Her laughter felt like a fresh breath of air for Ray as he walked into the hospital room. Sam sat on the bed with her legs crossed underneath her, and Molly rested on the chair near the window. It seemed they were immersed in chat so much they didn't acknowledge Ray coming into the room. Sam laughed again and Ray didn't even register what Molly said, but seeing his girlfriend's honest laugh felt mesmerizing for him.

"Hey there, stranger," Sam said, still laughing. "Are you just going to stand there or actually come in?"

"What's so funny?" he asked, stepping into the room.

"Nothing," Molly replied, narrowing her eyes and glancing at Sam.

"It's really nothing," Sam said, smiling. "Molly was just reminding me of this thing we used to do on Halloween."

"Oh," he said. Ray paused for a moment, hoping the girls would tell him the whole story. "Ready?" he asked, seeing as they were not continuing the chat.

"Yes, Molly will drive with us," Sam said, standing up from the bed. "Her hotel has vacant places so we could stay there."

"We are not staying at the hotel," Ray said, picking up Samantha's bag from the bed.

"I don't think staying at your mom's house for a longer time is a good idea, Ray," Samantha said in a squeaky voice.

"We will talk about it later," he said, glancing at Molly. "First, we will take Molly to the hotel."

"That won't be necessary," Molly replied, standing up from the chair. "I will get a taxi. Your mom's house is not on the way to the hotel, anyway."

After a bit more light arguing, they finally settled into Ray's car and took Molly to her hotel. He thought about inviting Molly to stay at the house since she mentioned she would stay in Los Angeles for a few more days. But seeing that Sam still didn't know the full story of the house, he decided it was better for them to spend at least one night there alone.

A hushed tune of "So Far Away" filled the space as they drove off from the hotel. Ray felt Sam's anxiety rising as she pulled on her sweater sleeves, looking straight ahead. He wasn't sure if it was because she was outside of the hospital for the first time since the shooting. Or was it his fault for her nerves since he stayed cryptic about the house?

The timing of telling her about the house was not the best as well, but he trusted she would understand why he kept this detail from her. As they reached and the house gate slowly opened, Sam leaned forward, examining the place. Ray glanced at her and soon parked the car in the driveway.

"We will stay here," he said, shutting down the engine of the car. "I had this house for a while." Ray bent his elbow, placing it on the door panel.

"The house is yours?" Sam asked, diverting her eyes from the house to Ray. She seemed clearly confused, her eyes held wide, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Ray saw the change in her expression and realized she was mad.

"Yes," Ray replied, and before she could say anything else, he proceeded with an explanation. "I planned to sell it, love, and I never felt like home here, not after what happened." He leaned closer to her, taking her hand. "I bought it years ago. I saved my money and planned to live here but stayed here just for a short time."

"How long do you have this house? And why didn't you tell me?" Sam asked with a tremble in her voice. "After what happened?"

"Where to start?" Ray asked, drawing circles with his thumb on Samantha's hand.

"At the beginning?" she said in a questionable tone.

"Remember when I said it's better for you to not know about the girl who stalked me?" Ray asked, and Sam agreed with the nod. "This is why." He looked at the house. "I bought the house soon after realizing she was following me before we got in contact with Paul. At first, everything seemed fine. After a week or so, I noticed my stuff was either missing or misplaced." Ray shifted his sight to Sam. "To be fair, guys spend a lot of time here, practically living with me, so I thought the mess was because of them. But the girl found me, I noticed her lurking around sometimes, later on."

"That was around the time we contacted Paul." Ray sighed deeply. "He tried to help and figure out about the girl as much as he could, but it was a hard task. Meanwhile, I tried to just stay at home." He lifted his chin toward the fence. "Gates and security felt enough to feel safe." Sam scanned the yard. "Until my dog vanished." Ray gulped.

"You said your dog passed away," Sam said, diverting her sight back to Ray.

"Yeah," He sighed. "We figured out that much later, at the trial."

"Did she-" Sam covered her mouth with her hand.

"Yeah, she did." Ray lowered his head. "He barked two nights in a row just before disappearing, later she admitted she drowned him. You don't need the details," he added, observing her teary eyes. "With the dog out of the way, she lived in the house, in secret. I'm not sure how she managed that. "

"How is that possible?"

"I honestly don't know." Ray shook his head. "I found her underneath my bed, while I was changing my sheets one day, and called the cops."

Ray felt no need to tell in detail about his interaction with his stalker. Until this day he remembered the day he found the girl, her wide green eyes, her body shook and her voice trembled while she spoke, and that he felt so much pity for her.

That day felt very ordinary, Ray decided to clean his house and made it a distraction from the fact his dog was missing. By the time he reached the cleanup of the bedroom, he felt exhausted. He planned to change the bedsheets, take a shower, and sleep. He felt wide awake when he observed the girl underneath the bed frame.

"Gosh," Sam said, pulling out Ray of his memory.

"It's all over now, love," Ray said, lightly squeezing Sam's hand. "Let's go inside and I will show you around."

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" Sam asked, looking into his eyes. He paused for a moment and soon nodded in agreement. "As long as you are sure, Ray. I mean, I understand why you didn't tell me. But we can just stay at the hotel or with your mom. We need less stress, not just me, but both of us."

"I know love and I am fine."

He meant it, being in the house for the last few days brought him closure and the realization that the place doesn't have to carry just terrible memories. Raymond hadn't felt fully comfortable yet but the thought of Samantha being there with him seemed to bring comfort to him. However, before deciding to stay in the house, he talked with his lawyer, just to feel certain the girl was still in a mental institution.

The pair left the car and traveled to the front door. A slight breeze passed them, spreading a coconut smell around them. Ray unlocked the door and let Samantha cross him. She observed the space while taking off her shoes. He followed her example and soon they stood in-between kitchen and living room.

"I bought some new stuff," Ray said, going toward the kitchen.

"Why?" Sam asked, observing the living room.

"The house lacked necessities." Ray scooped the coffee. "I'm assuming you will want this?" He raised the scoop. Sam nodded in agreement. "You can change things if you want, the order and all that." He laughed.

"I love you," she said, pausing. "I mean not just for that, I love you in general." Ray put the scoop on the counter and stepped closer to her. "I knew it for a while but didn't tell you. I don't know why it's not like it will change anything."

"Calm down," he said, caressing her cheek. Sam was shivering and Ray felt unsure why. "I know you love me, I knew it for a while."

"You did?" Sam asked, looking into his eyes. Ray nodded. "I am not just saying that I love you because of the shooting."

"I know."

"Okay."

"Okay," he agreed with a smile.

Ray leaned closer and kissed her. Soon she deepened the kiss, it felt like bliss for him. Ever since the shooting, they had minimal physical contact. Her touches felt electrical as she grabbed his neck, pulling him as close as possible. Shivers flew throughout his body and his breath felt out of control.

"We could 'consecrate' the house," Sam whispered to his ear, lightly touching his earlobe with her lips.

"I think we should wait," he replied, caressing her cheek. "Don't give me that look," he added, observing her eyes. "No major activities, remember what the doctor said."

"I know," she mumbled, lowering her head.

"We have time, love," Ray assured her, hugging her tightly.

"Not so tight." Sam winced.

"See," he said, lifting his eyebrow.