Chapter 6
Six
NOAH
Stalking is a crime.
Stalking is a crime, stalking is a crime, stalking is a crime.
That’s become my mantra in the last week as I’ve tried—and failed—to convince myself not to fulfill the fantasy from Summer’s drunken confession, my copy of her apartment key burning in my pocket a constant pull to her.
But what if the stalking is consensual? Summer used the term, so it must be within the realm of possibility.
If she didn’t call the cops on a drunken stranger for breaking into her home, maybe she won’t call them when he watches her through her window or follows her around town or plants a tracker on her car.
Not that I’m sure I even installed the thing right. I planted the magnetic GPS tracker on the undercarriage of Summer’s car, but I haven’t gotten any notifications about the vehicle’s movements, and I’m not sure how long the battery will last.
Summer wants a stalker who makes her feel desired, treasured, revered. The last thing I want to do is truly scare her, but I have no idea what the hell I’m doing.
Still, I can’t suppress this unquenchable urge to learn everything I can about her. Is this what obsession is? I’ve never felt this compulsion, this insatiable need, before.
But she didn’t accept my request for the fake date. She let the request lapse without a word, and I told her I’d take that as her answer. She obviously doesn’t want anything to do with me, so I definitely, absolutely, one-hundred-percent should not be heading to the library for research purposes.
“So what’s with this sudden interest in reading, Sinclair?” Aries strides casually by my side as we head into the library. “Tell me it doesn’t have something to do with the poor woman you terrorized the other night.”
Ahead of us, a circular desk barricades us from the two librarians stamping and scanning stacks of books.
To the left is a kids’ area with toys and picture books.
To our right, shelves upon shelves of intimidating tomes.
The smell of old books alone is enough to bring me back here every day on my morning run.
“I didn’t terrorize her. She terrorized me. I woke up to her standing over me with a bloody knife.”
Aries rolls his eyes as he heads for the fantasy section. He’s been binge-reading books about dragons since we were kids. “You didn’t say anything about blood.”
He expects me to follow him, but Aries would have no clue where to find the books I’m looking for, and I don’t particularly want him to know what I’ll be reading. Summer’s kinks are none of his business.
As casually and confidently as I can, I head for the circulation desk. One of the women looks to be roughly my age, while the other is closer to my mother’s. They both smile warmly. I’ve never understood the grumpy librarian stereotype.
“Hey there.” The older woman pushes her glasses up her nose. “Can we help you?”
“That would be great. I’m actually looking for some . . . dark romance. Do you know where I could find that?”
The younger librarian chuckles while the older woman beams. “Oh, I’ve got a whole section for you, honey.”
She leads me past the pastel covers and the enormous fantasy tomes to a section that looks destined for a Gothic home library.
The librarian spends a solid ten minutes giving me brief summaries on a wide range of dark romance, starting from beginner level to what she classifies as not-for-the-faint-of-heart.
I let her stack every beginner-level book in my arms, especially if she mentions a stalker.
When my ringtone blasts from my pocket, I cringe and apologize.
The librarian takes the stack from my arms, the books piling up to her chin. “No problem, honey. I’ll get you checked out.”
While she heads back to the circulation desk, I fish for my phone, ready to mute the call when I spot an unknown number. My heart leaps into my throat, even though it’s probably just spam. Summer didn’t accept my request. She rejected me as gently as she could. I need to stop holding out hope.
I swipe my thumb across the screen and keep my voice hushed. “Hello?”
“Hello?” A familiar feminine voice fills my ear. She called. She fucking called—“Noah? Why are you whispering?”
“I’m at the library.”
“Oh.” Summer brightens like this is good news to her. I can almost picture the little smile she’s trying to fight back. “I didn’t know you read.”
“It’s a new hobby.” I peek around the shelf for Aries. He’s in the fantasy section, a book splayed open like he’s already finished reading the first chapter.
“I’m calling to let you know that I’m in.”
“In?”
“To be your fake girlfriend.”
My heart damn near soars. I hold back from pumping my fist as Aries snaps his book shut. “Really? What made you change your mind?”
“Your sob story. You’re too pathetic not to help.” She sighs. “Plus, my landlord is increasing the rent next month.”
“Great.” I step back between the shelves before Aries can spot me and ask who I’m talking to. “I mean, not great about your rent. Or thinking I’m pathetic. Which I’m absolutely not, by the way.”
“Sure you’re not.”
“I have a family dinner on Sunday. Can you come?”
This may be the wildest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Hiring a near-stranger to pretend to be my girlfriend to trick my family into believing I’ve moved on from my last shitty relationship. Second wildest thing I’ve ever done.
None of it is exactly a lie, since I have moved on from Naomi. They just refuse to believe me, assuming that abruptly leaving my job after ending a relationship must mean I’m trying to cover up some hidden heartbreak.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Even if I hadn’t met Summer, I wouldn’t be pining after Naomi. What my family views as mourning is my form of celebration.
Summer will simply help me convince them of that.
“Sunday works,” she says. “But we should probably meet beforehand so you can give me the rundown. Everything I need to know about you to make sure your family believes we’re together.”
I grin as Aries finally finds me amongst the dark romance books and quirks a brow at me. “It’s a date.”