5. Lily

The cops search my apartment while Alice hugs me close.

"I knew I should have stayed the night," she says, shaking her head. "That fucking psycho needs to be locked up."

I stand there numbly while the officers search my apartment. Alice keeps an arm around me, and we watch them dust for prints and bag the note and bullet as evidence.

"Did you see anyone suspicious before you got home tonight?" the lead detective asks.

Alice speaks before I can. "Some creep cornered her at the carnival and said some fucked up stuff to her about stalking her."

The detective raises a brow. "What kind of stuff?"

I bite my lip. "Sexual stuff."

He scribbles down on his notepad. "Okay, let me know if you think of anything else." And then walks away, leaving me reeling.

"I've found something!" one of the junior detectives shouts.

He's standing by the bathroom door and swabbing it. "Looks like semen on the door handle."

My stomach dips at the thought of that crazy, hot guy standing outside my bathroom door, jerking himself off while he watched me. That's fucked up. And yet, the fear somehow heightens a sickening arousal that's been building within since the moment he cornered me at the carnival. As if the fear somehow turns me on. I've never known anything like it.

"Does anyone else live here or stay over?" The detective asks.

"No one," I say, shaking my head. "I don't have guys over."

The detective raises an eyebrow. "You're telling me a young, attractive woman like yourself doesn't entertain gentlemen callers?"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "I work a lot. I don't really have time to date."

He scribbles in his notebook. "So, no boyfriend, then?"

"No."

"Casual partners? Hookups?"

I cross my arms, getting irritated. "No."

The detective looks skeptical. "And you haven't had any men here at all? Not even a Tinder date or something?"

"No,"I say firmly. "I don't do hookups, and I'm not on any dating apps. It's just me here. I don't know how that sicko's…stuff got on my door, but I sure as hell didn't invite him in."

Alice pipes up. "She's telling the truth. She's too busy with work to date. The girl's a fucking virgin, for fuck's sake."

I heat at that and elbow her in the ribs. "Thanks a lot for announcing it to the world."

The male detectives all look surprised at the fact I'm a virgin. To be fair, it probably is a little weird at twenty-two not to have had sex, but the opportunity never arose.

The detective clears his throat. "Well, it's probably some idiot messing with you. Whether you're really in any danger remains to be seen."

"Are you fucking kidding?"Alice exclaims, shaking her head. "He left a goddamn bullet."

The detective's jaw clenches. "Yes, I'm well aware. But it's probably some kid fucking about."

Alice rolls her eyes. "Right, not the guy that literally cornered her at the carnival and admitted he was going to fucking stalk her."

The detective sighs. "Look, if you notice anything suspicious, ring us again. But for now, we don't have anything to go on."He signals to the rest of the cops, and they pack up and move out of my apartment. "Here's my card,"the lead detective says. And then he leaves.

I close the door behind him, leaning against it with a heavy sigh. My skin crawls thinking about that creep at the carnival, and now knowing he followed me home and jerked off outside my bathroom. I shudder.

Alice puts a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, let's put on a movie or something. I know it's late, but I'm not leaving you alone tonight."

I give her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Al. I'm really glad you're here."

We settle onto the couch, and Alice grabs the remote, flipping through the channels until she lands on a cheesy rom-com. Perfect—mindless entertainment is exactly what I need.

While the opening credits roll, Alice goes into the kitchen and pops us a bag of popcorn. The warm and comforting smell wafts into the living room and my shoulders start to relax.

Alice plops back down next to me and offers me the bowl. I grab a handful of popcorn and pop a few pieces in my mouth, savoring the sweet flavor. On-screen, the lead couple argues adorably dramatically, making me chuckle.

"This was a good pick,"I tell Alice. "I haven't seen this one before."

She grins. "What can I say? I know how to pick a quality rom-com."

I nestle further into the couch, feeling my eyelids grow heavy. It's been such a long day. The movie plays on, the characters' silly antics making me smile.

Alice glances over. "Think you can get some sleep tonight?"

"Maybe,"I say through a yawn. Having Alice here definitely helps. I'll rest easier with my best friend keeping watch.

Eventually, the credits roll, and the music plays softly in the background. My eyes drift closed, popcorn bowl still in hand. I feel Alice gently take it from me and hear her whisper, "Good night."I mumble it back as I fall asleep, comforted knowing she's nearby.