I tilted my head from side to side, feeling mildly playful again. I always did when it came to her. Putting my phone away, I walked around her to the refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of water. “It was more like you just didn’t know what I was doing.”
She followed me. “Harris, what are you telling me?” she asked in a soft voice that sounded slightly cautious.
Was she concerned about what I would admit? I suppose, from the outside looking in, what I would admit might make me seem a bit…obsessive. I gazed down at her, brushing a braid behind her shoulder, my need to touch her almost incessant. “You know why I had to end our friendship, so of course, I’d continue to look out for you from afar if I called myself caring about you. It was the only way to ensure you remained safe.”
“Was I in danger through the years and just didn’t know it?”
I scrunched my face, deciding if I wanted to let her know just how fixated I’d become with her. After we’d stopped talking,there were no more threats to her life, but that didn’t mean there weren’t ways I could help ensure she had a good life.
“Harris!” she cried in a scolding tone. “Tell me what you’ve been doing.”
“I don’t think I can remember all of it.”
Her mouth dropped into an O shape. “That much? Tell me what you remember.”
I scratched the back of my neck and walked to the living area, but she followed me like a little cat with their owner. “It’s not that big a deal.”
She slapped me lightly on the back, and I chuckled. “Tell me, you weirdo.”
I grumbled and put my water down on a side table on top of a coaster. I then picked her up by the waist. “Wrap your legs around me.”
She yelped but did as I said. “Did you get me out of parking and traffic tickets? Because that’s happened several times to me.”
I sat us down on the couch, with her facing me, sitting on my lap. Her sweet scent soothed me, and her warm skin against my own felt fantastic. I’d prefer her to be naked, but this would do. I gave her a knowing smile. “You do know that you drive too fast, right?”
She kissed my cheek. “Thank you. What else did you do?”
“When you come to my place, you’re going to see that I have a miniature gallery of my own filled with art I’ve had purchased from your galleries.”
Her eyes softened, and she kissed my other cheek. “What else?”
I wasn’t telling her all of this to get cool points with her. However, it felt strangely relieving to admit how much I’d been all about her these last several years. While I was being vulnerable for her, something that I didn’t like being in general,it was important that she truly understand just how deep my feelings went for her. That there was no world in which I wanted to be without her existence.
“Some of the apartments you wanted to move to, I made sure they were available and that you got the best location with lots of light. Got you a few upgrades when you traveled. Helped you out with that loud neighbor of yours five years ago. A couple of jerks you dated might have had some petty annoyances put on them, like broken windows, tickets. I might have stopped one from getting a promotion, but he was the one who cheated on you. By the way, you dated an abnormally high amount of assholes.”
Her brows lifted, and she shook her head, shocked. “What the hell, Harris? I don’t know how to thank you for all of that. I’m actually overwhelmed. And a little scared. You were kind of my guardian angel stalker. I mean, you knew things that I’m confused about. I can see how you might know about my parking tickets; you can search online for that, but my travel, apartment, and ex-boyfriends? Did you have someone trail me? Did you break into my email? Wait, did you put a trace and tap on my phone? Is there a hidden camera in my condo?”
I opened my mouth, then closed it. How could I tell her how deep my obsession had gone with keeping her safe after all these years? I might scare her, which would be unfortunate because I was not letting her go. “I separated from you because you were in danger; it stands to reason that I’d keep close tabs on you.”
She snorted, pulling back from me, but I only tightened my grip, ready for her to try to escape. She gave me a stern look that did nothing to dampen my resolve. “I think you and I have very different ideas of what keeping tabs on someone is. And you didn’t answer my question.”
“I’ve had a security detail on you. Your parents knew, but I asked them not to say. They were actually comforted by that. So that’s how I knew about the apartments you looked at and whoyou were dating. I had my people look up every place you looked at and every guy you dated. As for your trips, I only knew when you were at the airport and would get you a last-minute upgrade if possible. The jerks you dated, you might have found out about their ways with a little help from my people. I did not tap your phone, but I may have gotten a tracker placed on it.”
She crossed her arms, not seemingly satisfied. “And the camera.”
I grinned tightly. She was a persistent one, and I should have expected nothing less, having known her. “I only have a camera in your foyer. The last thing I wanted to do was to watch you in your personal moments. Especially with other men. I might have had to kill them.” I said the last part in a murmur.
She frowned. “What?”
I raised my brows. “What?”
She narrowed her eyes, but I began to speak again to distract her suspicion. “So have I scared you yet?”
She shook her head, her face scrunched in a mix of confusion, anger, and annoyance. She adjusted, trying to get up again, but I wouldn’t let her. She paused and glared at me. “I need a moment.”
I squinted my eyes, trying to control the rising panic inside of me. I didn’t want to scare her. I mean, she was staying with me regardless, but the rest of our lives would be much more pleasant if she liked being with me. Part of me wished I had lied, but that was no longer going to be my style when it came to her. “You can have a moment here.”
She pushed at my chest, annoyance seeming to have won the emotion battle. “This is why you wanted me on your lap, right? So that after you told me all this, I wouldn’t be able to get away from you.”
