“What was that about?” MG asked, looking from Hope to the door and back again.

Hope just shook her head, at a loss for words. Everyone stared at her expectantly.

“Maybe …” Landon stepped forward, setting his hands on Hope’s shoulders. “... we just call it a night?”

“Oh.” Josie glanced over at Lizzie, in a silent question of whether they should leave or not. Lizzie nodded. She was ready to go. Something was off, and she didn’t like not knowing what it was. It was clear Hope had something to work through, and it was even clearer that she didn’t want Lizzie’s - or Josie’s or MG’s - help with it. Sometimes, alone time was what was best for Hope.

“I’ll catch up with you guys later,” MG said, hanging back by the kitchen. 

“Okay …?” Lizzie eyed him like she knew it was out of the ordinary, but she also didn’t ask any more questions. She just helped gather their things and headed to the car with her sister. She didn’t have the energy to question MG’s weirdness tonight. She was exhausted from the drama of the day and ready to just crash on Hope’s couch. Until Rafael’s weirdness ruined the mood … it was always the men, wasn’t it?

“What’s up?” Landon asked after the twins had left, tilting his head at MG. It wasn’t like him to stay back. He was usually the first to leave when he felt like he was unwanted. 

“It’s just …” MG didn’t quite know how to start what he wanted to say. He sighed and sat down. Landon and Hope mirrored him, eyebrows furrowed and eyes intensely glued to their friend’s nervous face. “I’m the only one your stalker hasn’t targeted yet.” 

“Oh.” Hope leaned back in her seat. Landon’s hand found the small of her back. 

“I know it’s coming. It’s, like, inevitable. And I just … with how Ryan turned out and how much guilt I know you feel about it, Hope, I just want you to know that I wouldn’t blame you.”

“Thank you - wait …” Hope scrunched up her face, doing a mental count. “When did my stalker get to Lizzie?”

“Well …” MG leaned his elbows on his knees. “I can’t prove it, but I’m pretty sure the stalker took her meds. She’s never lost them before. Never. She’s been so careful about it, and we searched everywhere. She was a little more wrecked than she let on tonight.”

“Oh my god.” Hope felt sick to her stomach. What happened to her three days? She was supposed to have three days without something terrible happening to her or her friends. That meant she had done all that for nothing. 

“I don’t know what they could possibly do to me,” MG said quietly. “Maybe go after my job? After me? But either way, know that I blame this sicko only. Not you.”

“Thank you, MG.” Hope smiled gently. It was a terrible thing to have to thank your friend for, but she really did mean it. “You can spend the night here, if you want. Just to be safe. We have the cameras and everything all set up.”

“Thanks.” 

Safely inside their bedroom and away from their overnight guest, Landon posed his question silently, holding Hope’s hands and raising his eyebrows.

“It’s something you’ll have to talk to Raf about,” Hope whispered. “It’s not my business to tell.”

She would happily tell her part. Landon already saw her as the cheating wife anyways. But if Rafael didn’t want his brother to know the thoughts he was having about his wife … then Hope couldn’t be the one to tell him that. Even if it meant lying to her husband, again. 

“Okay.” Landon bobbed his head. He could understand that. At least Hope wasn’t being secretive about being secretive this time. He tugged on her hands gently, pulling her body to his. “Are you okay? About whatever the business is?” he asked as he held her close. 

“Yeah.” Hope thought about it for a moment before she nodded. “Yeah, I am. But …” She gnawed on her lower lip. “... there’s something else that I … am not okay about.”

Landon’s stomach dropped. “What?”

“I did some thinking.” Hope led him to the bed and sat them both down, still gripping his hands tightly. “And I want to be honest with you. Completely honest. So …”

She couldn’t find the words. Instead, she silently got up and grabbed the box from where she had hidden it in their bathroom.

“My stalker sent me this.”

She waited, every muscle in her body tense. Landon stared at her as he slowly lifted the flaps of the box. He almost didn’t want to know what was inside. But if his wife already knew, it was only fair that he know too …

“God …” All the salty snacks they had eaten turned over in his stomach and the blood rushed to his face.

“There was a note that for every picture I sent, we would get one day free from attacks.”

“Hope, tell me you didn’t …”

Hope pulled away from him, swiping at her tears. “I just wanted three days.” She allowed herself a moment to sniffle and pull it together. “Obviously, it was a lie, because Lizzie was targeted just this morning -”

“Everything they say is going to be a lie,” Landon said softly. He couldn’t begin to imagine what Hope was going through, but surely there was a better way that didn’t involve her sneaking behind his back and hurting herself over empty, manipulative promises from the person threatening them.

“I know that. Now.” Hope set her jaw. “And I won’t be making the same mistake again.”