The Message From Behind Me

I wasn’t supposed to be awake, but my phone vibrated once. No name.

Just a number I didn’t recognize. The message said: (new line) “Stop pretending

you don’t know.” At first, I thought it was a prank. So I replied,

“Who is this?” Three dots appeared instantly. Then they sent a screenshot.

(new line) It was my group chat… from months ago. A message I deleted.

A message I never told anyone about. My heart dropped. I typed, “How did you get

this?” They replied, “Because I was sitting right behind you.” I checked the timestamp.

That message was sent tonight. I was home alone. (3 second pause )