61. Drew
DREW
I’m standing in the living room, staring at the door like it might open again if I wait long enough.
It doesn’t.
I exhale slowly, dragging a hand through my hair.
“Good,” I mutter. “That’s… good.”
Space. That’s what I wanted.
Right?
I turn away from the door, pacing back and forth.
Luna sits on the couch, watching this whole thing unfold. Judging me.
I stop, pointing a finger at her. “Don’t.”
She blinks, unimpressed.
I start pacing again, trying to shake the feeling crawling under my skin. “I did the right thing.”
Why did that sound more like a question than a statement?
I look at Luna. “Right?”
She flicks her tail.
“Not helpful. How does that tell me anything?”
I stop, pressing my hands to the back of my neck.
“She’s my stalker.”
That should settle it.
But it doesn’t.
“She broke into my house. She watched me sleep. She—”
I cut myself off.
Because the images that come up next aren’t the ones I expect.
It’s not the creepy feeling when I stood by the window.
Or her emerging from the bushes.
It’s her in my kitchen, wearing my shirt and laughing. Looking at me like I’m the only thing that matters.
I swallow hard.
“Who falls for their stalker?” I mutter.
Luna meows.
“Don’t say Sebastian,” I warn.
She meows again.
“Yeah,” I sigh. “Sebastian.”
I drag a hand down my face.
“But I’m not like him.”
I stare at her a beat.
“…Right?”
Silence.
The house settles around me, creaking softly.
I freeze, listening for her footsteps.
Looking for shadows that move.
But there’s nothing.
It’s quiet. Empty.
I huff out a breath. “This is what you wanted,” I tell myself.
Space.
Distance.
Time to think.
So why does it feel like something’s missing?
Or someone.
I shake my head sharply. “Nope.”
Not going there.
I pace again, faster this time.
“Before I do anything stupid,” I mutter, grabbing my phone, “I need to talk to Sebastian.”
Luna jumps down from the couch, following me like this is now her problem too.
“Stop following me,” I tell her.
She ignores me.
I hit call.
It rings once.
Twice.
Then he answers.
“Hey,” Sebastian answers. “Everything okay?”
“No.”
There’s a pause. “What happened?”
I exhale, leaning against the counter. “She told me everything.”
Another pause. Longer this time.
“Everything?” he asks carefully.
“Everything,” I confirm.
The silence stretches between us.
“I’m leaving the office now,” he says. “I can swing by.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I’m on my way,” he cuts in. “See you soon.”
The line goes dead.
I stare at my phone for a second before setting it down.
“Great,” I mutter. “Now I have to explain this out loud.”
Luna chirps.
“Still not helpful.”
Thirty minutes later, there’s a knock on the door.
And for one ridiculous second, my heart races and my pulse spikes.
Until I look out the window and see Sebastian’s car.
It’s not her.
I open it.
Sebastian takes one look at me and doesn’t say anything.
That’s how I know it’s bad.
He steps inside. “You look like you got hit by a truck.”
“Feels about right.”
He nods once, then gestures toward the living room. “Let’s talk.”
I sit on the couch.
He doesn’t.
Just stands there, arms crossed, waiting.
So I tell him everything.
He doesn’t interrupt. Doesn’t joke. Doesn’t react the way I expect him to.
He just… listens.
When I finish, the silence feels heavier than before.
“Well?” I ask.
He studies me for a second. “I think you’re scared.”
I let out a short laugh. “No shit.”
He doesn’t smile. “Not of her.”
That shuts me up.
I frown. “Then what?”
“Of this,” he says, gesturing toward the curtains. “Of what you feel.”
I shake my head. “That’s not—”
“You’ve been hurt,” he continues, voice calm and steady. “Julia didn’t exactly set a great example of what a relationship should look like.”
I look away.
“That’s different.”
“It is,” he agrees. “Because Violet’s not her.”
I glance back at him.
“Julia wanted you easier to handle. Violet wants you exactly how you are. Terrible decisions and all.”
That lands harder than I expect.
I lean back, exhaling slowly.
“I tried to make a list,” I admit.
He raises an eyebrow. “A list?”
“Yeah. Pros. Cons. Reasons to stay. Reasons to run.”
“And?”
I huff out a breath. “It didn’t help.”
He nods. “Because feelings aren’t like equations, Drew.”
I look up.
“There are no spreadsheets for this.”
I swallow. "She made a binder about me."
Sebastian shrugs. "You made a list about her."
I open my mouth... then close it.
Damn it.
Something in my chest tightens again.
The realization slowly sinks in, becoming clear.
“I…” My voice catches slightly. "I miss her."
The words are out there.
Real.
Permanent.
And somehow saying them out loud makes everything else seem obvious.
“I think that’s your answer,” Sebastian says.
The weight in my chest shifts.
I think about her.
The way she looks at me.
The way she shows up.
The way she never hesitates.
The way this house feels empty without her.
A slow smile spreads across my face. “Yeah,” I say quietly. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”
Sebastian nods like he already knew.
“For the record, I'm not saying what she did was normal.” He gives me a pointed look. “Because it’s not.”
“I know it’s not.” I blow out a breath. “But?”
Sebastian looks around the house. “But I've never seen you this happy.”
A small smile pulls at his mouth. “And considering you were the boring brother, that's saying something.”
Luna weaves between my legs, brushing against me before settling at my feet. She lets out a small, satisfied meow.
I glance down at her.
“Not you too,” I mutter.
Luna blinks.
Great. My brother and my cat figured it out before I did.
I shake my head, smiling despite myself. "Took me long enough.”
I don't need more time.
I need my stalker.