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“No.”
“Do you know?” He turns to me.
“I wish I knew.” I shake my head.
“Gonna fill me in?” Ramsey looks between us.
“Do you mind?” Cooper asks my permission, and I give it. He drains the last of his coffee and puts the mug in the sink before he leans on the counter. “It’s the reason Trix is staying here with me. She’s had weird pictures sent to her on social media. It’s been quiet the last week, or so we thought, except… she woke up the other night and thought she saw someone out the window. We both thought it was a dream.”
“But obviously it’s more than that.” Ramsey finishes the thought as Cooper’s brow furrows with worry.
“I can’t believe they’d come here. You’d think they’d be more worried about security with you being who you are.” I fold my arms over my chest, feeling vulnerable even talking about this.
“Do you have security?” Ramsey asks.
“I’ve got an alarm system. I don’t know how it didn’t trip.” Cooper shrugs. “I’ve never needed more.”
Right. Because I brought this into his life. Into his home. A home where he has a daughter who could be in danger too because of me.
“Maybe it’s time for me to move again. See about another hotel or an apartment.”
“No.” Cooper doesn’t miss a beat in his answer. “I’m not letting you out of my sight. If he’s bold enough to be following you like that. Coming outside the window? No way in fuck am I letting you be out there alone.”
“But you and Lizzy live here too.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of you and Lizzy.”
“You got a gun?” Ramsey asks. “Because a security system won’t do shit if he comes through the window.”
“I’ve got one in the safe.”
“You need to get one that you can keep by your bed. I’ll send you some suggestions. Show you what I got. Hell, I can come stay for a while if you need. Or you can come to stay with me. I was planning on going camping for a few days, but I can change that if I need to,” Ramsey offers.
“I just wonder if I’m a liability. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you guys because of me.” I look worriedly at Cooper as my anxiety starts to bubble. My stomach is turning, and the anxious feeling is starting to spread. Cooper turns to me and takes my arms, rubbing them and giving me a reassuring smile.
“Trixie, listen to me. I want you with me. I want to keep an eye on you, and I appreciate you being worried about Lizzy. But Lizzy’s got that camp for the next few weeks, so she’s safe there. When she comes back before we go to the lake house, we can make sure things are locked down. But in the meantime, I’d feel better if you stayed with me.”
“I’m just worried.”
“I know. But I promise, I’ve got you.” Cooper wraps his arms around me, and I hug him tight.
“What if you come camping with me?” Ramsey pipes in.
I hear Cooper make a grunting sound, but then his head bobs back and forth like he’s considering it.
“Get you away from the house and out of the city for a bit,” Ramsey adds, looking between us.
“Hey. Maybe that’s not a terrible idea. It’s on your list anyway, right? We could get away for a few days. I can drive us separately so we’ve got the extra car,” Cooper adds.
I mull over the prospect of being stuck with these two in the middle of the woods. On the one hand, it’s not a terrible place to be. On the other…
“My friend was planning to come too. So you all don’t have to worry about me if you want to go off and do your own thing.” Ramsey smirks.
I watch Cooper flash him a look and the subtle shake of his head, and Ramsey frowns in return. His eyes fall to me with a question in them.
“Okay,” I agree.
The alternatives of telling Madison or running home or being alone at a hotel are all there, but none of them are great. They all have a laundry list of downsides, and if camping means getting away from here for a couple of days, it seems worth a shot. I’ll definitely feel safer with these two in the middle of nowhere than in a hotel in the middle of the city.
