Page 26

Connor

Iwoke just before dawn, the room still cloaked in darkness.

Max was still sleeping soundly beside me, her face relaxed and beautiful.

Carefully, I slipped out of bed, pulling on my joggers, and headed into her kitchen to make coffee.

I needed something familiar, something normal, something to steady my shaking hands.

By the time the coffee had brewed, Max wandered into the kitchen, wrapping in only a thin silk robe, hair messy, eyes sleepy yet cautious.

She took the cup from me hesitantly, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied me.

“Last night…”

she started softly, pausing to sip her coffee, her eyes avoiding me.

“You scared me, Connor.”

My chest tightened painfully.

“I'm sorry,”

I whispered, sincerity filling my voice, surprising even myself.

“I just – I lost control.

You disappeared, and I didn’t know where you went.

I – I didn’t handle it well.”

Her eyes drifted to my lip, then my knuckles, concern flickering across her expression.

“What happened to you? Were you in a fight?”

I chuckled, shaking my head.

“Yeah, actually.

Got too drunk Saturday night.

Some asshole bumped into me, and I was already on edge.

I… I took it too far.”

She stepped closer, setting her coffee aside as she gently took my hand in hers, examining the wounds.

“You didn’t need to do this,”

she murmured softly.

Her eyes were warm, compassionate, concerned.

I’d scared her, yet she still cared.

“I didn’t know how else to deal with you leaving,”

I confessed quietly, my thumb tracing gentle circles on her palm.

“I… haven’t felt this way before.

Not about anyone, it scared the shit out of me.”

She looked up at me, something unreadable crossing her face.

“You scared me too,”

she whispered softly.

“But not in the way you probably think.”

“What way, then?”

My voice was barely audible, my throat suddenly dry.

“In the way that makes me question everything I thought I knew about myself.

I let you in, Connor – knowing what you’d done, knowing you stalked me.

That should terrify me, right? But it doesn’t – not enough to push you away.

It scares me more that I want you here.”

Her admission cracked something inside me, but before I could speak, she turned away, grabbing her bag from the counter.

“You can have my number,”

she whispered, her voice soft and cautious, vulnerable as she pulled out her phone.

“So you don’t go crazy next time. Use it.”

I swallowed hard, nodding as I took my phone out, pretending to save her number since I already had it, thankful she had forgotten my little question last night about why her phone was turned off.

My heart was beating painfully fast. “Thanks.”

I shot her a text so she had my number too and I anxiously watched as she saved it… under Stalker guy.

I raised an eyebrow at her, the corner of my mouth tugging up slightly. “Really?”

She let out a soft giggle, the sound sending electricity through my body.

“What? Thought it seemed fitting.”

She smirked back at me, her beautiful eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Jackass.”

I checked the time on my phone, internally groaning at the time.

“Want a ride to work?”

I offered quietly, watching as her eyes softened, like she too, didn’t want this moment to end.

“That’d be great, let me just go get ready.”

The drive was short and silent, both of us lost in thought.

When we arrived outside her office, she paused before stepping out, her eye meeting mine.

“Thanks for the ride,”

she mumbled.

“See you at Melinda’s?”

“Of course.”

I smiled softly, warmth flooding my chest.

She she turned to leave, then paused, glancing back at me curiously.

“Wait, how did you know where I worked? I never told you.”

Fuck.

My stomach clenched, panic gnawing at me again, but I quickly masked it with a playful smirk.

“Lucky guess,”

I joked, shrugging my shoulders.

She studied me suspiciously but eventually smiled.

“Fucking stalker.

See you later”

I watched her disappear into the office, heart pounding relentlessly.

I’d slipped up again.

Max wasn’t stupid, she’d start connecting the dots soon, about just how far my stalking truly went.

But the thought didn’t scare me anymore.

Whatever happened next, I was all in.

I’d made my choice, consequences be dammed.

I’d chosen Max.

Max the serial killer.

Max, who my best friend was hunting.

I’d chosen her over helping my closest fucking friend – and I’d do it again a thousand times over.

I just needed to make sure I kept Joe sweet, kept him away from her, away from anything to do with her.

I just didn’t fucking know how.