101. Secret Admirer

Third Person's POV:

The walk to Aria's house was quicker than Rose had anticipated, though that may have been because she was practically speed-walking the entire way. 

After the cops left, it nearly became impossible for Rose to stay in the house alone for the rest of the night. So much so she practically ran out in her flipflops, not even bothering to take her car out of the garage. 

She was still pretty shaken up about the whole thing. After all, she did just have a brush with death. 

Although he didn't kill her, not even hurt her in any way. Still he could have. And what's to say he wouldn't try that the next time he decides to pay her a visit..

The night air felt heavier than usual, pressing down on her shoulders as if the weight of her thoughts had taken physical form.

She hadn't even bothered to text Aria that she was coming over—she just needed to get away from her house.

When she reached the familiar white front door, she hesitated only for a moment before knocking. 

The muffled sounds of a television and the faint clinking of dishes filtered through the walls. A few seconds later, the door swung open, revealing a very startled Aria.

"Rose?" Aria blinked, her expression a mix of surprise and excitement. 

"What are you doing here? Wait, what—" Her playful tone vanished in an instant as her sharp gaze roamed over Rose, assessing. Her brows furrowed, and her lips pressed into a firm line. 

"What happened?"

Rose barely had time to open her mouth before Aria grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside.

"Ari, I—"

"Mom! Rose is here. We're going to my room!" Aria called over her shoulder before Rose could so much as say hello to Mrs. Sinclair, who had poked her head out from the kitchen with a warm smile.

"Oh, are you sure, sweetheart? You're more than welcome to join us for dinner, Rose," her mother offered kindly, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

Rose forced a polite smile, though she hardly had an appetite. "Thank you, Mrs. Sinclair, but I—"

"We're eating upstairs, thanks ma!" Aria cut in swiftly, giving Rose's wrist another tug before her mother could protest. "Gotta go!"

Before Rose could utter another word, she was dragged up the stairs, their feet thudding against the wooden steps. Aria all but shoved her into the sanctuary of her room, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Okay," she announced, hands on her hips. "Spill."

Rose sighed, moving to sit cross-legged on Aria's bed, pulling at the sleeves of her sweater. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Aria scoffed. "Oh, please. You show up unannounced looking like a spooked kitten, and I'm just supposed to believe you suddenly felt like a sleepover? Nope. Not buying it." She plopped down beside Rose, nudging her shoulder. "Something's up. So… talk."

Rose stared at her fingers, weighing her words carefully. "It's nothing serious."

"Uh-huh." Aria arched a skeptical brow. "Try again."

Rose groaned, flopping back against the bed dramatically. "Fine. I think I have a stalker."

Aria gasped so loudly Rose was sure her mother could hear it downstairs. 

"A stalker?! Oh my God! Are you kidding me?!" She scrambled onto her knees, gripping Rose's arm. "Wait—are you messing with me? Because this isn't funny, Rosie."

"I'm not messing with you, and calm down before you inform the whole town about it!" Rose hissed, pulling her arm free. "It's… it's probably nothing."

"Nothing?! You just said you have a stalker, and I'm supposed to just 'calm down'?" Aria gestured wildly. "You don't just casually drop that information like you're telling me about the weather!"

Rose exhaled sharply, sitting up again. "Listen, I don't know for sure, but there's been… someone. Leaving things for me."

Aria's brows knitted together. "Leaving what, exactly?"

"Roses."

There was a pause before Aria let out a long whistle, her lips curving into a smirk. "Damn, Rosie. Maybe you've got yourself a secret admirer."

Rose rolled her eyes. "It's not an admirer, Aria. I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure? Maybe some broody, lovesick stud has finally worked up the nerve to confess—"

"Because it's *not* romantic," Rose interrupted, her voice firm. "It's eerie. It's been happening since the night of the party. And…" She hesitated, glancing at Aria, debating whether to say it.

"And?" Aria pressed.

"And Leo's jacket is still missing. The one I was wearing that night."

Aria's smirk faltered. "Wait. You think he took it?"

Rose nodded. "Who else would? I certainly haven't seen Jake wearing it."

Aria hummed, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. "Alright, but how do you know it's a he? It could totally be a she. These days, you gotta watch out for the lesbians, you know."

Rose groaned, shoving Aria's shoulder. "I know it's a he."

"Yeah but how? You haven't seen the stalker have you?"

Rose hesitated again thinking; Because I've seen him. Because he's followed me through the woods. Because I've felt his breath on my skin.

"That's not the point. I know it is not a girl."

"Fine, fine." Aria waved her hands in surrender. "So, what else? I mean, yeah, the jacket thing is weird, but it's not exactly criminal."

Rose hesitated, then exhaled. "I found a rose inside my house."

Aria blinked. "Inside?"

She wanted to get this off her chest. Have someone to talk to, have someone know what she was going through day and night; mostly nights.

And...someone to know what could have happened to her if Rose suddenly disappeared one night.

Rose nodded. "That's why I called the cops tonight."

However, she still wasn't comfortable talking about the incident tonight. So this is how much she would share for now.

Aria's expression shifted from intrigue to genuine concern. "Wait, what? You called the cops? What did they say?"

"They told me to make sure I'm not alone and that there wasn't enough evidence to do much else." Rose scoffed. "Basically, I'm on my own."

Aria's jaw tightened. "That's bullshit."

Rose sighed. "Yeah, tell me about it. But promise me something, okay?"

Aria gave her a wary look. "Depends."

"Don't tell anyone about this. Especially not Jake."

Aria hesitated, clearly torn. "Rose…"

"Because he'll freak out. He'll either tell the cops again—which, as we've established, is pointless—or he'll make me stay glued to his side like a kid. And I can't deal with that right now."

Aria then sighed. "Alright. But if anything else happens, I'm ratting you out. No negotiation."

"Fine," Rose muttered, relieved she was at least letting it go for now. "Thank you."

Aria flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. "You know, if this were a horror movie, you'd totally be the dumb girl who ignores all the signs and ends up dead first."

Rose shot her a glare. "Wow. So reassuring."

Aria snorted. "I call it like I see it."

Despite everything, Rose managed a small smile. At least she wasn't alone in this.

Even if Aria didn't quite grasp the severity of it yet, just having someone to talk to made the weight on her shoulders feel a little lighter.

For a few moments, they sat in silence. The weight of everything hung in the air, thick and suffocating.

"You had to bring this creepy energy into my house, huh?" she complained jokingly. "Now I'm going to have nightmares."

Rose let out a weak laugh. "Trust me. I wish it was just a nightmare."

But deep down, she knew better.

It was only the beginning.