Page 28 of If You're Reading This

I’ve scrutinized those pixels until my eyes burned, trying to convince myself it was just a trick of light, a branch swayed by wind.

But the wind wasn’t blowing yesterday morning. The air was still as glass.

I haven’t told anyone my suspicions, not even Logan. He’d insist on escorting me everywhere for weeks, and I’d never get the solitude I need for my work.

Besides, what would I say? That I got spooked by shadows? That I felt something studying me?

I have no proof, nothing concrete to point to—just this lingering unease that follows me even now, a day later.

I’m being ridiculous. This is exactly why Dr. Winters thinks I need this journal—to exorcise these imaginings onto paper where they can be seen for what they are: The product of spending too much time alone in wild places.

Still, I’ve checked that my doors are locked three times tonight. And I can’t shake the feeling that the shadow I captured wasn’t something wild at all, but something . . . waiting.

Maybe I’m waiting for something bad to happen because . . . well because I deserve it. How has my life been so blessed after what I did? It doesn’t seem right.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably rolling your eyes at my melodrama. I would be too.

But I imagine myself disappearing. I imagine someone looking for answers. And I imagine them finding this journal.

If nothing else, I can read this back one day and laugh. Or I can marvel at my adventures. I’m not sure.

But if you’re reading this, and you’ve felt it too—that sense of being the subject rather than the observer—then you know.

Some things can’t be captured in a photograph.

Some things are only felt.

And some shadows don’t disappear when you turn on the light.

—Morgan

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

PRESENT DAY

Logan had fallenasleep on Morgan’s couch, the journal clutched to his chest.

Her entries had been a lot for him to process.

All of this was.

He wished more than anything that Morgan had felt comfortable telling him about the bad feeling she had. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so guarded. If he’d opened up more then maybe Morgan would have also opened up more and shared her worries.

More guilt pounded him.

He knew the feeling would keep battering him until they had some answers. And what was this secret she’d mentioned?

As the morning light began to trickle in through the windows, he pushed himself up. He’d probably only gotten two or three hours of sleep at the most. Thankfully, he was used to getting by with just a little rest.

He had a lot to do today. He’d moved finding Morgan to the top of his list of duties. None of his other cases were as urgent.

He sat up and ran a hand over his face. He needed to check in with people and see if there were any updates. He also wantedto call one of his former colleagues from Denver and get any updates on the Iron Brotherhood.

He grabbed his phone and blinked, trying to bring his gaze into focus.

He saw that David had emailed him the rest of that security footage from the award ceremony. Perfect. Logan planned on reviewing that.