wasn’t helpless. Finally satisfied, Ethan pulled out of the diner and headed home.

“Want to watch a movie before bed?” Ethan asked, trying to forget our almost fight.

“A movie? We don’t have any.”

“I found a DVD player and some DVDs in the storage facility. They’re pretty old, but there are a few comedies and even a horror flick.”

“No horror flicks for me, thanks.” My life was a horror flick these days.

“Comedy it is, then.”

We pulled into the driveway and stared at the rock formation.

“I guess I have to move these again in the morning. I still don’t see why anyone would bother to do this. Some of the rocks are heavy.”

“I thought we were going to leave the rocks for a little while, so whoever did it would lay off the lame pranks.”

Ethan held my hand as we wove through the rocks to the front door. “All right, I’ll leave them for a little longer. It’s just a pain to get around them.”

Inside I headed straight for the shower. I needed to wash the events of the day down the drain, and I needed a good cry. My emotions had been a roller coaster lately. I was trying to deal with this strange way I’d come back to life and the terrible things I had to do to stay alive, and I was trying to put on a happy face for Ethan. If he knew how miserable I was most of the time, he’d feel guilty. And who knew how he would feel if he knew my secret. Which was why I couldn’t let that peeping Tom near Ethan again. I couldn’t chance him telling Ethan what he knew. The question was, how did he even find out?

The water rained down on me as I went through all the possibilities. My peeping Tom had seen me kill Herman, the creepy guy I’d almost collided cars with. He’d been at the gas station when I killed the guy in the cowboy hat. I couldn’t remember what the guy working the register at the gas station quickie mart had looked like. It could’ve been him. But why would he follow me all the way out here?

The water went cold before I came to any real conclusions, and I cursed at myself for using up all the warm water. Ethan hadn’t showered yet. I wrapped a towel around me and walked out of the bathroom with my head hung low. “Sorry, I guess I lost track of time in there.”

Ethan looked at me in my towel. I usually brought my clothes into the bathroom with me so I could get dressed before I came out.

“Are you mad?” I asked.

He gawked a little more. Boys. I shook my head and walked into the bedroom. I threw on a tank top and pajama pants and combed my hair. A few minutes later, I heard the shower running. Ethan could probably use a cold shower right now. I chuckled to myself, making a mental note that wearing nothing but a towel was a great way to get out of a potential argument with Ethan.

I put my comb down on the dresser and was reaching for the light switch when there was a knock on the window. I whipped around. Someone was standing at the window, looking in. Someone with platinum-blond hair and pale blue eyes. Oh, God! Had he watched me get dressed? I stormed out of the room and out the front door. It was stupid. I knew that. But I was pissed. I had had enough of this guy following me around, leaving notes—if it was him. I was putting an end to it tonight.

I left the front door wide open and turned the corner. He was leaning against the house, waiting for me. The smug bastard knew I’d come out here.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” I stormed up to him and smacked him across the face.

His head turned to the side, and he pressed his open palm to his cheek where I’d left a big, red mark. It went well with the black eyes he had from Ethan breaking his nose.

“That’s for peeking in my window.” I moved closer to him, and he backed up against the cottage. I punched him square in the stomach, and he let out a whoosh of air as he doubled forward. “And that’s for watching me get dressed, you pervert.”

He moaned and coughed, looking at me like I was the one who’d done something wrong.

“Well, what do you have to say for yourself?” I held my fists up, ready to punch him again if need be.

“I didn’t watch you get dressed. All I saw was you brushing your hair.”

“Sure. Like I believe that.”

“I’m telling you the truth.” He straightened and held his hands up in defense. “I’m not going to hurt you, and I’m not trying to catch glimpses of you naked, if that’s what you think.”

“Then what are you doing following me around? And what’s with the notes?”

“Look, I need to tell you something, and you have to trust me.”

“Trust you? You bashed my boyfriend’s head into the side of our house!” My arms flailed, and he ducked, afraid I was going to hit him again.

“He came at me with a hammer. What did you expect me to do?” I stopped swinging my arms, and he shook his head. “I had to get the hammer away from him. I tossed it in the woods when he dropped it. Doesn’t that prove I’m not this monster you’re trying to make me out to be?”

“Not wanting to go to jail for murder doesn’t make you a good guy. You didn’t have to hurt Ethan. If you weren’t a creep, you wouldn’t have.” My mind lingered on the image of Ethan threatening this guy with a hammer. He’d never been a violent person. What was happening to him?

“I needed to talk to you. He got in the way.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t want to talk to you. All you’ve done is threaten me with things you supposedly know about me. I’ve had it. Stay away from me, or Ethan coming at you with a hammer will be the least of your concerns.”

“Because you’ll kill me yourself? It doesn’t work that way. You don’t get to choose when you get the urge to steal life from others.”

Oh, my God. Up until then, I’d tried to tell myself there was a chance this guy only thought he knew my secret. But he really did. Right down to the last detail.

“Get out of here!” I screamed.

“Sam!” Ethan came running outside in his pajama bottoms. “What the hell?” he yelled when he saw me with the peeping Tom.

The guy stared at me and shoved a piece of paper into my hand before taking off toward the woods. Ethan ran after him, leaving me to look at the yellow Post-it note in my hand.

Dylan 555-0851

His name was Dylan. He knew my secret, and he wasn’t about to let me get away with what I was doing.

I had to keep him quiet. Somehow.

Ethan came back out of the woods and jogged toward me. He was going to be really upset and demand to see the note. I was sure he’d destroy it. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I memorized Dylan’s number.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“WHO is he? What did he say to you? And why the hell did you go outside with him?” Ethan’s face was bright red. Dylan wasn’t the only one he was angry with.

I handed Ethan the note.

“Dylan? Is this his phone number? You’ve got to be kidding me. What, does he want to date you? Is he the one who put the necklace in your locker?”

“Ethan, calm down.” I reached for his arms, but he shook me off.

“Don’t tell me to calm down. You’re my girlfriend, Sam. Do you have any idea what I’ve been through? Do you know what I went through to bring you back?”

“No, I don’t. You won’t tell me!” I lashed out at him, unlocking the anger building up inside me.

He tore the note into pieces and let them fall to the ground. He stared at me for a second before grunting and running his fingers through his hair.