“I have a stalker, Elliot,” I state plainly.
“Of course, you do, Livvy.” I hate when he calls me that. “You’re a beautiful woman.”
“This isn’t funny.”
He raises his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry, that was distasteful. I just assume you already have everything under control. No need to worry.”
No need to worry.
“God forbid my fiancé worry about me,” I snap, swinging my feet to the floor.
“You know that isn’t what I meant.” He stands in front of me, tipping my chin up with his finger. “I do worry about you, but I also know you can take care of yourself. You’ve made that abundantly clear to me during our relationship.”
I guess he’s right, though it seems out of context in this situation.
Regardless, I’ve already hit my limit of mental gymnastics for today, and I don’t have the energy to rein in my emotions.
“How long do you plan on staying this time?” I ask coldly.
“I thought we’d have a quick dinner.” He smiles and wags his eyebrows suggestively. “But, I need to head back tonight.”
A quick dinner. A short visit.It’s always the same.
“I already have dinner plans with Thea.”
“Ah, I see. I should have called first.” He finishes his scotch and leans down to kiss me, but I give him my cheek.
He pecks it and straightens as if nothing is amiss. “I’ll make arrangements for my next visit. See you soon, sweetie.”
He leaves without a word from me.
I don’t actually have plans with Thea. I shouldn’t have lied. But my thoughts are so jumbled in my head, I can’t pretend to be the perfect fiancée tonight.
I need my best friend.
All I do is change out of my work clothes before I walk out the door to go to the one place that I always feel like I belong.
I walk straight through Thea’s front door without knocking, and she smiles when she sees me. She’s sitting at her kitchen table next to baby Kate and twists the high chair until my best girl sees me, too.
A smile puffs her chubby cheeks, and it’s exactly what I needed to reset my state of mind and remind myself of who I am.
I’m not frail. I’m not incapable of handling hard things.
Tomorrow will be a better day. The awkwardness of being around Hayes will dissipate, and I’ll make a point to call Elliot to apologize for my behavior lately.
We’re getting married soon, and we need to be solid.Ineed to be stable. No more detours in my plan. I’ll finish my work in Rollins County and go back to the city. I’ll forget about having a stalker. I won’t have to see Hayes.And I’ll only see Thea and Kate one weekend a month, if that.
The cracks in my perfectly drawn-out life are starting to loosen the ground beneath my feet. The things I thought I wanted are starting to look like flaws… A high-powered career and an affluent lifestyle.
They don’t mean anything if they aren’t in the place I want to be.
By the time I get home, the front of the cottage is darkened by night, and I’m immediately wary of my surroundings.
I never used to be afraid of the dark. Now, every shadow is shaped like a man. Every noise sends my pulse racing.
All because some creep out there feels entitled to corrupt my autonomy.
“No one is here. No one is watching me,” I grumble to myself as I back into my normal parking spot.
