Blair signed, “Fine,” knowing her dad, Coll, would insist, and that it was not worth fighting him over.
“Yay,” Mags deadpanned.
Gray broke the evening’s tension, making everyone chuckle when she said, “A sleepover at the fart house. Thanks, Dad.”
The guys all grinned, like she’d given them a compliment. Bébhinn kissed her mom goodbye and filed out the door with the rest of the group.
Dagr ordered a car, and as they waited, he chatted with the guys while her girlfriends stood quietly by her side. At their concerned looks, she told them, “I’m fine. Truly. It’s just…you know, nothing to do about it but move on. I feel terrible that I had that man in our house, you guys. I’m sick over it.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard today,” Mags chided instantly. “We can’t read a person’s mind, Bébhinn. You couldn’t have known. He violated your privacy. The piece of shit trailed you in Wales. Never say you’re sorry for that.”
Tears were already welling in her eyes when Blair quickly signed, “Fuck that piece of shit. Never think about him again.”
Those words of wisdom dried Bébhinn’s tears before they could fall. When Gray added, “Go have sex with your boyfriend. Let him comfort you and then leave this Todd fuck in the past, write your dad, and put paid to this…this single chapter in your life, and move the hell on. Leave the fart bros to us.”
A laugh burst from Bébhinn’s throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Fine. All three of you bitches have a point. Thank you for being my friends,” she said as her and Dagr’s car pulled up.
“Always.”
“Always.”
“Always.”
Dad,
There are two things I need to tell you.
The first one, which you won’t be happy about, is that I found out today that I’ve had a stalker for the past couple of years. His name is Mr. Todd, a TU professor. He was caught and is in custody, so don’t worry.
He never physically harmed me.
I took some generic health class from him almost two years ago that Trinity didn’t offer. He joined the Ramblers Club soon after I did. I guess that makes sense now. He started following me after the health class ended.
I’m sitting in a Fitzwilliam suite. Dagr’s taking a shower. It’s midnight, but I couldn’t sleep without telling you everything that happened today.
He put a camera in my bedroom, Dad! He’s been watching me, well, he’s been watching me do everything that a person does in their bedroom.
He admitted to the inspectors that he used the hiking club meetings that I hosted to place the first camera and then, later, an upgraded model.
I don’t want what he did to me to make me scared of having people in my own home, but seriously, how can it not? I want to trust that I’m safe. I don’t want to look over my shoulder.
I suppose that means I won’t, and that’s the end.
Anyway, he bought a flat and decorated the damn thing with pictures of me. He planned on us living there together. He decorated it in my favorite colors. Crazy.
Though the worst thing, even over knowing he was watching me in my room—that was at least done from a distance—was when he told one inspector that he actually trailed me for ten days during my Wales hike.
Christ! I thought I was being a child, afraid of my own shadow, without my father there to protect me. But it wasn’t my imagination. He admitted to putting those flowers in my bag. He is the one who took my journal to see if I was writing to a man.
He watched me sleep!
He had planned to confront me on the last day. Thank God for the snow and an even bigger thanks for putting Dagr Griffiths on my path.
I told Dagr today that I believed it was you who sent him to me. I believe that with everything that I am. You knew he would become my person.
I love him beyond measure. You gave me that.
Sidenote: (but of great interest to you) Mom has smiled a few times. She even giggled.
