stalked and stalking

CHARLOTTE

The sight of the out-of-place object stunned me. I walked over to the bed, letting the books in my hand drop in a heap next to it as I began to study the box.

I ran a hand over the surface, awed. Then, when I read the name written in fine print on the cardboard, I was even more taken aback.

This was meant for me?

I’d spoken about buying a secondhand laptop earlier, but this was miles away from it.

Miles away from anything I could ever dream of affording, and even more miles away from the laptop that was burned in the fire.

“How the hell did this get here?” I asked myself. I ran a hand over the box and tilted it this way and that—like I expected to see the name of whoever left it here imprinted on the side or something.

My first thought was Madeline. This wouldn’t be the first time she’d gone out of her way to spend on me, even though I warned her not to. But that didn’t make much sense, Madeline and I had left the house together earlier and she certainly hadn’t left befor