Ford glances at me with his eyebrows raised. “Bree asked me to prom an entire month before the dance.”
“What! She asked you?”
“Yeah, you didn’t know that. I made a big deal answering her at school, so everyone would know I was going with someone.”
“I remember people talking about it, but I thought you were asking her to the dance, not answering her.”
“Nope. She asked me.”
“I don’t know why, but that makes me feel better.”
Ford chuckles, picking up my hand and kissing my palm.
I roll over in bed, hitting snooze on my alarm clock, when my phone chimes, and I realize my alarm isn’t going off, but someone has texted me. I glance up at the clock. It’s one-thirty in the morning. Who on earth is texting me in the middle of the night? It’s not Ford. His text tone is still Beethoven’s fifth. I grab my phone and type in the passcode because it’s too dark for facial recognition. The text message is from Unknown. I drop my phone on the bed and sit up, turning on the bedside lamp. I should turn my phone off and go back to sleep without looking at the message. Instead, I get up, use the bathroom, and then pull a small bottle of water out of my mini fridge. I sit down on the loveseat, trying to calm my nerves, when my phone chimes with another text. “Let’s just get this over with.” And I look at the text messages.
New posts are up on my website.
I’m giving you the first peek before everyone else.
Let me know what you think.
I click off my phone and shove it in my pocket. I turn my lamp off and tiptoe downstairs. In the basement, Ford is lying on the sofa in the dark. When he sees me, he sits up, holding his hand out for me, and I run over to him. I wrap my arms around him and lay my head on his shoulder.
“Hannah, you’re shaking. What’s wrong?” Ford rubs his hand up and down my back, soothing me. I let out a shaky breath, trying to get my heart to calm down. “You’re safe, my love. You’re safe.”
“I got another text message from the unknown number.”
Ford tightens his hold around me. “What did it say?”
“That there were new pictures on the website.”
“Please tell me you didn’t look.”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Good. Your dad told me he is meeting with Mr. Forrest on Tuesday.”
I pull back, but it’s so dark that I can only see the outline of Ford’s features. “Why not until Tuesday?”
“He has a meeting tomorrow with a colleague who deals in cyber law.”
“I guess that’s a good idea.” Ford shifts us, so I’m lying with my back against the sofa, and we’re facing each other. “I want to block that number.”
“I know, but we need to show those new texts to your dad first. We’ll ask him what the best thing to do is.”
“Okay. Why are you sleeping out here?” I glide my hand through Ford’s hair.
“I’m not used to sleeping in a twin bed. It was hot, and I was feeling claustrophobic.”
I kiss his nose. “I’m sorry, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“Anything to be a little closer to you.” Ford slips his hand under my shirt, softly scratching my back.
“I want to be with you.” I breathe over his lips.
Ford lets out a low groan. “I want to be with you too, baby, but….”
“I know. Why does it feel like everything is stacked against us?”
