Or at least—I want to. And the wanting her thing bothers me more than the believing.
“I believe,” I say carefully, “that Ivy understands me better than most people bother to.”
He shakes his head. “That’s not understanding. It’s obsession.”
“Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive,” I say.
“Sebastian—”
“I have to get to work,” I interrupt. “Lock your door if it makes you feel better.”
I open the garage door, already done with the conversation.
“You’re not even listening,” Drew calls to my retreating back.
I pause, not looking at him. “I am. I just don’t agree.”
Then I slam the door behind me.
One night with my stalker and my world’s already imploding.
15
IVY
Several days pass, and I grow concerned. Then irritated.
Sebastian is pulling away—physically and emotionally.
His answers are shorter. He’s working longer hours. When I touch him, he doesn’t flinch—but he doesn’t respond either. Last night, he fell asleep on the couch. When I woke him, he kissed my cheek and went to his bedroom. Alone.
Of course, I snuck in through his balcony. But when I crawled into his bed, he tensed and rolled, turning his back to me.
I don’t like it. At all.
But I have a plan. Because that’s what I do. I fix things.
I slip through the path in the woods, heading to Sebastian’s. I take my usual route to the deck, swing my legs over the patio, and slip inside.
After checking every room in his house, no one is home.
Odd.
I slip into the garage. Sebastian’s car is gone. He didn’t have anything on his calendar today. This is troubling.
I may need to install cameras to track him.
The cold air sucks the air from my lungs when I open the door. I slip outside, spotting Drew’s car in the driveway.
There he is. Coming from the mailbox. His head is down as he sorts through the mail.
A smile curves my lips. I can’t resist messing with him.
I slip behind the shrub, waiting until he gets close enough, before popping out. “Hi, Drew.”
He screams like Jamie Lee Curtis fromHalloween, mail flying in the air.
“Jesus, Ivy.” His chest heaves beneath the hand that now covers his heart. “You scared the piss out of me.”
