Chapter 22 #4
The email is practically seared into my retinas like a love letter, filled with phrases like so talented and can’t believe my eyes and I’m lucky to work with you. I wanted to print out the email, hold it against my chest, and dance with it.
Tonight, my plan is to do the final touches and maybe even start adding color. Hopefully, I can send the final files before our trip.
“See? This is what I’ve been saying!” Hazel squeals. “You can totally do this.”
In my rearview mirror, the dark SUV that’s been following me since I left the city takes the same exit off the highway. My heart skips. But no, they’re not following me. We happen to be heading in the same direction. Not a big deal. Not worth freaking out about.
Noah drives a sedan, so it can’t be him. Unless he rented a vehicle so I wouldn’t know he’s behind the wheel. He could have followed me to the city to keep an eye on me, to make sure I’m safe. Or this could be part of our game. Another way he’s stalking me to get my blood pumping faster.
“How do you tell if someone is following you for miles because you’re coincidentally heading in the same direction or because they’re stalking you?” I ask Hazel.
“Ooh, is it Noah?”
“It’s not his car,” I tell her. “But I guess he could’ve gotten a rental to throw me off. That seems like exactly the kind of thing he would do.”
I can’t help but grin at the possibility. The lengths this man will go to for me. I’ve never met anyone like him, and I’m the luckiest woman alive to know him.
“At the next intersection, head in the wrong direction,” Hazel instructs.
“What? Why?”
“Throw him off. See if he follows you. Test his devotion.” Through the phone, I can practically hear her mischievous grin.
“You’re nuts.” Still, when I reach the intersection, I follow her instructions and make a left turn. My GPS recalibrates my route.
My breath catches in my lungs as I wait to see which way the SUV will go.
After a moment’s hesitation, the vehicle follows me.
“He’s following me,” I announce, grinning like an idiot while Hazel squeals.
“God, I didn’t realize how boring you were before this.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Don’t be offended. Everyone’s life gets more interesting when they find a hot stalker boyfriend,” she says. “This man has made it his life’s mission to indulge your kinks.”
“I know.” I make another turn, and he follows me again.
Noah is incredible. But I can’t help feeling like I’m holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
No one can be this perfect for me. What if our relationship is only so great right now because we’re still in the honeymoon stage?
Because we’ve been playing this game of cat and mouse, and once it ends, the magic will disappear?
When I make another wrong turn, my stomach sinks as the SUV sails past the road, continuing straight ahead without hesitation.
Either Noah wasn’t behind the wheel at all and I was imagining being followed, or he’s already given up. I’m not sure which option disappoints me more.
Hazel boos when I share the update with her and launches into tales of her adventures in Asheville. I think she’s officially visited all fifty states. I try to be a good friend and listen attentively, but my mind keeps getting distracted by the disappointment twisting my gut.
Noah gave up following me so easily. Maybe this game isn’t fun to him anymore. Maybe he’s only been keeping up with it this long to indulge me, but it won’t last much longer.
Maybe his interest in me is fading too.
When I pull into the parking lot in front of my apartment complex, I let Hazel know, and she demands that I send her photos of her nephew. After I promise twice to send her selfies with Prick tonight, she lets me hang up and head into my apartment.
As soon as I flick the light on, I scream.
A masked man dwarfs my couch, arms propped over the back. His low chuckle makes my toes curl.
My heart is about to beat out of my chest when Noah lifts the mask, grinning. “Hey, sweets. Welcome home. Did you miss me?”
“How were you following me, but you still beat me home?” My palm rests on my chest as if it can do anything to calm my racing pulse.
His cocky grin is replaced with a frown. “What do you mean?”
“You were in the car behind me, so how did you get here before me?” I toss my purse on the table. “Do you know some shortcut that I don’t?”
Noah stands slowly. “I wasn’t following you.”
“Ha-ha.”
“Seriously, Summer.” A line of concern etches between his brows. “I got here almost an hour ago. Was someone following you?”
He’s not lying. Maybe the car wasn’t following me at all. Each turn I made could’ve coincidentally been the direction they’d intended to take.
I force a laugh to hopefully quell Noah’s worry. “It must’ve been wishful thinking. They stopped following me about fifteen minutes before I made it home, so it was just a coincidence.”
Noah closes the space between us, hands possessively claiming my hips. “Then you know it couldn’t have been me. I would’ve followed you all the way home.”
“I know. You’re too obsessed with me to give up that easily.” I can’t believe I actually thought he would.
“Who else do you think could’ve been following you?”
I hate seeing the stress and worry written all over his face. “No one. I didn’t even recognize the car. Like I said, wishful thinking.”
Noah doesn’t seem fully satisfied with that answer, but he leans in for a kiss anyway.
Maybe I’m being paranoid, especially after that disastrous dinner with Michael Hunt. I’m understandably on edge after he basically threatened to drag me out of that restaurant kicking and screaming.
Or maybe I’m not being paranoid at all. Maybe that was Michael in the vehicle behind me, and he was following me.
Maybe Noah isn’t the only one stalking me. But this time, I may be in real danger.