“He could have used different words to describe you, don’t worry about it. Do you see what I mean about neighbor-boy now?”
A slow breath rolls over my tongue. “He did get really mad.”
“Right, cause he’s psycho. But Vito?” He comes around the couch and hands me a picture. “That was in his nightstand, and your address and work schedule was written on a notepad. There’s other evidence to suggest he’s your stalker, but since he’s dead, I can’t get confirmation on that.”
I drop the photo and instinctively take a step away. “He’s dead?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
He narrows his eyes and voids the distance I created. “Carjacking. He jumped on his vehicle and was thrown off. Impact killed him.”
My immediate reaction is to feel sympathy at the loss of life, but if he really was the one who was practically terrorizing me for so long, I don’t know how to feel. “He always creeped me out, and I hate that he was the one messing with me, but still…he’s dead.”
“He didn’t just mess with you, Annie. He stalked you, broke into your home, and stole your cat. I’m glad he’s dead, and you should be, too.”
“Right, right.” I rub my hands on my leggings, then skirt the coffee table. I’m safe now. There’s no need for me be here anymore. I can’t prolong it. It’s time to go. “Well, thanks for everything. Do you mind giving me a ride to the bus station?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Of course. He’s done enough. “That’s fine. I just need to grab my phone to request a ride.” It’ll probably cost everything in my account, but it’s better because I don’t think I can bring a cat on the bus anyway.
“I’ll get it.”
Ouch.He really wants me gone.
Don’t cry.
Don’t cry.
He comes back with my phone and stands in front of me. I grab for it, but he holds it out of reach. “Do you really think I’d let you go back?”
Oh my God.Was I wrong?“What?”
“Poe is bad news, Annie. When I say he’s a psycho, I’m not being facetious. He’s dangerous, and I won’t let you return knowing he’s across the hall. And like we talked about, I have an extra room, I want you to stay here.”
I swallow the disappointment that it’s something other than him keeping me safe. But I really don’t have anything to go back to, and even if he just wants to be friends, at least he’ll be in mylife. “If I stay, I am not staying with you, I won’t be a charity case.”
“You never would be.”
“I need to find a job. And an apartment…if I stay.”
He smirks. “You’re staying.”
“But I need to cancel my lease and stuff.” I’m not looking forward to running into Poe, though. “So I’ll go back to do that then if I find something here, I’ll come back.”
“You’re not leaving.”
I throw my hands in the air. “I have to.”
“You don’t.”
“Okay…wait.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I am so, so glad that you helped me. I’m beyond grateful to you. But that doesn’t mean you’re in charge of me, Bennett. I’m an adult now.” He presses his lips together and rocks back on his heels. “Are you laughing?”
He shakes his head. “No. But tell me this, if we didn’t find out about Vito, what were you planning on doing today?”
“Going back to my apartment.”
