I'm not the only one in my reflection.

Part twenty-three

— Once again, I apologize for that. My stalking was inappropriate.

— You're forgiven. — Katherine nodded.

There was an awkward, tense pause between her and her uncle, during which neither of them could utter a single word, although they tried to, their mouths slightly open.

— Listen, I understand that your family history is complicated, even difficult, even monstrous, but I want to be there for you. I want to try to be a family, a normal family.

— I understand where you're coming from. — Macher murmured, remembering how she had desperately clung to Sidney and their once-strong bond, how she had tried to mend their relationship despite Prescott's clear reluctance. — And while I don't want you to risk yourself by getting involved, you're a grown man who has already made up his mind, so... — She sighed, helplessly spreading her hands. — Welcome to the chaos that has been my life ever since I caught the Ghostface's attention just because of who my much-respected, may they burn in hell, relatives were.

— Thank you. A little extra help never hurts, right?

— Listen, I'll ask my friends' opinion on this first, of course, but tomorrow we're going to go to the park to make a plan and discuss everything that's going on. And since you've decided to participate, you can join us if you want.

— I'd love to. Here, write down my number, and let me know what your friends decide, whether I can come or not. Actually, let me write down your number instead. — Milton said, pulling his phone out of his back pocket, and he wrote down the numbers his niece had dictated, then made a test call and saved her contact as she had saved him.

— I'll text you later in the evening when I'm free. I have plans with my girlfriend, you know, a date.

— Samantha Carpenter, I've heard. She's a good girl. — The man nodded, smiling at the girl, who gave him a shy, uncertain smile in return.

Although reluctantly, she had already begun to warm up to her uncle, hoping that he would be her first normal relative, as even Sidney could not be considered "normal."

When Oliver said that he would be waiting for her message and began to walk down the stairs after saying goodbye to his niece, Roman's daughter made sure he was really gone before returning to the apartment in a good mood.

— Did everything go well? — Samantha asked as soon as her girlfriend returned to the apartment. She was putting on her shoes, clearly planning to leave.

— Look at her smile. I think everything went great. — Tara said with a smile of her own. She had made the decision to make up for lost time (due to her behavior) with her former best friend and become active best friends again.

— He seems fine. — The brunette spoke vaguely and looked at the Carpenter sisters with raised eyebrows. — Did I miss something? Where are you going?

— Tara called a taxi, she's going to the dorm to pick up Chad and Mindy, Anika's also gone on some business, but she said she'll be back soon, and I'm going to the store to get a bottle of wine for our date, I don't trust anyone else to choose the wine. Mindy demanded that we meet as soon as we told her what happened. — Sam said as she put on a light windbreaker.

— Didn't you say that it's not a good idea for us to go out alone right now? To be more specific, to quote you, Sammy, «we don't go out alone anymore, that's it». Should I go with you? And, wait, you mentioned Chad, Mindy, and Anika, but what about Ethan? Won't he be coming?

The elder Carpenter smiled reassuringly at her girlfriend's concerned voice and planted a kiss on her cheek. She pulled back a little and began to speak, forcing her lips to touch her cheek as she spoke.

— Don't worry, I'll be quick, just fifteen minutes, no more. To make you feel better, I'll even take a run to get back even faster. — Samantha suggested, and Sidney's niece sighed and agreed, knowing that she had no right to forbid her beloved from doing anything. — No, Ethan won't be coming with everyone, he has some business to attend to. Chad said Ethan would be the last to arrive. Something like that, anyway, I didn't really care why he wasn't with us.

— Just get it over with. — The former redhead pouted, and as soon as the sisters left, she locked the door, adopting a habit from her romantic partner.

She was alone in the apartment, as Quinn had already slipped away while Katherine was with Sam and later engaged in a conversation with Oliver. She walked into the living room and, sitting on the couch, turned on the TV.

Tara won't be back for an hour or so, all she has to do is wait for Sam, as well as the delivery from the restaurant, and they can start their date.

About five minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Macher blinked and looked at the clock, seeing that it had only been a short time since her girlfriend had left, and she wouldn't have had time to return even if she had used running, and the younger Carpenter wouldn't have arrived either. It was most likely Quinn, and she had knocked because she had forgotten her keys at home and had returned because of that.

The brunette swallowed and took a few cautious steps towards the door, noticing how the knocking became more insistent, heavy, and hurried.

Her blue eyes darted towards her and Samantha's room, and for a second, she wondered if she could run back there and grab her switchblade. Just in case.

That's when there was a knock on the door that was too forceful to be a girl's.

Stu's niece, gritting her teeth, rushed to the door and peered through the peephole, seeing what she had expected to see, albeit reluctantly. On the other side of the door, Ghostface was standing there in his mask and costume, teasingly waving a knife in front of his face, the tip of the knife scraping across the clear surface of the peephole, leaving a horizontal scratch.

— Knock-knock, tenants, open up.

— Try opening it yourself, Bitchface. Let's see how you do.

The girl felt like she was being stared at by wild eyes through the eyeholes in the new mask. Ghostface tilted his head, his knife hand frozen right in the center of the peephole, the blade resting against the glass surface.

— And by the way, smile for the camera, you're being filmed. — Leslie's daughter said with a smile, pointing to the camera that the man in the suit couldn't see.

The Ghost froze in place, the knife, guided by his hand, stopped scratching the transparent surface with an unpleasant sound. He stood there for a few seconds in prostration before jerking his head to the side and quickly disappearing in a direction that was out of sight of the peephole.

The girl turned her head towards the wall that connected her apartment to the neighbor's apartment, hearing someone moving furniture in the neighbor's apartment, judging by the sounds. She shook her head, forcing herself not to give in to paranoia.

Fifteen minutes later, maybe twenty, the locks clicked as Sam entered the apartment, carrying a bottle of expensive red wine in her hand. After removing her shoes, she looked up and saw her lover leaning against the back of the couch, staring lost-looking at the entrance to the apartment.

— Kat, I'm sorry, sweetheart, I had to detain for a little while. Did something happen while I was gone?