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“I figured that much,” I mumbled. “He also knows what I did to your uncle. He’s good. I never suspected him.”
“He threatened Claire,” she murmured. “We can’t do anything until we’re sure we can do it without any collateral. I don’t want my sister to get hurt.”
I was about to say something along the lines ofWe’ll figure something outwhen Tyler poked his head out of the window and shouted, “What are you two lovebirds talking about down there?” He wore a smile, and from the outside the question seemed completely innocent, but both Charlie and I knew better.
They came down the ladder after that, and it was Charlie’s and my turn, but Charlie mumbled, “I don’t really want to go up. Let’s just go back.”
Before Tyler could speak, I took her hand in mind and began leading her away, saying, “Whatever the birthday girl desires.”
I had the feeling this was going to be a long party.
And it was. By the time we returned to the table, her mom had brought out the presents she and James had bought for Charlie. She opened them first, feigning gratitude and smiles with each one. Some books from Amazon that were published by an indie author, along with a blanket that had cats all over it.
Something I learned: Charlie loved cats, but they couldn’t have any in the house because James was allergic.
And then it was time for her to open my present. At least with mine, I didn’t think the smile she wore was fake. As she tore into the wrapping paper, her mom cooed, “What is it?” She sat beside her, on Charlie’s other side, while Claire, Tyler, and James sat across from us.
Charlie picked up the matching shirt and pant combo, holding them up one by one so her parents could see. “They’re pajamas,” she said, shooting me a quick look. “Thank you.” She was never one for PDA in front of her parents, but she leaned into me for a quick hug.
As she should. They were stupidly fuzzy and ridiculously pink. They reminded me of the pajama shorts she’d been wearing the first night we’d met. A replacement for them, if you will.
I had matching shorts for the set at my place… I thought it might be weird to gift them to her in front of her parents.
I helped Charlie take everything to her room, and then it was time to eat. I think Charlie and I were the only ones who could feel the tension in the air. Claire was oblivious, as were her parents.
Tyler was a master at acting normal. I had to hand it to him. He gave off an easy vibe, sounding completely genuine when he laughed or told jokes. He didn’t strike me as the kind of person who could stalk someone, but I guess you never really knew what was going on inside someone’s head…
Not until it was too late.
Fortunately for Charlie, she had me. This asshole might think he had me pegged, he might think he knew me, but he’d never been on the other side. He didn’t know what it was like to be stalked.
Starting now, he would.
Claire and Tyler had to leave around seven so it wouldn’t be too late by the time they got home. I took it upon myself to leave right after—mostly so I could follow them home and see where they lived… see if Tyler had a secret hideout or some shrine to Charlie hidden somewhere.
The look Charlie gave me as she stood beside me on the driveway told me she didn’t want me to go. My car was parked behind them and they were patiently waiting for me to move it. What I’d do was back up, let them go, and then get on the road behind them.
I kissed Charlie before I got in my car, and I told her, “Don’t worry. I got this.”
And I did. I had this.
Chapter Twenty-Four – Charlie
I couldn’t sleep, for obvious reasons. After Brett left, to tail my sister and Tyler, no doubt, I couldn’t shut my mind off. I paced the length of my room, my presents sitting on my desk, where Brett and I had deposited them earlier. The picture frame and the telltale picture sat on the far left, and I stopped pacing to stare at it.
Tyler was my stalker. All along, he’d been right under my nose, watching me, learning everything there was to know about me through Claire. Pretending to be happy with her when he really wanted me.
It didn’t make sense. I mean, why me? Claire was so much better than me, all around. Unlike me, she didn’t have the stick figure of a twelve-year-old boy. She had boobs and curves, a few inches on me height-wise, not to mention a fashion sense. Her smile was infectious, and she lit up any room she was in. She was my parents’ first-born daughter, AKA the perfect one.
There was nothing special about me. Nothing at all. Nothing that would make anyone stop and put all of their energy into stalking me.
But maybe that was the point. Tyler had a job. He had a life with my sister. That could be why he wasn’t contacting me every day or trying to come to me every night. He could keep tabs on me without expending the energy himself; all he had to do was ask Claire, and she’d dutifully tell him anything he wanted to know—because it was Tyler, and he was a part of the family.
There was nothing special about me, so if I tried to tell someone about a stalker, they’d look at me and laugh. They’d ask, ‘Who the heck would want to stalkyou? Why not some beautiful Instagram model?’ They’d come up with a million other women someone should stalk before me.
And the sad thing was, they’d be right. Brett was the only one who seemed to think I was worthy of anything. No one else would look at me and think,Yes, this one worth obsessing over. She’s so drop-dead gorgeous I just have to have her.
Darkness fell upon the world, and I didn’t stop pacing. I couldn’t shut my mind off. Nothing I did would calm my mind down. It was just after midnight when my phone rang, and I glanced at the screen for only a split second before answering it, though I didn’t say a word.
