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LIA

I woke up feeling strange.

For one thing, the pounding behind my eyelids told me I had gone past my limit last night.

I let out a small groan and forced my eyes open, taking in the too-bright afternoon sunlight through the gap between the curtains hanging in my bedroom window.

I should have closed them before I left the apartment last night. Or hell, I could have done it when I got home if I’d had the good sense to before I fell asleep in my drunken state.

My eyes moved down my body.

I was naked. Did I… did I take off my own clothes?

I shivered, the dream coming back to me in full force. Never had a dream felt so real, so… powerful, that even now, in my hungover state, I couldn’t do anything but try to recall every perfect little moment.

I should have chased the guy down at the bar when I had the chance. I was obviously interested in him from just one glance, and now he was gone. What were the chances of me running into him again in a city of millions of people?

Slim to none.

But that fantasy…

God, it was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

I looked around the room, feeling a sudden wave of melancholy rushing through me. I was alone in my room, and that was all there was to it.

Why had I been feeling so alone lately?

Taking in a deep breath, I gave myself five more seconds of sitting here, feeling sorry for myself. Then I hoisted myself out of bed, closing my eyes and letting out a small groan when an onslaught of a headache started prickling about inside my head.

“Fuck,” I muttered to myself.

If there was a day to skip work, today would be it. But just thinking about spending the entire day alone with nothing more than my thoughts to keep me company… yeah, I wasn’t going to skip work.

I took a deep breath and slowly made my way into the bathroom. I needed a shower and some strong coffee.

Then I would be as good as new.

* * *

I was not good as new.

It was nearing eight o’clock.

We closed at ten, which is technically late for a coffee shop, but we were in New York, and it was true—the people here never sleep.

I had just finished with the last thing on my checklist.

I hadn’t realized it would take this long. It didn’t help that my headache hadn’t really disappeared completely, but came by in intervals, making me want to shrivel up on the inside and die.

I grabbed my coffee mug and looked inside.

Empty.

I knew better than to drink any more, but it was so tempting. Letting out a small sigh, I got up and cleaned around, calling it a night. I wasn’t needed.

We weren’t busy, and we wouldn’t get busy from now until closing.

I could go home and go to sleep early, vowing I would never drink that much again, even if I knew it was a lie.

I set about doing that when my hand ran across something beneath the stack of cups in the supply room. I frowned as I pulled out yet another white rose, thorns and all.

“What the hell?” I muttered, thinking back and wondering if I had left this one here from the other times, but no, this one was fresh. There was no mark of it rotting just yet.

And the rose I had found last night was still lying on the dashboard in my car when I drove to work earlier.

I had left it there.

I was sure of it.

Why have I been seeing so many white roses lying about lately?

My heart thudded. Did someone leave them around… for me ?

Who?

Brody?

He wouldn’t have done it like that.

And there was no way for him to know white roses were my favorite.

Victoria?

My friend liked to play pranks on me occasionally, but they usually didn’t last long, and they weren’t cruel. Making me think I had a… stalker was cruel.

But the other alternative that I did have a stalker was…

“Impossible.”

I jumped at the sound of my own voice, feeling my heart rate speed up the more seconds passed. I thought back to all the times I felt as if there were eyes on me and had put it off as nothing more than my overactive imagination playing tricks on me.

But the more I thought about it, the more it didn’t feel right.

Why would I be imagining anything when I was holding onto the physical evidence of it that said otherwise?

I looked down at the white rose.

It hadn’t been de-thorned.

I was careful this time not to let it prick me, but the wound from the last time hadn’t fully healed. The pad of my fingertip still felt tender.

I shook my head.

Did I have a stalker?

* * *

I looked up at the huge mansion in front of me. All the lights were on.

It wasn’t late, but it wasn’t early either.

But I knew he was still awake.

I didn’t know what I was doing here.

If I suspected I had a stalker, a good choice would be to go to the police.

I found a better choice, but there was a risk of this getting back to Dad when I wasn’t sure if what I suspected was actually the case.

The front door opened, drawing my attention, and a big man stood in front, an easy smile on his face.

His blond hair was disheveled, and I imagined he must have spent most of the evening running his fingers through it. Our eyes met, and for a moment, neither of us said anything. Then he cocked his head to the side and indicated for me to come closer to him.

Slowly, I walked up the steps leading to the front porch, where he stood, his hands tucked inside his pockets.

Leonardo Briggs was a distinguished man. Although he was my father’s age, there was always something so strong and secure about him, as if he was capable of taking on anything and protecting me from everything bad in this world.

He was also my father’s best friend.

“Is something wrong, Lia?” he asked.

Of course he would think that. I had called him in a panic, which felt kind of silly now that I was standing in front of him.

My cheeks warmed.

Was I making a big deal out of something that was probably nothing?

I didn’t know, but it was better to be safe than not, right?

“Can we talk inside?” I asked.

He stepped aside for me to enter his house. “Of course.”

I walked in, looking around at the familiar house I had probably been in as many times as I had been in my father’s house.

We went to his office. I barely took note of my surroundings, trying to think of how I would go about approaching the subject. A part of me still doubted that there was a stalker, only because… how could it be happening to me?

I was… ordinary.

There was nothing special about me that could attract the attention of anyone, and though my family had money, it wasn’t the kind of money that pushed us into the spotlight. Once inside, I sat down on the couch and watched as Leo walked over to the small makeshift bar in the corner, pouring himself a shot of something gold.

Scotch, his favorite.

He indicated at the second glass, and I shook my head. I was still recovering from all the alcohol I’d consumed the night before. Just the thought of the taste of scotch on my tongue was enough to make me feel sick.

He walked over with his glass in hand and took a seat next to me on the couch, taking a small sip.

“What’s this about?” he asked.

I licked my suddenly dry lips. “I… I don’t know.”

He frowned.

I shook my head. I wasn’t making any sense.

“Can we keep this between us?” I asked.

“Are you in some sort of trouble, Lia?”

I looked at him expectantly.

He let out a small sigh. “If I don’t think it’s necessary to involve your father. But you know I don’t like to keep things from him. Especially when it comes to you.”

Fair enough. “I think I have a stalker.”

He tensed beside me.

I looked away from him for a beat before bringing my gaze back, shifting nervously in my seat.

“Why do you think that?”

“I-I’ve been getting the feeling that someone’s been watching me. I know it sounds crazy, but… I can’t shake it. But I don’t want to go to the police if I’m not completely sure, but I’m… I’m scared.”

He placed the glass down on the coffee table and pulled me into his arms. I went willingly.

“You think I sound crazy, don’t you?” I asked into his shirt as his scent permeated my senses and reminded me of my childhood.

“No, sweetheart, I don’t think you’re crazy. I also think you’re right. The police won’t do anything unless you have proof for them.”

I closed my eyes, feeling myself relaxing. A big part of why I had been so nervous was that I was afraid he might tell me it was all in my head.

“I’ll have people look into this, and for now, just in case, I’ll call in a few guards around your place, okay?”

It was one of the reasons I turned to him. Leo owned a security firm.

“Really?” I asked, pulling away and looking at him. He tightened his arms around me marginally before letting go.

“Really. There is nothing to worry about. I’m here, okay?”

I nodded, taking in a deep breath and feeling like a huge weight had lifted off my chest. It wasn’t gone completely, but it had lightened.

I did something I had always done. I placed my trust in him.

“Okay,” I answered.