desertion

112

LYDIA

The house had gone eerily quiet, except for the occasional rustle of pages from Nathaniel's book or the soft hum of the TV Miles had barely been watching. Neither of them had spoken to me since our fight earlier. I hadn't spoken to them either. It was fine. They were just here for their shift. That's what it felt like now-just a job. Protect Lydia, keep her from unraveling, then punch out when someone else comes to take over.

I leaned against the kitchen counter, my arms crossed tightly over my chest as my teeth gnawed at my fingernails. My nerves felt like a live wire, sparking with every shadow and sound in the house. My eyes darted from one corner of the room to the next, scanning, analyzing, cataloging. I wasn't Lydia anymore. I wasn't a person. I was a security camera, fixed on everything, always watching.

That's when I saw it.

My gaze froze on the garden hose outside the window. It wasn't wrapped neatly around the holder like it had been yesterday. Instead, it stretched out in a straight line across the lawn, like someone had deliberately uncoiled it. The line led directly to my bedroom window.

My breath hitched in my throat, and my heart pounded so hard it felt like it might bruise my ribs. I stared at the hose, following its path over and over again, my mind racing. This wasn't normal. This wasn't right.

And then I saw it.

A card.

It was propped up at the edge of the path, blending into the grass just enough that I almost missed it. My chest tightened, and my nails bit into my palms as I tried to steady my shaking hands. I grabbed the oven mitts from the counter-because who knows what could be on it-and rushed out the side door, barely breathing.

The card felt heavier than I expected as I picked it up, and the air outside felt sharper, colder. My head swiveled around as I looked for any sign of someone watching, but the yard was empty. Too empty.

I darted back inside, slamming the door shut behind me. My heart was racing as I peeled off the mitts and set the card on the counter. My fingers trembled as I opened it, revealing a small USB drive tucked neatly inside.

I didn't think. I just moved. I grabbed my laptop from the dining table, shoved the USB into the port, and opened the file that popped up. My stomach sank as I saw what was inside.

Photos. More photos.

And videos.

My pulse roared in my ears as I clicked on one of the videos. It was from earlier today-just hours ago. Miles, Nathaniel, and I were in the living room, arguing, my voice sharp and angry. The camera had caught it all. This wasn't from some distant hiding spot. This wasn't a long-lens camera from a car across the street. This was close. Too close.

This card was left here recently.

This USB was placed here while I was inside the house.

While I was sitting in the kitchen, scanning, watching, obsessing.

The world tilted for a second, and I had to grip the counter to steady myself. My fingers fumbled for my phone, and I scrolled to Maddie's contact, my thumb pressing down harder than necessary. The line rang once before her voice came through, warm and familiar.

"Hey, Lyds," she said, her tone light and casual, as if everything were normal.

"It's not normal," I blurted, my voice shaking. "Maddie, I found something. A card in the backyard. The garden hose-it's stretched out in a line to my window. There's a USB. More pictures. Videos. From today. They were here, Maddie. While I was inside."

Her voice immediately turned serious. "Lydia, listen to me. You need to call Athena. Right now."

"Stay on the line," I said, quickly merging Athena into the call.

Her voice was firm, steady. "Lydia? What's going on?"

I repeated everything I told Maddie, my words tumbling out in a rush. The hose, the card, the USB, the photos, the videos. I could hear the faint sound of keys jangling in the background, followed by a car door slamming shut.

"Stay put," Athena said, her voice leaving no room for argument. "I'm on my way. Don't touch anything else. Keep the USB safe."

The sound of a siren cut through the air, and for the first time in days, a small, shaky smile crept onto my face.

I wasn't crazy. I wasn't imagining things. I was right to obsess over this.

I ended the call just as Miles and Nathaniel walked into the kitchen. They stopped in their tracks when they saw the card on the counter and the laptop in front of me.

"What the hell?" Miles said, rushing over to see the screen. His eyes widened as he took in the file open on my computer. "Lydia, what-"

"More evidence," I whispered, my voice hollow as I turned to look back out the window.

My reflection stared back at me, pale and wide-eyed. Somewhere out there, someone was watching me. Someone had been in my yard.

And they were getting closer.