Chapter 3
Melissa gave a nervous chuckle.
She said, "Come on, didn't you say Ethan's phone is always an open book to you? Just take a look and you'll know everything."
I gripped the flashlight tightly, my eyes fixed on Melissa.
"What if he has a secret account?" I asked.
Melissa froze mid-motion, her hands still under the running water.
Her expression turned awkward, and she even squeezed the soap dispenser twice.
She asked, "Laura, why are you bringing this up all of a sudden? Did you find something?"
If I told Melissa I'd gotten a call from the future from her, she'd probably think I was out of my mind, or she'd go straight to Ethan and confront him for my sake.
It was pouring outside, and we couldn't even call the cops. We were totally on our own.
If I really came clean, Ethan might do something even crazier, and Melissa could get caught in the crossfire.
Besides, I was sure Melissa was hiding something from me.
For now, the safest move was to keep everything to myself and not let anyone know what was really going on.
With that in mind, I quickly shook my head.
"No, I just couldn't sleep and my mind was running wild," I said.
Melissa came over and gave my nose a playful pinch.
Her voice was teasing and full of that spoiling warmth as she said, "You really do have an overactive imagination. Tell you what, just crash with me tonight. Forget about that dog of a man."
I jumped at the offer.
Honestly, even if Melissa hadn't said it, I'd have begged to crash with her tonight.
It was already 2 AM, just an hour away from the time mentioned in the phone call.
I needed to stick close to Melissa.
After all, Melissa was just hiding something from me, but Ethan was really out to get me.
Just thinking about that insurance policy and those chat logs sent chills down my spine.
I started to suspect that maybe all that love at first sight and the romance I thought was real were just a trap Ethan had set up from the very beginning.
Once we got to Melissa's room, I double-locked the door and propped a chair against it before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
I let the flashlight sweep over the bed, and the moment I saw what was there, I screamed.
Ethan's shadow stretched eerily long across the wall, and there he was, watching me with that twisted half-smile.
He said, "Baby, you've been naughty. Why didn't you come looking for me?"
Even Melissa jumped in shock, just like me.
She was totally clueless and just figured Ethan was having one of his weird moments.
Melissa rolled her eyes and said, "Seriously, what are you doing here at this hour? Go on, get out. The power's out, and it's just us girls having a sleepover tonight."
Ethan was grinning from ear to ear.
That smile sent a chill straight down my spine.
He lazily pointed at the floor, where we'd spread out the blankets.
He said, "Power's out, and it's not safe for you two girls to be alone. Why don't I keep you company tonight?"
Melissa snorted, clearly about to shut him down.
But I gave her sleeve a discreet tug, silently telling her to hold back.
Melissa and I had been best friends for twelve years. We were always on the same wavelength. Just a look or a tiny gesture, and we instantly got what the other meant.
Melissa shot me a look, obviously not thrilled, but she still gave in.
Honestly, I wanted to kick Ethan out, but 3 AM was just around the corner.
I had no idea if ticking him off right now would make him snap and make his move ahead of schedule.
At this point, all I could do was play it by ear and wait for my chance.