Chapter 103

With the gift in her hands, Pearl watched Cherry drive away from the restaurant, then started down the street toward her apartment. The air was cool on her bare legs as she watched the busy streets—shop lights still on, cars everywhere, and late-night strollers on the sidewalks. A couple blocks down, the shops faded into a residential area. Her shoes clipped on the pavement as she walked. She enjoyed the dappling of the streetlights through the leaves of the gigantic trees lining the street. Her apartment wasn't far from the dance company.

Again, she had the strange sensation of being watched. It made all the hair along the back of her neck stand straight up, like she was being haunted. Over dinner, she'd almost told Cherry about these odd episodes she’d been having lately, but she didn't want her sister to worry about her. They'd had more than enough drama in the last year. No need to add more.

Pearl flipped the collar of her coat up and glanced around. There was no one