Chapter 48 ALEX #3
Realization washes over me as I look at the photo, followed by an enormous amount of pity and anger. Watching him do that is probably why his mom abandoned him. I wonder if his grandparents saw these photos, if this is why they pushed him so hard to be normal.
I’m so absorbed in the photo that I almost forget Danny is there until he starts talking again.
“It’s horrifying, right? You had no idea you were whoring yourself out to a fucking psychopath, did you?
” Danny’s voice has gone from frustrated to furious, and he pulls away the photo of Theo’s dad to reveal more pictures of us in Yachats.
Danny flips through them slowly, laying them out on the coffee table so I can look at all of them.
There are so many photos of us, but they’re only of us having sex. Most of them are in the living room or dining room, but Danny even climbed down the hill and got photos of us in the bedroom.
Did he seriously watch us all weekend?
I get why Danny’s so angry now.
He has to be aware that I’ve never enjoyed sex like this with him, never looked at him like this.
My eye catches a photo of Theo and I in the kitchen, me on my knees and his hand in my hair.
I’m sure Danny was pissed watching that – I’ve never once blown him without him asking for it.
When I see how Theo’s looking down at me, possessive and adoring and so obviously in love with me, I lose focus for a second and smile a little.
It’s a fucking mistake.
Danny grabs my shoulders and I’m suddenly looking at him, his pale blue eyes wide and his face turning red.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Alice? Have you lost your fucking mind? He’s a goddamn murderer.” I swallow hard and nod, remembering that I need to pretend that I didn’t know that Theo had done those things.
“I’m just…shocked. I’m so stupid. Thank you for saving me from him, Danny.” The words are bitter in my mouth as I force them out, but they have the intended effect. Danny relaxes a little and sighs angrily, shaking his head at me as he looks down at the photos.
“I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with you, I really don’t. You ran away from me, you hid from me, you cheated on me, and you’re acting like it’s fucking nothing, like I’m fucking nothing to you. You don’t even seem sorry that you did this to me.”
Oh, of course. That’s why we’re here. He’s going to make me apologize.
“I’m so sorry, Daniel,” I say slowly, trying to seem sincere. “I want to make it up to you.” I’m grateful he doesn’t have Theo’s preternatural ability to know when I’m lying.
He huffs out a breath and nods. “You’ve really fucked up here, but I’m going to try to forgive you. You’ll have to work hard to make it up to me, Bunny, but I’ll let you.” I’m Bunny again, which means I’m calming him down. I just need to keep him calm.
“Thank you. I’m so sorry, pumpkin. I’ll do anything to earn your forgiveness.” When he looks at me, I can tell he believes me, and I struggle not to flinch when he pets my hair.
“God, you’re lucky I love you so much, babe.
You’re coming home with me, and we’ll get back to normal.
” I nod eagerly, knowing I’m not going to Boston.
Theo’s going to show up, just like he always does.
He’s not just my boyfriend, he’s my fucking stalker, and he’s going to find me.
All I need to do is run out the clock until he can get home from Salem.
“You’re right, Danny. I’m so lucky to have you. When are we going home?”
“We’ll go tomorrow morning. You’re not leaving anything you want here, anyway. It’s not like you love this guy or anything,” he says slowly, and he looks at me sharply, his jaw set. “Right?”
My mouth goes dry. Danny’s not stupid, and he’s exceptionally observant when he wants to be, so there’s no way he missed how Theo and I are with each other.
He might have even heard us. I just need to lie to him and tell him that I don’t love Theo.
I open my mouth, trying to make myself say it, but nothing comes out except a soft rasp of air.
My eyes widen in surprise and fear.
I can’t say it.
Danny goes very still, his face turning redder and redder.
“Tell me you’re not fucking serious.” I shake my head hard, but he knows I’m lying now.
His eyes go wide, and his lip curls in anger as he punches me in the face.
My nose snaps, and I scream as searing pain radiates out from the center of my face.
I taste my own blood as it runs into my mouth, and I start crying as my nose throbs and stings.
“You stupid, worthless fucking bitch!”
Anger boils in my veins. I know getting angry with Danny is dangerous, but I can’t help it. It doesn’t matter, anyway, because Theo’s going to be furious when he gets here and sees that I’m hurt.
That’s not going to end well for Danny.
“My boyfriend’s going to fucking kill you,” I spit out at him, and he laughs harshly, getting in my face.
“Your boyfriend doesn’t know where you are, dipshit,” he spits back. It takes me a second to realize that he’s right, and freezing numbness starts creeping up the back of my neck.
Theo doesn’t know where I am.
He wanted our relationship to be real, which meant no more stalking, so he can’t find me anymore. I still think of him as my stalker, but he’s just my normal boyfriend who doesn’t stalk me now.
How could I forget that?
Oh, shit.
I’ll be back in Boston for a while before Theo can get to me, so I need to be much more careful with Danny than I have been. I just have to get through this the way I used to.
Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.