I should’ve known she’d figure out my new address.
Now she’s veering intostalkerterritory and I’m seriously debating calling Shawn for advice.
The thing is, Ana isn’t throwing herself at me. She’s not causing trouble. She’s just... annoying, so I’m trying not to be an asshole. I keep telling her she should move on, hoping it’ll stick.
If push comes to shove, I’ll ask my Chief-of-Police brother for help.
“You can’t keep doing this,” I tell her, pulling out of the parking lot, barely keeping my temper in check.
It’s not just Ana’s stalking tendencies and selective hearing that got me on edge tonight. It’s Blair. She’s been grating my nerves since she moved in, leaving her condo whenever I leave mine, mutteringhey,likewe’re best fucking friends.
Every time I see her, my muscles seize. My spine turns rigid, skin clammy,itchy, and my lung capacity halves every second until I can’t draw a single breath.
The intensity is staggering. Unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s been growing, and growing, and gaining momentum, making me feel so raw that her voice, sweet coconut scent, and presence cause physical pain.
“Baby—”
“Enough, Ana. I’m not your baby and I’m tired of repeating myself. I know you’re sensible, but right now you’re acting batshit crazy.”
She pouts, fidgeting her fingers, each short, labored breath bringing her closer to a full-blown sob fest. The thing is, Ana’s not upset. She’s channeling her efforts to manufacture crocodile tears:actingupset.
I fell into that trap one too many times.
She knows I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress. My savior complex makes it impossible to ignore a distressed woman.
“Don’t even start.” I flip the indicator as I stop at traffic lights. “You’ll get yourself in trouble, you know that?”
“How? I didn’t do anything wrong. You should be flattered, Cody. At least I have the courage to act on my feelings.”
“You should also have the decency to understand Idon’thave the same feelings. How many times do I have to say we’re done?”
She looks out the window, pinching her lips like she wants to add something but can’t find the right words.
It wouldn’t matter if she could. Nothing she’ll say will change a damn thing. I know she’s having a rough time. Her brother took his life a few weeks ago and she’s mourning, struggling to accept he’s gone. It’s the only reason I give her chance after chance to get her act together.
She’s a little lost, I get that, but it doesn’t mean I should indulge her imaginary feelings and ignore the stalking. She’s not my responsibility. Still, whenever I think about calling Shawn, I remind myself that drastic measures should be my last resort.
There’s still time for cops.
“Can’t we start over?” she finally suggests. “As friends.”
We’ve been through this already. It was her fallback the third or fourth time she showed up at Nico’s house. Seeing how vulnerable she was, I agreed.
Our friendship was a whole ten minutes old when she threw herself at me, shoving her hand in my pants to grab my dick.
Nico, Mia, and Colt were in the room with us...
Not fucking cool.
“Too late for that.” I take another turn, speeding down her neighborhood. “No friendship. No relationship. No sex. Nothing, Ana. Stop coming over.”
“But I love you! We were so good together! Why are you fighting this so hard? I’m not asking for a ring, Cody. We can take things slow!”
Am I too soft?
I think so. Any other guy in my predicament—and I know because I consulted Colt, Conor, and Logan—would’ve taken out a restraining order by now.
The fact she followedme home, lurked outside the building and called me back every time I hung up is enough grounds to worry. She hasn’t shown signs of being unstable enough to do something reckless, but I can’t completely rule it out given how fucking tone-deaf she is to everything I say.
