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“Okay.”
“I want to call her alone.” Some things you don’t want an audience for.
“I’ll be downstairs.” He kisses the top of my head and releases me slowly. He catches my gaze. “You’re safe here. Okay?”
I nod. “Okay.” I don’t know if I’ll ever feel safe again.
I watch him leave and then call my mom. Once I’ve explained everything and cried with her, Tim gets on the phone and assures me he’ll keep my mom safe when they get back to Atlanta this weekend. He also advises me to stay at the farm and not return to Atlanta. He’d rather I be around friends and security than alone or in a new place.
“I want to leave the state. I have a vacation planned, but it’s not for six days,” I remind Tim.
“The stalker could know about the trip,” he says. “Stay put. Please.”
I shiver. “I don’t like this at all.”
My mom gets back on the phone. “Sadie, sweetie, stay where you are. Don’t worry about work. We’ll make sure it’s taken care of. Focus on yourself and getting through this as best you can. I’m a phone call away whenever you want to talk, and we’ll be back in America on Sunday. I’ll come to the farm if you want.”
“Okay.” I curl in a ball on the bed. I wouldn’t ask her to drive here after traveling back from Europe. I gasp. “Is this going to ruin the rest of your vacation?”
“No sweetie. It’s a trip. You’re my daughter. You mean more. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Call me if you need anything. I’ll answer.”
“Okay.”
“Bye.”
Exhaustion seeps into my bones. I didn’t sleep well, over-analyzing why Easton left me to bathe alone in his tub.
This morning when I was making coffee, he joined me and explained he was working out in the basement last night—the one place I didn’t check—and lost track of time.
I still felt like he was avoiding me, but he seemed genuine and offered to help me today with the book covers. It was his idea to use his printer. We worked together all morning and into the afternoon. If he had something better to do, he missed it, but he didn’t seem to care. He wanted to help me, and I was thankful.
I also found the courage to go on our picnic date and really wanted to go.
Footsteps sound on the wooden stairs.
I lift my head from the pillow. Easton peers around the open double doors. “Did you talk to your mom?”
“Yeah. She said to stay here.”
“I just talked to Tim.”
“You did?” I sit up. “I just ended the call with my mom a minute ago.”
He walks over and sits beside me on the bed. “I think he called me when you were still talking to her. I heard her voice in the background.”
“How did he know to call you?”
“I texted him when you first got here. I wanted him to know you were with me and I would look out for you.”
“Wow. I had no idea.” Or that he was so considerate. To text my stepdad…
I hug him, my cheek pressed against his shoulder.
He chuckles and works his arm out so he can wrap it around me. I rest my cheek on his firm pec. “Thanks for caring about me the way you do.”
