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Torrie glanced at the watch adorning her right wrist as she exited the ladies room and smiled to herself despite the recent events.
She couldn't help it. Shane had given her the watch as a present recently, for no special reason at all - just *because*, he'd explained when she'd questioned him. Her boyfriend of nearly three years was just that kind of person - generous to a fault.
She stepped back into the hallway, intending on returning to Stephanie's office, where she'd been since her spot had ended earlier. In the corner of her eye, the tall blonde noticed an abrupt movement that seemed to go while she herself walked.
Torrie froze in her tracks. For some reason unknown even to her, a creepy feeling had suddenly gripped her. She took another four steps and stopped again, looking to her right once more - and she let out a shrill, terrified scream.
*
Not even a moment after she'd screamed, a small crowd had gathered around Torrie Wilson. The diva was near tears, one hand clutched to her chest as people swarmed around, trying to calm her down.
Stephanie shoved her way to the very front of the crowd to go to her best friend. She found Kurt right at the blonde's side, his voice soothing as he spoke to her.
"Take a deep breath... that's it." The Olympian glanced around, noting Shannon Moore as physically the nearest to them. "Shannon, go run and get her some water, okay?"
The small man nodded and hurried off.
By now, the brunette had grabbed Torrie's free hand as she peered worriedly into her face.
"What happened, Torrie?" Her blue eyes were steady and serious as she fixed them on those of her friend.
The tall platinum blonde shook her head, her lips moving as though to answer, but no sound emerged for a beat. Then, in a sob, "I saw him! I-I... I *saw* him, Stephanie!" Torrie's eyes filled with tears, and the brunette could feel her shaking beneath her hand.
"Oh, my God..." she breathed, her eyes widening in recognition. She shifted her gaze to Kurt, only then realizing Adam, Amy and Jay had just joined their group. Her brother was off at a twenty-four hour emergency meeting in Stamford, but he would be back by late tonight.
"Shit..." Adam cursed, a worried expression on his face, his green eyes shifting from Torrie to his wife. He ran a hand through his hair, his worry giving way for the anger that had always been bubbling beneath the surface. In an unconsciously protective gesture, he reached down and grasped Amy's hand tightly. The redhead squeezed him back.
Just then, Shannon returned with a bottle of water he'd uncapped for the diva. He handed it to her and she gratefully accepted.
"You saw... *him*?" Stephanie pressed, not wanting to speak the asshole's name.
The tall blonde nodded. "I was coming out of the ladies room and on my way back to your office," she explained. "Then I noticed a movement in my peripheral vision. Whenever *I* moved, *it* moved! I-I stopped, and when I turned to look, it was *him*! He was s-standing there and watching me!"
"It's okay now, Torrie," Angle assured her, one hand resting on the woman's shoulder. "We're all here - you're safe."
Suddenly, a new voice spoke out.
"Oh, God, has anyone seen Nora?"
Stephanie whirled around to face Jay, who, by now, was standing just behind her. She noted the
paleness of his face, the worry in his blue eyes. And that was when she realized the little brunette
was not a part of their group...