It takes a second to react before I lunge for the paper, but Will follows my gaze and spots it sticking out from under the wipers. He springs forward, and grabs it first, holding it against his broad chest, his hand a barrier between me and it. "What is this?"

"Can I have it?" I place my arm on the top of the car, my palm up.

"Not so fast. Why are you upset?" He stares at me with dark questioning eyes, as if trying to see through me to my thoughts.

"I'm not upset," I say, although I am. I haven't touched it but my gut is working overtime and I sense that it's nothing good. It can't be when it has the same scent as the flowers currently rotting in the garbage pail in our yard.

"It's just obviously meant for me, not you," I say at last.

His gaze drops to what he's holding, before shooting up again to my face as he unfolds the paper.

"Don't."

It's one word, but it holds a mountain of emotion behind it. It means don't treat me like this. It means don't invade my privacy and if you do, don't ever speak to me again, and don't expect me to speak to you.

And I'm serious. If he does this, I'll leave him standing right here in the middle of the parking lot. Rainstorm or not. It might be the interaction I had with Nick where I tried mom's way in the face of total boundary-crossing and it didn't work but it's pushing me hard the other way, like when Dad shoves me too far past my limit.

He pauses and his eyes stare into mine. After a long moment of hesitation, he decides and places it into my upturned hand.

Will slips into the car, closing the door behind him. I do the same, holding the paper against my chest as we put on our seatbelts. I lean away from him against the window so he can't see it as I unfold it.

My brow furrows as I stare at a drawing of myself and Cassie. The artist is skilled. He's captured my expression perfectly, lost and a little sad, as I sit in my Hello Kitty T-shirt and shorts. He's done the same with Cassie, only she's in her forest green sweatpants and gray Georgian College hoodie. I remember the day. We were cleaning the house together shortly after I moved back from spending time with Dad. That day, we went up to Cassie's balcony to take a break and enjoy the sunshine.

But the thing that makes the drawing so creepy is the only way to have seen us out there was to stand in the woods, somewhere hidden amongst the clusters of trees past the backyard fence.

I search the picture again for any clue as to who drew it. There is no signature. No words. Nothing. I run my thumb over my fingertips, which are stained by the charcoal border edging the drawing as I try to process this.

I imagine calling Mom and telling her about it and hear her words again in my head when I first tried to tell her there was something off about Paul. 'You're killing me, Leila. You make too much of everything. Don't worry about it. It's nothing.'

But someone stood in the woods watching us, and it was on my windshield. I argue back. How long had it been there? Was it there as I passed the car at lunch when I went out? Who could have put it there, and why? Is it Paul? Did he come to find me? I lift it to my nose and sniff, picking up the faint smell of roses. Ants crawl along my skin as I squeeze my lids tight and raise my hands to cover my face.

"Are you all right, Leila?" a voice asks.

I jump when I remember I'm in the car with Will. I release the breath I hold and pull myself together, forcing my words out, even if they're weak and scratchy. "I'm fine." I scrunch the paper into a ball and hold it tight in my fist as if destroying it will mean it never happened.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

I catch sight of Nick and a group of guys from my grade standing by a white van. They're looking over, but at what? Me or Will? Or at the fact we're together? I throw the crumpled note in the back seat as if what I hold is trash. When I glance over, I find Will still staring.

"You're not going to tell me what it says?" his voice is serious, all the playfulness from earlier wiped away.

I shake my head. "It's nothing."

It's not, but I'm not about to say that to some guy I met a couple of days ago. When I share this, it will be with Cassie.