9. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
HATTIE
I fiddled with the silver beaded bracelet my mom had given me for Christmas last year—the one that matched the bracelets she’d given my sisters as well. It gutted me, seeing the worry on her face tonight. Though that sensation was replaced by annoyance when, as I was assuring my parents that it was probably nothing, Dylan sent me a glare.
I couldn’t fathom who would want to stalk me.
None of the guys I’d dated recently had been any more interested in me than I was in them. Except maybe the guy who asked if I would let him suck my toes. But even he quickly became uninterested when I told him he absolutely could not. Not to mention, stalkers were for famous people or people like Savannah, who were attention seekers, not run-of-the-mill people like me.
“I’m going to pack a small bag,” Dylan said as he pulled out of my parents’ driveway. “Then I’ll follow you to your apartment.”
“What?” I whipped my head around and frowned. I wasn’t all that excited to get back in my car, but I didn’t need a babysitter.
“You shouldn’t be alone.” He shrugged, one hand on the steering wheel while the other one rested between us on the console. “Rhett asked me to stay with you until we catch this guy.”
Of course my idiot brother would ask him to do that. And without running it past me first. “That’s not?—”
“Unless you’d rather stay with one of your siblings or at your parents’ until this is over?” He looked over with one eyebrow raised.
“My older siblings all have kids, so no, I’m not leading a stalker to their front door. And Savannah is never home, so staying with her would be no different from staying alone.”
As far as my parents went? My mom would worry enough for the two of us, and I didn’t handle that kind of thing well. Ashley was the mom whisperer, not me. I never truly knew what to say or do.
“That’s what I thought.”
“So, what? You’re going to sleep on my couch every night?”
“Yeah. Unless…” He side-eyed me. “You could stay at my place. I have a guest room and security cameras.”
With a huff, I shook my head. Of course he had security cameras. Never in my life had I thought about needing something like that. We lived in a small town, for Christ’s sake. We rarely saw more than a little shoplifting from the corner store or the occasional drunk driver or domestic abuse situation.
With my head pressed against the seat, I tipped my face up and closed my eyes. All I wanted was to go to bed. If he wanted to spend the night on my couch, then more power to him. We could work through the logistics tomorrow. Maybe in the light of day, I could convince him that I was fine on my own. I swallowed thickly. Is that what I wanted, though? The thought of being alone in my apartment sent fear tingling down my spine again.
“Could we leave my car at your place and come back for it tomorrow?”
Saturdays were pretty uneventful for me, so it shouldn’t be a big deal.
He turned and gave me a quick once-over before focusing on the road again. The look was enough to send heat creeping up my neck. But my mind and body were heavy with exhaustion, and I really didn’t feel up to getting back in my car right now.
“Sure.”
Ten minutes later, I took in the details of his living room, surprised by how tidy it was. There wasn’t a single article of clothing hung over the back of a chair, and there was no clutter. Not even a stack of mail on the entryway table. Now that I was witnessing the way he lived, I was nervous about bringing him back to my place. It was clean, but I was not good at keeping the clutter to a minimum. Clothes always hung over furniture, mail collected on my counter, and shoes tended to pile up by the front door.
I was still examining the room when Dylan appeared with a backpack slung over his shoulder. “Ready to go?”
I nodded, and then we were heading to my apartment.
“Tomorrow,” he said, glancing at me from the driver’s seat, “we need to sit down and talk. I’m going to need names of anyone you’ve met or talked to in the last six months.”
“Okay.” I cocked my head, beginning a mental list. It would be a chore to recall some of the names. I’d been on a mission to find Mr. Right, but hadn’t been successful. More than anything, I’d met a string of men who were altogether forgettable. “Might be easier if I give you my login information.”
Brows pulled low, he studied me. “For what?”
“For the dating apps I’ve been using.”
He scoffed and shook his head. “Are we talking Tinder ?”
“Ew, no.” What kind of girl did he think I was? “More like eHarmony , Match and Bumble .” I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess, you’re going to lecture me on the dangers of online dating now?”
“Nah. The security and tracking capabilities of those apps are a whole lot better than they used to be.” At the stop sign down the street, he looked over at me. “But I’ll need you to think about people here in town. Anyone who has shown interest in you, even if you haven’t reciprocated.”
That was easy. The list was nonexistent. I couldn’t think of a single guy who’d paid me that kind of attention. At least not recently. But I nodded anyway.
As we entered my apartment, I collected the shoes and a few items of clothing scattered around the living room.
“Sorry it’s messy. I haven’t had time to straighten up this week.”
I eyed my small sofa, a pit forming in my stomach. I was a jerk, I realized, for expecting Dylan to squeeze his six-foot frame onto the thing. Then again, I hadn’t asked for a babysitter.
“No worries.” He tossed his backpack onto the armchair closest to him as I headed down the hall toward my bedroom.
Once I’d stashed all the items I’d picked up in my bedroom, I returned, finding Dylan on the sofa with his laptop balanced on his legs.
“Do you mind writing down those sites and your login information for me? I’m going to start making a list.”
“Sure.” I grabbed a pen and piece of paper from the drawer in the kitchen and pulled out my phone to look up the usernames and passwords I had saved. “Here you go.” After handing him the information, I shifted my weight and yawned, feeling like I’d just run a marathon. “Need anything else before I head to bed?”
“I’m good.” He studied me silently for a moment, then dipped his chin. “Get some rest.”
Ten minutes later, I fell into bed, and I was out in a matter of seconds. When I woke again, it was dark, and I was thirsty. I usually kept a glass of water on the nightstand, but I’d been too tired to remember to bring one to bed with me. I padded barefoot toward the kitchen. As I passed the bathroom door, it opened, and I jumped a foot in the air.
“Shh, it’s just me.” Dylan stepped out without a shirt, instantly distracting me from the fear that had flared inside me a second ago. There was no room for it now. Not with the way I couldn’t stop myself from taking in his broad shoulders and chest and his toned abs.
My stomach flipped. Damn, was the man fit.
It was so much easier to ignore how hot he was when he had a girlfriend or when we were in a group. Now, standing a foot in front of me, alone in my apartment and shirtless, he was impossible to pull my eyes away from.
I drank him in slowly, moving my gaze up. When I made it to his face and found him inspecting me as well, my skin heated. His pupils dilated as he zeroed in on my chest.
Shit, I wasn’t wearing a bra, and I was dressed in nothing but a thin tank top and sleep shorts. I crossed my arms over my chest, and he cleared his throat, breaking his heated perusal.
I was definitely not used to having guys stay over, especially ones I wasn’t hooking up with. Who was I kidding? I couldn’t remember the last time any guy spent the night.
“Sorry,” I muttered. “Just came out to get a glass of water.”
I brushed past him and into the kitchen. I’d definitely need to add ice to the water to cool myself down.
Maybe his place would have been a better choice. At least there, we would have had our own rooms and probably separate bathrooms too.
With a harsh breath out, I resigned myself to accepting that offer tomorrow. How long could it take to catch a stalker anyway? I could stay with him for a few days. His house was closer to work and the police station than my apartment was, so why not?
Water glass in hand, I shuffled back to my room, murmuring a quick good night to Dylan, who was settling in on the couch. Once I was back in bed, I sighed and forced my mind to calm.
We could figure it out tomorrow.