Whispers of Night and Blood

Chapter 5 The Stranger

Lena POV

I pulled into my driveway, letting out a long sigh as the day finally caught up with me. 

The quiet hum of my engine faded, leaving just the stillness of the evening. I could already picture it......the warmth of my bathtub, the soothing scent of sea salts, and a glass of wine in my hand. It had been the perfect plan for a night of much-needed relaxation after today's madness at the ER.

Then my phone chimed.

I fished it out of my bag and glanced at the screen. A calendar notification popped up, and my stomach dropped. 

Wait, it's Friday already?

I groaned. Today was the grand opening of the new Tropical Lounge, the one Ella had been raving about for weeks. Her boyfriend was the owner, and she had been talking non-stop about us being there to show our support. 

There was no way I could back out of it now.

Oh, fudge.

I slumped back in my seat, staring blankly at the dashboard. I had completely forgotten about the opening. 

As much as I loved Ella and wanted to support her, the idea of putting on a dress and socializing tonight wasn't exactly what I had in mind. 

I'd been looking forward to sinking into my tub, wrapped in the comfort of chocolates and wine while the sea salts did their magic.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to summon the energy. The date with Adrian still lingered in the back of my mind, as did the strange feeling from earlier in the parking lot. I could brush it off as nothing, but that nagging sense of being watched wouldn't quite leave me.

You're just being paranoid, Lena. I told myself again. 

Nothing's wrong.

I grabbed my bag and keys, stepping out of the car and locking it behind me. Time to put on a brave face and pretend that nothing felt off.....no mysterious dates, no weird vibes. Just a normal night out.

The thought did bring a small smile to my face, though. 

Ella would probably drag me to the dance floor, shove a cocktail in my hand, and everything else would disappear for the night. Maybe a night out was exactly what I needed to reset.

As I opened the front door, Ella was already on the phone, her words flowing at lightning speed. She glanced up when she saw me, pointed upstairs, and mouthed, "I picked out something for you." She put her hand over the receiver, clearly trying to keep the person on the other end from hearing our conversation.

Oh no. 

My stomach sank, a familiar feeling of dread creeping in. 

Whenever Ella picked out an outfit for me, especially for a club or bar, I knew there would be way too much skin involved. She had this way of pushing me out of my comfort zone....a well-meaning, fashionable menace.

"Thank you," I muttered, trying to mask my hesitation. 

Ella just smiled that mischievous grin of hers and went right back to her phone conversation, completely unbothered.

I sighed, trudging up the stairs, mentally preparing myself for whatever revealing number she had set out. 

When I pushed open the door to my room, there it was......something bright and unmistakably yellow draped across my bed.

I blinked. 

Yellow... okay, I like yellow.

The color always matched my skin tone well, giving me a sun-kissed glow.