Page 124 of Stalkers Anonymous

It takes one word for me to know her voice is wrecked—hoarse and barely there. A slow and steady beep in the background catches my ear almost immediately.

“Where are you?” I’m already moving, my feet leading me back toward my car. “Hailey. Where are you?”

“The ER. My ER. Don’t come yet. Just listen.”

It takes every last ounce of self-control I have to force myself to stop. “What happened?”

“He found me. I went to the mall by myself, and he—” Her breath hitches, and then she lets out a soft sob. “He was waiting for me in the parking garage.”

In that moment, my entire world stops spinning. I am standing on a sidewalk at 12:43 in the morning, and the only thing I can focus on is the sound of Hailey’s broken breathing on the other end of this phone.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m alive.”

“Hailey…” Her name on my lips trails off.

“They’re keeping me overnight. Maybe a few days.” Another shaky breath. “I’m okay, Cole. I’m going to be okay. I’m on the good drugs and I’m talking to you now and I’m okay.”

“Where is he?” The question comes out more demand than question.

“They don’t know. He ran. They lost him, but there’s a warrant for his arrest now. They’re looking for him.”

“Hailey—”

“Cole. Listen, please.”

I snap my mouth shut, and wait for her to continue.

Fuck. I should be there. I should have been there.

“I’ve been lying here thinking,” she says, her voice strengthening a little. “I did everything right, and I’m in this bed anyway. The system isn’t going to save me from him. The next time he comes for me, I might not get back up.”

“You’re not going to have a next time.”

I won’t let him live to touch her again.

“I know.” Her voice doesn’t shake on this. “Because I’m calling you.”

The line goes very quiet again.

“Are you sure?” I ask. I need to hear her say it.

“I am sure. Yes.”

“Hailey, I need you to understand what you’re asking. Once I start, I’m not going to stop. Even if you change your mind in the morning, I don’t know if I can— I can promise a lot of things, but not that.”

“I know.”

“You’re not going to change your mind?”

“Mmm, no. But I’m going to make you a deal.”

“Anything.” I nearly fall to my knees at the thought of her asking me to help. I’ll do anything to help her right now.

“Don’t say anything. You don’t know what I’m going to ask.”

“I don’t need to know,” I admit. “I am willing to do anything you ask of me right now.”