Chapter 4: Who the hell are you?! - part 2
“And you?” I asked, giving him a gentle smile. “Gonna just stand there staring?”
“I’m watching,” he said firmly, eyes narrowed.
“Watching what?”
“To see if you’re really nice like Abby says, or if you’re just really good at pretending.”
I raised an eyebrow.
Okay.
Sharp-tongued little guy.
“Well,” I said, crossing my arms, “if you’re nice to me, maybe I’ll let you in on the secret—whether I’m truly a good guy or just a villain disguised as a bubblegum-scented lady.”
He studied me for a couple more seconds, then sighed.
“My name’s Adam. I’m the older brother. Abby’s sweet but kind of silly. I’m not silly. I’m watching you, Bubblegum Lady.”
Abby stuck out her tongue and grumbled, “Hey! Abby’s not silly!”
Then they both burst out laughing like that was the most normal thing in the world.
The afternoon flew by.
And honestly? It was one of the first times in a long time that I felt... light.
We played hide and seek—even though I nearly had a heart attack when Abby disappeared in that enormous garden for five whole minutes—we built a massive dinosaur puzzle (I may have messed up a few pieces, but no one needs to know), and then I helped them with their homework. Or tried to, anyway. Because the moment I looked at Adam’s math sheet, I seriously considered calling 911.
“What the hell is a negative fraction?” I whispered under my breath, staring at the notebook.
“I heard that,” Adam said flatly.
“Heard what?”
“You said a bad word.”
“No, I didn’t. Must’ve been Abby snoring. She’s over there sounding like a baby pig in a nap coma.”
He gave me that suspicious look he seemed to permanently wear, analyzing me. Who taught these kids to be like this? I’m scared to even meet their parents.
Suddenly, he pointed at my shoulder.
“What’s that?”
My heart skipped.
“That…?” I laughed awkwardly, covering it with my hand. “Just… a mark. Old burn.”
“How’d it happen?”
“Fire. A long time ago. I was a kid.”
That was it. Two short sentences, one nervous swallow, and a crooked smile. I wanted to be honest with him, to seem open and cool. But I didn’t want to show that. It was my constant reminder that even if you survive the fire, you don’t always walk away untouched.
He didn’t say anything for a moment, then pointed to his own cheek.
“My dad has one too. Right here. I think it was a fire, too.”
I just gave a soft smile and stood up, not wanting to dig into that any further.
“Alright, let’s clean up and get you guys to bed before I have to start making up bedtime stories about monsters and talking onions.”
“Abby doesn’t like onions!” Abby mumbled sleepily.
“Then get to bed before I start!”
She giggled, and I laughed too. For a second, it felt like life was breathing again.
I tucked them into their rooms, fixed their blankets, turned off the lights, and snuck out like the proudest babysitter you’ve ever seen. It was my first day, and I didn’t do too badly—they were out by seven. That’s a win.
I took one last look around the massive, silent house, and an idea sparked inside me.
The pool.
That beautiful, giant, lit-up, empty pool. The day had been long. I deserved a swim. Besides, Hanna had texted me earlier saying the boss wouldn’t be back until the next day and that I could ask the driver to grab some clothes from my dorm so I could sleep here tonight.
So yeah, I sighed, determined—I deserved a little me-time. It was part of the invisible babysitter contract: “Right to one solitary, judgment-free swim.”
I headed up to the guest room like I was committing a minor crime. Pulled out my red bikini—the one I always liked but rarely had the guts to wear because it showed off all my soft spots—popped in my earbuds, threw my hair in a messy bun, grabbed a towel, and walked down with a deep desire to forget the world for a minute.
The water was warm, the sky full of stars. My feet touched the edge, and I slipped in slowly, like the universe had pressed play on a moment just for me.
I floated.
Just floated.
Music played directly in my ears. One of those songs that makes you miss people you shouldn’t and opens up all the empty spaces inside. And me, the fool I am, I let a tear fall.
Not for him.
Lies.
It was for him.
Patricio, that bastard.
I wasn’t crying because I wanted him back—God forbid. I cried because I gave everything to someone who only ever wanted a piece. I cried for my sister. I cried because even when we try to be strong, pain always finds a way to leak out.
I closed my eyes, sinking deeper into the music. Let the water hold me. Let my chest ache. Let everything spill out. I don’t even know how long I stayed there—just listening, floating, and crying softly.
But then…
I felt it.
That sudden shift in the air. A chill. A weight.
I opened my eyes slowly. My music still played, but I couldn’t hear it anymore.
Because there, at the edge of the pool, staring at me through the dark… was a man.
A very tall, very broad man. Dressed in all black. Heavy boots. Wide shoulders. Rigid stance.
And on his face...
A skull balaclava.
A. Skull. Balaclava.
Covering everything but his eyes—sky-blue.
He didn’t move. Just stood there, watching me like something straight out of a high-budget horror film.
My heart stopped. My throat went dry. And in the most primal reflex I’ve ever had, I—
SCREAMED.
“OH MY GOD! WHO ARE YOU?! ARE YOU CRAZY?! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! HELP!”
I scrambled back so fast I slipped against the pool edge, slammed my knee, and nearly drowned in my own panic.
“STAY AWAY FROM ME! I SWEAR I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY IN MY ROOM! MY BOYFRIEND IS GONNA BE HERE ANY SECOND, YOU CRAZY PERVERT!”
Lies.
I didn’t have pepper spray. I didn’t even have alcohol-strong deodorant to fake it. But the man… didn’t move.
Just kept staring.
That mask was grotesque, with drawn-on teeth and shadowed eyes. But his body—his body was all man. The kind that pulls trucks with ropes on TV.
“Are you a thief? A murderer? What? Look, if you’re gonna kill me, just do it. But please leave the kids alone! And if you could not cut me, that’d be great. I have scar trauma!”
The silence broke.
A single voice.
Deep.
Rough.
Low.
“What the fuck are you doing in my pool?”
Oh. Great. He talks.
He TALKS.
And that voice…
My stomach flipped like a damn roller coaster.
Holy shit.
That voice.