Page 28 of Same Thing
This was Jackson.
With a gasp at the realization, she dropped the phone like it had burned her and backed away from it. It felt dangerous. She felt violated. She felt stalked.
That’s why he hadn’t answered the phone. She would’ve heard his voice and figured it out.
He was right below her. She felt it in the way her skin crawled.
Another text from him lit up the screen. She’d saved the number as Liam, so his name was on the caller ID, but that wasn’t him.
She needed to go. She needed to run. She needed to tell someone!
This was psychotic. God, she’d been so stupid. She’d talked to him all day, given access to that creep.
Hands shaking, she picked up the phone and typed in the number on the back of the coaster.
“Hello?” a growly voice picked up on the second ring.
“Liam?” she said in a small voice.
“Nory? What’s wrong?”
“I think…” Her heart was pounding so hard, and the room was spinning. “You wrote on the coaster to call you if I needed anything. I think I need you.”
She could hear the engine of his truck roar to life in the background. “Where are you?”
“Home.”
“Fifteen minutes. Are you okay for fifteen minutes?”
“Y-yes. I think I have to call the police.”
“Are you hurt?” he asked. The sound of his engine was so loud right now.
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. I thought I was talking to you all day and I think I haven’t been talking to you all day and something happened and I just…I just…”
“Slow down. Breathe. Tell me what happened.”
And she did. She rambled through the explanation while barely taking a break to breathe. Her mortification was eternal as she heard the words spilling from her mouth in that shaky, weak voice of hers. “I thought I was talking to you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t say that. This isn’t on you. Is your door locked?”
“Yes, of course.”
A long snarl rippled from him, and he muttered a curse. “You’re not staying there tonight. Pack a bag.”
“I can’t afford a hotel right now—”
“You’re with me until we figure out what this guy’s deal is.”
“Oh, you don’t have to trouble yourself.”
“It’s no trouble, Nory. You should’ve been talking to me.”
“What?” she asked, sure she’d heard him wrong.
“I said it should’ve been me you were talking to. I wanted you to text me or call me or anything. I didn’t want to just show up at your door again, but I should’ve. I should’ve fucking askedfor your number. None of this would’ve happened, you would’ve had my number in your phone. Did you send him any pictures?”
She got quiet.