Earlier this morning, Jay was going somewhere. He didn't quite tell me where, but he kissed me as I was half asleep and told me he was sticking to his promise, but he couldn't tell me where he was going just yet. He said it was a little surprise, although he mentioned that because he thought I was sleeping.

I rinsed the remainder of my conditioner off before grabbing the shower scrub. I sat on the shower floor and began to apply it to my legs. I started to quietly hum. I was nearly done with my right leg when I heard the faint click of what sounded to be a camera shutter.

I jumped up, my heart racing. Perhaps I'd heard wrong? I cautiously peered from behind the shower curtain. I was terrified that I would see someone, for I hadn't heard any footsteps.

There was nobody there. I let out the breath I had been holding. It seemed to be that I had simply misheard something, or perhaps even imagined it.

I drew the curtain and resumed my shower, still a bit uneasy. I was unsettled, even though nobody was there. I wished Jay was home, because currently it seemed to be that I was home alone.

Then I heard shuffling from in the bathroom.

Somebody was definitely in here.

I was terrified. Somebody was in the bathroom with me and I had no clue who it was. I didn't have my phone with me and I couldn't scream for help. I prayed that they would leave. I was entirely defenseless.

I took a deep breath and mustered a shaky yell. "Who's in here!?"

The shuffling stopped and I heard footsteps running out of the bathroom. When I heard my bedroom door slam, I quickly bolted from the shower and locked the bedroom door. I stood there, pressed against the nearby wall. Who the hell was that?

I decided to call the police. I didn't want to scare the Von Barons once they arrived and were notified, but I'd rather call the cops then risk an intruder lingering in their house. I also texted Jay. I told him I'd seen someone in the house and that he should come home quick, but also watch out. He didn't reply, so I assumed that he didn't have his phone turned on.

I went back into the bathroom and dried myself off and got dressed. I dared to unlock my door and step out into the hall.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Jacob coming up the stairs with Buddy. Finally, a familiar face.

"Hey Alina." He said.

"Hi Jacob." I managed to smile. I wondered when he got here, and if he had seen the person in our house. "You should lock yourself in one of the rooms. I called the police--there was an intruder in the house."

Jacob froze. "You called the police?"

"Yeah." I said. "I didn't want to risk them still being in the house."

"I doubt that they stayed." Jacob said.

"True." I halfheartedly agreed. "But it's better to be safe than sorry."

Jacob shrugged. "Can we wait in there with you? Who knows when the cops will come."

"Sure." I said. I wouldn't mind some company either.

Jacob and I had a good, long conversation. I told him about Texas and Jay and I's trip there. I didn't tell him about the fight, though. He told me about his job here, how the Von Barons paid well and it was a good summer job. He also told me about his school, and how even though Jay went to a private school everyone at his school knew about him too.

"How come?" I asked.

Jacob opened his mouth to answer, but then we heard a faint banging downstairs. "Open up! It's the police!"

"Come with me." I said to Jacob. Buddy followed us down too and I opened the door.

"Are you the one who called us?" The middle officer asked. He had a permanent scowl on his face and his mustache masked his lips so it was almost impossible to determine his facial expression.

I nodded.

"Who's this?" he gestured towards Jacob.

"He works here."

The officer nodded. He told us that they'll conduct an investigation and check if anyone was here. They told Jacob and I to stay put.

"Do you think they'll find him?" Jacob asked once the officers were out of sight.

"I hope they do. Just not in the house."

The search took a while, as the Von Baron home was massive. When the cops came back, they asked me where I had seen the intruder.

"I was showering, and then I heard a camera shutter go off. Then there was shuffling and the sound of footsteps running out."

The cop just shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it was the dog. There is nobody in here."

"Are you sure? Did you check thotoughly?" I pressed. I wanted to feel safe.

"Yes. Our work here is done. There was probably never anyone here to begin with. Let's go, boys."

Before I could even protest, they were gone.

"I'm still so scared." I said. "Even if they are not here I was alone with them in the bathroom."

Jacob pulled me in for a hug. It was nice to be held by someone although I wish that someone was Jay. Tears slipped from my eyes and I wished I wasn't crying right now.

"Shhh. It's okay." Jacob reassured. He rubbed my back and soothed me.

I heard the door open behind us.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Jay said.