Garnet was woken up by a tapping noise on her window. She shot up, clutching the sheets to her chest, and looked towards the source. But her curtains were drawn and she couldn't see anything. She was freaking out, and she didn't know why. All she could think was 'He found me. He is here.'
"Sean?" she asked, voice panicked.
He was in her room within fifteen seconds, running a hand through his hair, stifling a yawn, but still looking alert for someone who had literally just woken up.
"What is it?" he asked.
She pointed to the window.
He crept to the window and threw the curtains open, revealing a tree branch that was blowing in the wind, hitting her the glass and making the tapping sound.
No stalker.
Nothing but a tree.
She leaned back against her pillows, heart pounding. She was relieved, but there was still a strange feeling she couldn't seem to shake.
"Sorry," she muttered, embarassed.
"Don't be," he said, voice tired. "I'm glad you called me in here first, instead of invesitating."
He yawned.
"Go back to bed."
He smiled blearily. "Will do. Don't hesitate to get me if you need me, okay?"
"Okay."
She smiled and he went back to his room. Her smile faded the minute he was in bed. She felt stupid and embarrassed and...scared. Like she wasn't in control.
Sighing, she rolled away from the window and pulled the covers up to her chin. She told herself it was okay, it would be fine, she was just scared because the noise had woken her from a deep sleep, it wouldn't happen again, she was safe.
She closed her eyes, but still couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
She rolled onto her back, throwing an arm over her eyes. She laid there for a few minutes, still not comfortable, still feeling weird.
She groaned.
"Garnet?" Sean asked from across the hall.
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay?"
She sighed. "Not really."
He was quiet for a second, then she heard him roll over. "Come here," he said quietly.
She hopped out of bed and padded to his room. He was laying to one side, patting the other. She quickly climbed under the covers and scooted towards him, burying her face in his neck.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I feel...weird."
"It's okay. Nothing is wrong. You can go to sleep. I'll protect you."
She smiled softly, sleepiness hitting her now that she was comfortable and safe.
"I know."
She closed her eyes and snuggled even closer to Sean, then let sleep finally claim her again.
The next time she woke up, it was to her mother screaming.
Garnet was up immediately, falling out of bed and pulling herself up, sprinting downstairs to the kitchen. Sean reached the room just after her, grabbing her around the waist and holding her tightly as their eyes landed on the open door to the back porch.
There were pictures of Garnet all around the yard, ones she hadn't even known existed. She ran to them, picking them up and looking at them in horror.
There she was, quick changing backstage at a dance recital. Leaping in a performance of Swan Lake. Lounging in the hot tub at their New York hotel, head thrown back in laughter while Sean looked at her admiringly.
Climbing into the car. Holding hands with Sean, walking from the car to the school building. Outside of Jessica's house, latte in hand, Sean at her side. Crying in her room, face in her hands, curled into a ball on her bed.
Making out with Sean in the living room. Talking to the police. Leaving Juliard after her audition. Clutching her acceptance letter in her hand, a huge smile on her face, reaching for her mother. Drinking coffee at the kitchen table. Having an icing fight with Sean.
She froze, looking past the pictures. There were roses everywhere, and a note sat propped against the house.
She walked over to it, knees wobbling, dropping the pictures she'd managed to pick up in favor of the note.
'Darling Garnet,
Did you really think I was in Texas? I could never leave you. I see you enjoyed your holidays. Maybe you won't mind spending some time with me now.'
She shuddered, dropping the note like it had burned her.
What the hell did that even mean? How had he gotten those pictures? How had he evaded the police like that? And how had he done this without anyone noticing?
She backed away from the letter, numb to her parents' and Sean's words. She looked around, wondering if he was watching her right now.
Probably.
She spun around, unable to get the feeling of eyes watching her to go away. Her skin crawled and her stomach lurched. Her heart started pounding, her palms practically dripping sweat. Her head spun. She dropped to her knees in the grass and emptied the contents of her stomach.
Even after her stomach emptied, she retched. She couldn't stop shaking.
"She's going into shock-"
"Get her inside-"
"Oh, God-"
"She's shaking-"
"Garnet?"
"Garnet!"
The world spun. She tried to stand but couldn't move. Where was Mayne? Was he enjoying the show?
Police sirens sounded and Sean lifted Garnet up in his arms, carrying her to the kitchen. Her father locked the back door, drawing the shades. Her mother put on a pot of tea. Sean held her tightly, rubbing her arms and soothing her.
She finally came out of her numb state and collapsed into his chest, crying her eyes out. Her parents joined them, stroking her hair and telling her it was okay, the police were here, they would catch him.
She didn't believe them, though; that was the problem. He'd made it this far, and he wasn't going to stop until he had her.
***
Garnet refused to go in any rooms with windows. She slept in the hallway upstairs, having dragged her mattress there. It was the only place she didn't feel eyes on her every move. She made Sean sit in the bathroom while she showered and made her mother bring her clothes to her. She took her meals in the windowless den downstairs.
She barely slept, fearing that she would wake up with Mayne...or never wake up.
Officers were parked outside of her house 24/7, and the whole permiter had been swamped with cameras, every room in the house bugged and recorded all day, every day.
She'd just dozed off around three in the morning one night when the security system went off.
"She sat up, curling into a ball and looking around wildly. She heard her parents' footsteps on the stairs, the lights turning on on the first floor. Sean joined her on her little mattress, a knife in his hand. He put it on the floor next to them and pulled her into his side, his arm around her waist.
They strained to hear voices over the sound of the alarm. Finally, it cut off, and they heard the policeman on duty speaking.
"...chasing him. Backup is on the way. We had another officer one street over and he's chasing-"
He stopped and the house was dead quiet for a few seconds.
"Okay. Thanks. That was my partner. They have him outside."
Garnet's shouldlers slumped, her whole body shaking now that the adrenaline had worn off.
"They have him?" she asked.
"Let's go see."
They walked downstairs.
"Oh, Garnet!" her mother exclaimed, throwing her arms around her.
"Officer Bradley here said that they found a man lurking outside, trying to look through the front window. He ran when the alarm went off, but they caught him."
"It can't be him, Mom. He wouldn't do that."
"Well, he is either a thief or he's working with Mayne. We'll take him in and question him. The next two officers are here to switch shifts with me, and I'm going take this bastard to jail."
"Thank you," her father said, shaking his hand.
He tipped his hat at them, heading for the front door.
"It's my pleasure."
His back was to the door when he opened it.
"I'll let you kn-"
He stopped, gasping, and looked down at the fresh red stain on his white shirt. He fell to his knees, and Garnet screamed as Mayne walked through their front door