Page 34 of Three Months Yesterday

“I know, but I figured this was so much more convenient than texting.”

“How long have you been up?” I ask, moving to the coffee pot to get it started.

“I’m not sure I really ever went to bed.”

My spine stiffens and I stop messing with the coffee to give him my undivided attention. “What’s going on?”

“That’s not why I called⁠—”

“I don’t care,” I interrupt. “Not everything is about me. You’ve been home for over a week and now you’re not sleeping at all. What’s going on, man?”

“A lot,” Ryan mumbles, the words not meant for me. “But I’m honestly not ready to talk about it. I’m heading back to the city later today for some work commitments, so things will get back to normal soon.”

“Ryan—”

“Beck, I swear, when I’m ready to talk about it, I will. Until then, I just need to process it on my own.”

“Okay.” I sigh, disliking that I don’t know what else to do for him.

I want to push him, but I also know he’s telling the truth, and respecting that is the best way for me to show my support.

“So…” Ryan releases on a breath. “Is there stalker news?”

It’s rare Ryan and I don’t talk at least once a day, even if only over text. The fact that it’s been a few days since we’ve talked should have been a bigger red flag something’s going on with him. But I can’t lie and say I haven’t been distracted here—not that it’s an excuse to forget about my best friend.

“Nothing substantial.” I press the start button on the coffee maker and move toward the bathroom. “Ian rushed out of here early Friday morning after one of his team members called him about an incident at my apartment.”

There was a lot about the situation that surprised me.

When I called Ian asking him to help coordinate getting my instruments delivered to me, I assumed he’d send someone from his team or hire a service to get them to me. I was shocked to open the door Wednesday morning to find Ian standing there.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been so surprised. I’m sure he did a thorough investigation on the whole town with a special focus on The Lantern Inn before he ever agreed I could come here by myself. He might’ve even visited the place, but scoping out the area and seeing me here are two very different things.

What surprised me most was the fact he planned on staying through the weekend. Madison didn’t even bat an eye, immediately offering Ian a room for his stay. Not that he took it, choosing instead to sleep on the couch in the cottage. Better protection, even if there hadn’t been a single incident to think I need it.

“What happened?” I hear the worry in Ryan’s voice and the guilt that I haven’t shown him the same is like a punch to the gut.

Even if I don’t know the details of everything going on with him and his family in Harborview, for both Ryan and Melissa to be there for this long outside of a special event is a big deal. I should have been asking more questions. Checking in with him more. Being the friend he’s always been for me.

“Looks like someone broke in and left me a present.”

“Do I want to know what it was?”

“I don’t know. Ian hasn’t told me yet. He thinks it’s better to let my imagination come up with ideas because I’ll never be able to guess what really happened.” I drop the phone to the bathroom counter, placing it on mute. There’s no way that bomb doesn’t make Ryan speechless. I know I was when Ian told me.

The fact he thought my imagination wouldn’t be as bad as the reality chilled me to the bones. What could be so bad that I was better off not knowing? Had my stalker killed someone in my apartment?

I’m right about Ryan being speechless. It’s not till I’m drying my hands and face that his voice comes through the speaker.

“You can’t be serious.” His words are so soft, I almost miss them.

Grabbing the phone, I take the call off mute and make my way back to the coffee pot. “I wish I was.”

“That’s big. Ian isn’t one to keep things from you. Aaron would, but not Ian.”

“I’m pretty sure Aaron was there and that’s why he didn’t tell me. Ian’s supposed to give me a call later today to discuss next steps. I think he’ll have to tell me at that point.”

The coffee maker beeps, but I don’t move. Ryan’s silent on his end of the phone, the only sound around me is the trickling drips of coffee into the pot.