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THE STALKER

S itting in Ashlynn’s living room, Jason and I fill her in on everything that has transpired since that night. I leave out the part about the drug dealers in the warehouse that I killed after I fucked Maddie and then dropped her off here, leaving her to believe I just used her.

God, that still fucking hurts. I hate that I made her feel that way.

Tugging at the neck of my sweatshirt, my body overheats as I look out the window, darkness blanketing the land.

What is Ben doing to Maddie? Is he hitting her? Bile rises in my throat as I close my eyes. Forcing himself on her.

“Jagger.” Jason’s voice pulls me back to the present moment. “Are you okay?”

My eyes snap open and I nod weakly. No, I’m not okay. Not until I have her back.

“Let me get you guys some water.” Ashlynn jumps up, hurrying to her refrigerator. When she returns, she hands us the bottle of water and begins telling us what she knows about Ben. Unfortunately, it’s not much, other than some specifics of how she didn’t like how he treated Maddie when he dated her. I squeezed the water bottle, the crinkling sound filling the room, causing Ashlynn to stare at me with interest.

“Can I just say something? I know you’re jealous, hearing me talk about Maddie with… him.” She flashes me a small smile. “But when Maddie stayed here, all she could talk about was you. I’ve never seen her look like that. The dreamy expression on her face told me she was clearly very smitten with you. Far more than she ever was with Ben.”

The tension in my body eases. “I’m in love with her,” I blurt out, agony coursing through me that she’s not here. Ben fucking has her and I still have no clue where to search.

“Let me text some friends and see what I can dig up on Ben.” Pulling out her phone, her fingers fly over it. When she’s finished, her eyes meet mine.

“I’m sure Maddie told you I stalked her.” Ashlynn nods, saying nothing, waiting for me to continue. I heave out a breath and say, “I was watching her when she stayed here. I… Well, I heard her tell you about the boy from Falls Creek Park. Her ‘dark hero’ that she met there.”

Ashlynn smiles. “Yes, that was a sweet story. That little boy intervened and made quite the impact on her.”

A fist squeezes my heart, making it hard to breathe. “I’m him. That boy was me.”

Ashlynn sucks in a breath, eyes wide as she stares at me, then looks at Jason. “What? It’s you?”

I nod, not saying anything else, too overwhelmed to find the words.

Ashlynn cocks her head. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. After all this time, the two of you reconnected. Does Maddie know?”

“I told her.”

She moves closer, her hand moving to my arm. “We’re going to find her and get her back. Why don’t I accompany you? I’m happy to help you look for her.” She looks from me to Jason before adding, “It can take some of these guys a while to respond. But if I’m with you, I can let you know as soon as they do.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” Jason says, his hopeful eyes on me. “It can’t hurt.”

I nod. “No, it can’t.” Turning my gaze to hers, I say, “Come on. Let’s head out to my truck. If you guys don’t mind, I’d like to hit a drive-through and grab something to eat. It’s been hours since I last ate anything.”

“I’m for that plan. I’m hungry.”

Ashlynn nods as we move to her door. Grabbing her keys and wallet, she says, “Sounds like a plan.”

I’m the first to step outside, with Jason waiting beside Ashlynn as she locks her door. Breathing in the freezing air, I let it fill up my lungs, cooling my overheated skin. Closing my eyes, I tilt my head to the sky, staring at the twinkling stars illuminating the sky. I remember holding Maddie in my arms, carrying her to my cabin, and both of us talking about making a wish upon a star.

Closing my eyes, I picture Maddie’s face that night. When I open them, I find the brightest star in the sky and fervently make a wish from my heart. Please, Mom, help me find Maddie.