“Well, five seconds ago, it was those milkshakes.” I tilted my head. “And a Dr. Pepper. Now I’m guessing it’s me.”
Her answering giggle had my pulse skyrocketing and my mind racing for what I could say next just to hear it again.
“You know, you can’t go around buying everything simply to make me happy,” she stated.
My hands dropped to the table, playing with the straw the waitress had laid out. “There’s nothing else I’d rather put my money toward.”
“What about retirement? Investing?”
I dipped my chin, letting out a huff of a laugh. “I’m smart with my money, Park, but don’t think I’m afraid to spend it. Hell, one time, I called up my dad to flag down Bailey and Lettie at a horse auction, all so they could bid on an old horse me and my friend learned to bronc ride on.”
Parker leaned forward in her seat, her interest piqued. “What friend?”
Realization at what I’d brought up hit me like a punch to the gut. Just like that, my appetite vanished and my mind shut down. I sat back in the booth, eyes on the table. “One you never got to meet.”
She went quiet, dropping the subject. I fucking hatedhow the thought of Garrett still did this to me. All I wanted to do was talk about him without it stabbing me in the damn chest.
Parker’s movement had me lifting my gaze to find her pulling her phone out of her purse. She didn’t seem to be doing it to be rude, but rather to give me a moment. She didn’t know the situation, but it was like she could sense it.
A crease marred her forehead as she looked at her phone, and the sight had foghorns blaring through the haze that had clouded my mind.
I sat straighter. “Everything okay?”
She took a deep breath, shaking her head and blinking like she was trying to make sense of what she was looking at. “There are some random accounts that keep going on my social media pages and leaving weird comments.”
Instantly, I stiffened. “What kind of comments?”
“Asking about my mental health, commenting on old photos of how I look on a horse. One tried to get my address?—”
“Your address?” I repeated, a little too loud.
“I didn’t give it to him,” she clarified, eyes darting to the table nearest ours like she didn’t want anyone overhearing.
“It was a man?”
“I think so. It was a new account, but people use fake profile pictures all the time.”
“And you’re just now telling me about this?”
“I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
The fact that something had held her back from doing so was a hurt I hadn’t expected. “Did you block them?”
“Of course, I did. But there have been multiple accounts now. I don’t know if it’s the same person on all of them, but I block one and another pops up days later.”
“What’d they say today?”
She turned the phone so I could read the screen. A comment under an old photo of Parker smiling with a few girls I’d never seen before read:Looks like a far way to travel for some fun. Live close?
A glance at the caption showed she had mentioned a visit to North Dakota.
I grabbed the phone from her, clicking the stranger’s profile. No posts, no followers, and no profile photo.
Parker had a fucking stalker, and I had no idea until now.
“I didn’t think it would get this bad,” Parker admitted, her voice laced with shame.
I set the phone down, sliding it toward her. “Block that account, and make your profile private.”
