"How?"
"I don't know yet.But I'll figure it out."
"You can't fight him alone."
"I've been doing it for eight months."
"And look where that's gotten you.You're terrified.You're isolated.You're barely sleeping."I take another step closer."You shouldn’t be alone.”
"So what?You want me to just move in with you?Let you take care of me?Play house while Randall circles?"
"I want you to be smart.I want you to stop pretending you've got this under control when we both know you don't."
"I'm handling it the best way I know how."
"Your best way isn't working."
She flinches like I slapped her.
Damn it.That came out harsher than I meant.But it's true, and she needs to hear it.
"Look," I say, softening my tone."I'm not trying to insult you.I'm trying to keep you alive.Randall knows where you live.He knows where you work.He's been watching you for days, maybe weeks.And now he knows I'm involved.Which means his next move is going to be more aggressive.More dangerous.And you standing in your apartment with a Glock and good intentions isn't going to stop him if he decides to kick down your door."
"It might."
“Can you pull the trigger on him? On all three of them.”
A muscle works in her jaw.“Yes,” she said finally.
"What if you don’t have to do that?Stay with me.Tonight.Tomorrow.However long it takes to figure out a real plan."
"A real plan."
"Yeah.Like calling the cops.Getting a restraining order.Hell, calling his commanding officer at Fort Bragg and reporting him for harassment.Something that isn't just hoping he goes away."
"Been there, done that," she says."It didn't work.He has friends in the MPs.Friends in legal.They made it go away.Made it look like I was the one causing problems."
Of course they did.
"And calling his CO won't help either," she continues."Randall is decorated.Respected.Everyone loves him.No one's going to believe he's the kind of guy who..."She trails off.
"Who what?"
She looks away."It doesn't matter."
It does matter.But I'm not going to push.Not now.
"Okay," I say."So the official channels are out.That's fine.We'll figure out another way."
"We?"
"Yeah.We."
"Timothy, I'm not your problem."
"You keep saying that.But I'm still here.So maybe you should stop trying to convince me and just accept it."
She stares at me, and for a second, I think she's going to tell me to go to hell.
