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Fay chokes back her laugh as my lips break into a full smile. “Let me guess: never expose her to sunlight, never get her wet, and no food after midnight. Got it.”
Chapter twenty-eight
Mindy
Two weeks later…
What’s the saying? Time flies when you’re having fun? In my situation, it’s more likedistractionmakes it go by. I’m convinced Fay believes if she keeps us constantly busy, I won’t have time to think about what happened. Allow my mind to recall the chunk of time I was caged in a room and at the mercy of a psychopath. And sometimes, during the days, she succeeds.
The nights, though, torment me. When I close my eyes, the darkness consumes me, sucking me into ugly memories. A vision of Vince’s face haunts me every time I try to sleep. So, I don’t. I wish I could make it stop. Turn my mind off. I know it’s taking a toll on Fay. Theo’s worried about her, too. I can see the love and concern in his eyes. And after being here for two weeks, I know it’s time to go home.
It’s been hard trying to wrap my head around Vince—orPaul. His fixation got so out of control that he spent the last five years of his life consumed by my every move. It’s disturbing to see the lengths someone would go to get another person’s attention.
He wasn’t just a stalker. He was fully obsessed. A deranged psychopath who faked my attack to save me. Worked himself into my life to gain my trust. And why wouldn’t I trust him? He came off as a nice guy and showed me a normal side any girl would find reassuring. He wore a shiny mask to hide all the evil he had inside. He planned on taking me and keeping me until I magically fell in love with him. He wrote, ‘’Til death do us part’ on so many pictures he created of us. Too bad death came for him first.
After being questioned and released, I learned about Heather Mills. I told the police that Paul had admitted to doing this before, and since Paul seemed to have a knack for keeping treasures, they were able to link evidence found at the barn to Heather’s missing person’s report from over six years ago.
Sheldon Mitchell is still locked up and staying that way for at least five to ten. He made a deal to ruin my life for a measly two hundred dollars. That was all it took for him to agree to assault a woman. He got even less to drive a car over the state lines. We may never know why Paul coerced him to do that. Detective Rochel thinks it had been his plan to use Sheldon as a diversion. And it worked.
It angers me that Paul is dead. Heather Mills’ family should have justice after holding out hope for the past six years. He got off lucky, not having to face the music for his crimes. All I can do is hope he’ll get what’s coming to him when he meets his maker on the doorsteps of hell.
I haven’t seen or heard from Tate, and I’m fine with that. I know it’s selfish to put all the blame on him. He didn’t make Paul do the things he did, and I do carry the guilt of my actions. He was upfront with me right from the start. He couldn’t do his job and be what I wanted him to be. And he was right. There was no denying the fire between us, but somewhere along the way, the blurred lines became very clear to me. My heart knew what it wanted.
Maybe I didn’t factor in all his baggage. I knew he carried a darkness inside him. But none of it mattered to me. What mattered was how he made me feel. The way he looked at me. Unlike him, Ididsee a forever and foolishly thought he felt the same.
So many times over the past two weeks, I wanted to break down and demand Fay tell me what she meant about him being a wreck. Decipher every little detail she was willing to give. Does Theo still talk to him? Has she seen him? Does he miss me? Is he wracked with guilt?
Too many what-ifs fight for dominance inside my head, but the facts all lead me down the same sad path. I was a fool. He always planned to walk away in the end.
I sigh into my cup of coffee, not realizing Theo is in the kitchen. He leans against the counter, his arms crossed, and stares at me.
“Penny for your thoughts? Or possibly coffee? I’m not a great cook, but I can make you coffee.”
“No, thanks.” He doesn’t move.
“I swear, I didn’t give her anything last night. She’s just a late sleeper if you haven’t figured it out yet. That girl is ratchet in the morning.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“About how about ratchet she is? Hell no.”
“You know what I’m talking about, Mindy. As much as you think you’re doing a stellar job of hiding your emotions, we see you struggling. Maybe it’s time you give up the too-cool-for-school act and let us help you.”
My brows go up. “Did you just use ‘too cool for school’ on me?”
He rolls his eyes. “Your best friend has rubbed off on me.”
Go, Fay!
“Mindy, I’m serious. This isn’t healthy for you. It’s okay to be fucked up about everything that happened. But it’d probably help to talk to somebody.”
“Honestly, all I need is to get out of your personal space. I’m going to tell Fay when she gets up that I’m going home today. It’s time.”
He gazes at me briefly, then asks, “You sure that’s a good idea?”
“I do.” He doesn’t call me out on whether he can hear the lie in my words.
“And Tate?”
