Got a good reason to now, don’t I?
She did a twirl. This was everything she’d ever wanted. Jed. Wanting her. Caring about her. Her gaze landed on the flowers and she came to a shuddering halt. She bit her lip. Who could they be from? Could still be a neighbor. Although why no note? Why not wait to talk to her?
You should have told Jed.
It was one bunch of flowers. It didn’t mean anything.
12
She felt ill.
Daisy paced back and forth and stared at the three bunches of flowers. Three! What was happening here?
Who was sending them?
She rubbed at her stomach. She had barely slept in days. Or eaten. She was so stressed she couldn’t even work. She hadn’t left the house in days. Not unusual for her, but rather than it being because she didn’t want to, it was because she was too scared to.
The first bunch of flowers she’d thought were sweet. The bunch the next day made her feel uneasy. The bunch on the third day had her rattled. Then last night before she went to bed, she’d found a note. Words typed on a piece of plain white paper. Nothing distinguishing about it. But it was the creepiest thing she’d ever read.
Daisy.
I see you. Staying inside your house will not stop me. I particularly like watching you undress. It’s so hot. You need some sexier lingerie though. Get something slinky and tight. Something I’ll want to fuck you in.
Always watching.
Vomit rose in her throat and she raced towards the toilet. She tasted bile right before she threw up. It didn’t stop. It kept coming even though there was nothing left in her stomach. And crap it hurt.
There was a knock on the door and she jumped with a scream. It took her a few seconds to calm her racing heart. Whoever was doing this wouldn’t knock, she reassured herself. Still, she was shaking as she flushed the toilet and splashed water on her face.
She was all right. Everything was okay. It was way past time to call Jed’s boys though. She should have done that after the first bunch of flowers. She would have felt silly if it had turned out to be nothing, but that was better than feeling like this.
Completely and utterly freaked.
What about Jed? You should tell him.
No. Jed would lose it and he needed to concentrate. She was all right. Those kids might not be.
More knocking on the door. Who the hell could that be? She walked out of the bathroom and grabbed the bat she’d taken to keeping close by her. Especially when she was sleeping. Well, trying to sleep. Maybe it was time to learn how to shoot a gun. Maybe she should go visit Sylvie for a few days until Jed got back. Not that she’d heard from her sister in over a week. And three more emails to Bradley had gone unanswered. She took a calming breath. She had other things to worry about.
She could also have called Ellie. Yeah, there were a lot of things she could have done in the past couple of days.
Dumb. Really dumb.
The bad thoughts that Jed had managed to pretty much chase away were back with a vengeance and her thigh was bruised from her pinches.
She was a basket case.
She glanced out the side window and when she saw who was standing there, she started to sway with relief. Oh, he looked worn out. He was frowning down at something he held in his hand, but she didn’t pay that much attention.
She should have.
She swung the door open, forgetting the bat in her hand. “Jed! You’re home!”
He glanced up at her. The look on his face so cold, it made her breath catch in her throat. He was looking at her like he loathed her. “J-Jed?”
“What took you so long to answer the door?”
“W-what?”