Tempted by Sin (A Dark Stalker Romance #1)

Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Paetyn

I need to get out of this goddamn house before I lose my mind.

It’s been a week since Liam accused me of cheating on him, and I hit him with the evidence I have collected of his supposed infidelity. Whenever we’re in the same room, he refuses to look at me or utter a single word, choosing silence over discussing the situation at hand. Like a child.

In the four years I have been dating Liam, he has never once apologized for a fight or admitted he was in the wrong. I’m the one who has to apologize first and start talking to him again. Otherwise, if I don’t, he will continue to play the silent game. And I can’t stand it. Knowing he’s in the same house, breathing the same air, and going about his day and not speaking to me makes me irate. He’s sleeping in the spare bedroom for God’s sake.

By now, I would’ve given in and apologized just so he would stop this game, but I refuse to be the bigger person this time, especially when he has been no saint either.

With a huff, I grab my car keys and head to the front door. Liam is at his parents’ house, working on something with his father for his campaign. He has been over there a lot this past week. Not only has he been staying late at the office or been out on the campaign trail, he’s been having dinner with his parents most nights, or he’s out schmoozing with potential campaign donors, telling them I’m still too shook up from my ordeal to come along, leaving me home alone with my thoughts.

I’m sure his parents have questioned him about me and why I’m not with him. Given his close relationship with them, it wouldn’t surprise me if he threw me under the bus but kept the details of his activities to himself.

I slide into the driver’s seat and send a text message to Raya.

PAE: Hey, are you busy?

Her response comes quickly.

RAYA: I’m lying on the couch in my pajamas with a tub of ice cream beside me, so no, I’m not busy. What’s up?

PAE: I need to get out of the house. Are you able to meet me at the mall? I could use some retail therapy and a distraction.

RAYA: Say less, Pae. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.

The drive to the closest mall is about twenty-five minutes with traffic. By the time I get a parking spot and head in to wait at our usual meet-up point, Raya has just arrived with two coffees in hand.

She rushes up to me and hands me a cup. I accept it without hesitation. It’s warm nestled against my palms, battling the chill racing through my body.

“Is everything okay?” Raya asks, her head tilted to the side. She’s wearing jeans and a thick puffer coat, not wanting to take any chances with the New York weather.

I sip the coffee only to take a moment to form a response. Should I tell her what happened with Liam? And more importantly, Ace? She warned me away from Ace, saying I could find myself in danger given what he did to me, but I’ve done the exact opposite. If anything, I can’t seem to stay away from him no matter how hard I try to ignore his presence or woodsy cologne. My attempts are futile.

“I’m okay.” I force a smile on my face. “I just need a distraction.”

“I’m more than happy to help you with that.” Raya links her arm through mine and tugs me toward a shop. “Let’s shop and talk.”

We do just that.

While we walk aimlessly through clothing stores, picking up an item only to put it back when we realize we don’t actually like it, we catch each other up on what we’ve been doing. Raya tells me about her job and a recent promotion she got. She gushes about Seren and how she thinks he’s close to proposing. They’ve been dating for nearly five years, so it’s bound to happen at any time, but Raya is convinced it’ll be soon.

I couldn’t be happier for my best friend. Not only does she have a good job and a caring partner, but she has her shit together, which is more than I can say for myself.

Raya drags me into another store to look at a pair of shoes she has been eyeing. She asks a worker to get the shoes in her size, and she settles onto a stool, her eyes gazing up at me expectantly.

“Okay, Pae, I’ve updated you on my life, so it’s your turn. How is your mom? Liam? Your stalker?”

My body stiffens at the mention of Liam and Ace practically in the same sentence. Raya picks up on the reaction because her eyes widen, but she can’t comment on it when the worker walks over with her shoes.

I use this time to decide what I should tell her about Liam and Ace. Should I tell her the truth or keep a lot of the details to myself? The only problem with lying to her is that she can see straight through any lie I tell. Nothing gets past her.

So, I have no choice but to tell her the truth.

When the worker walks away, Raya raises a brow at me. “Spill, Pae.”

I blow out a long breath. “Okay, well, Mom is doing good. I had a call with her doctor this morning, and he said she’s responding to the treatment well. Liam and I haven’t spoken in a week after he accused me of cheating on him, and it happened to be the same night I slept with my stalker… again.”

The words tumble from my mouth, and I’m helpless to stop them.

Raya’s jaw pops open as she stares at me, wide-eyed. Her body is still as she gapes at me, at a loss for words.

“I know what you’re going to say. I know. What I did is fucked up, and Liam has every right to be pissed with me, but he has been cheating on me for months. I’m not saying it to justify my actions, but I don’t want to be perceived as the only bad guy in this situation.”

She swallows hard, regaining her composure after the bomb I just dropped. Raya stands and grabs my hands, holding them tightly in hers. “Pae… woah, that was a lot. But I don’t think you’re a bad person for what you did.”

My heart thumps harshly in my chest. “You don’t?”

Raya shakes her head, strands of strawberry blonde hair flying around her face. “No, I don’t. I know I told you to stay away from your stalker because he sounds dangerous, but there must be a reason you gravitate toward him.”

“I don’t know why I can’t stay away from him,” I admit quietly. “I mean, yes, he’s insanely attractive, but I feel safe when I’m with him like nothing or no one can hurt me. And when I’m with him… he makes me feel alive.”

“Has Liam ever made you feel either of those things?”

I shake my head without hesitation. “I know what I’m doing is wrong and fucked up, but it’s as if my body is demanding one thing and my heart is slowly giving in to that desire. I shouldn’t even be thinking of the notion of choosing between my fiancé and my stalker because the right answer is staring me in the face, but it’s not what I want.”

“What do you want, Pae?” Raya asks, her voice gentle.

“I want a partner who will protect me and put me first.” The admission shocks me, making my heart beat faster. I’ve never admitted out loud how I wish Liam was more of the manly type who would do anything to ensure my safety instead of having someone else look out for me. But after meeting Ace, and knowing the lengths he will go to in order to keep me safe, it’s something I desire. I know I can look after myself, but having a partner who is willing to go the extra mile for you and put you ahead of everything and everyone makes my stomach flip excitedly.

“If I leave Liam…” I swallow hard, the words getting caught in my throat, “I won’t be able to care for my mother. It’s not something I can afford with my salary, and the last thing I want is to jeopardize my mom’s health. But Ace… at the end of the day, he’s a criminal, and that’s not something I should get myself mixed up in either, no matter what he makes me feel.”

Raya nods, understanding the predicament I’m in. “It doesn’t help that you're a somewhat well-known face in New York with Liam running for office, so there is the added element of causing a media storm. And if you get involved with this Ace guy, you could be walking into a very dangerous world that could land you in some trouble.”

She hit the nail on the head with that one.

“No matter who I choose, there isn’t going to be a great outcome for me.”

Raya smiles, the gesture laced with empathy. “I suppose it will come down to who you want more, and you can make your decision from there. But it’s not something you have to do right now, okay? Let’s keep shopping and forget about men.”

I swallow hard and nod. Although, now that I’ve opened the can of worms that is the shit show of my life, I’m unsure if I can stuff them back inside and forget about them. But I’m sure as hell going to try.

Raya purchases the shoes, giddy as a kid on Christmas morning. When we step out of the store, arms linked, I’m immediately blinded by flashing lights. I stumble back, held up by Raya, and try to adjust my eyes to whatever light is shining in my eyes.

“Paetyn, how are you doing after the kidnapping?”

“Have they found the man who did this to you?”

“How has your fiancé Senator Aster been supporting you through this terrible time?”

“How did Senator Aster find you? Is he your hero?”

“Do you have any comments on your fiancé’s campaign?”

My blood runs cold as I realize what is happening. Their voices rain down on me like a thunderous storm, threatening to consume me. I haven’t had to deal with the media since the kidnapping because Liam was right there to distract them by answering their questions on my behalf. I’m not suitable to be in front of a camera because I tend to freeze up like I am right now, unable to speak.

But now I’m on my own without the help of Liam to get me through this.

Oh, no .

“She’s not taking any questions right now,” Raya answers for me. I’m grateful she is here, otherwise, I’d be fucked. “Now, take a step back so we can leave.”

They don’t take a step back. If anything, they throw more questions at me, blurring into one voice as it assaults my ears. After the conversation I just had with Raya, listening to the media ask me questions about Liam and Ace quickly becomes too much.

I have to get the hell out of here. Now.

I turn to Raya, my voice barely above a whisper. “I need to get out of here.”

“Let me come with—”

“I need to be alone.”

Raya regards me for a moment, her gray eyes filled with concern, but ultimately, she releases her arm from mine. “Be safe, okay? Call me if you need anything.”

I manage a quick nod before I turn to the left and run toward the exit as fast as my legs will carry me. The media follows me but are quickly stopped by security, allowing me to escape. My heart thumps harshly in my chest as I push through the throng of people shopping, not caring when I bump their shoulders or nearly trip over my feet.

When I reach my car, I’m out of breath, but I don’t stop. I climb in and take off. I merge easily with the traffic on the main road, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles begin to ache.

My first instinct is to go home and shut myself away in my bedroom, but being in the same space as Liam is the last thing I want. It’s a cruel reminder that the man I’ve spent four years of my life with is refusing to speak to me.

Instead, I decide to go to the one place I know I shouldn’t.