I finished toweling off and put on a sexy pair of black Armani briefs that barely held all of me inside. I gave myself one last look over the mirror, feeling a giddy rush of butterflies kick up in my chest. Jake had made it clear he liked—no, loved—me in all my iterations, whether it was waking up from an hourlong and reality-altering nap or after I spent an hour in the bathroom getting ready for our date night. He always looked at me like I was special, even when I may not have been feeling that way.

He was my everything, and I was over the moon happy that we got over the L-word speed bump.

A loud thump sounded from behind the closed bathroom door. “Jake?” I called out, opening it.

He didn’t answer. It sounded like he’d dropped something in the living room. I grabbed my phone and saw I had a text from Eric. Before I could open and read it, another loud thud grabbed my attention. My eyebrows inched together as I cocked my head and looked to the bedroom door, a light from the hallway leaking in underneath the threshold. The nightstand lamps were on in the bedroom, which gave the perfect ambiance lightning but didn’t really make me feel comfortable in that moment.

I flicked on the overhead light and opened the bedroom door. “Jake? Babe, are you in the kitchen? I could use some champagne.” I went down the hallway. Why the hell wasn’t he answering me? The silence began to take on a physical form, pressing against me, almost willing me to turn back. The hairs on the back of my neck raised. This didn’t feel right.

I paused at the end of the hallway. The living room light was off. I could only see a corner of it, where a large bookcase stood in the shadows, its glass facade reflecting a dim picture. It appeared like someone was sitting down in the center of the room. I could only see the dark outline of the back of someone’s head. Had Jake come to the couch and fallen asleep? It had been a long day, and Jake did have the near supernatural ability to fall asleep anywhere and at any time.

That’s when I heard a groan. It sounded like a pained groan, like someone was struggling.

Jake.

Oh no. No, no, no.

My phone. I had left it in the bedroom. I needed to call the police. I needed to call for help.

I needed to run.