Page 110 of Stalkers Anonymous

“Yeah. I said I needed space. I told him to go, and he did.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

She watches me for another long second. I can tell she’s thinking hard.

“Hailey,” she says carefully. “I’m going to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Are you protecting him right now?”

My mouth opens, then closes.

“I don’t know,” I finally say. “I think I might be.”

She blows out a breath, but I know she’s not angry. She’s just realized the night is going to be a lot longer than she thought.

“Okay. We’re calling the police. If Lars was at your building tonight, that report needs to exist.”

“I know.” I scrub my hands over my face. “I know.”

I let her make the call. When the officer arrives, I tell her about everything that led up to tonight’s events, but I don’t mention Cole or how he knew so much. I watch Rachel’s jaw tighten from the corner of my eye, but she stays silent.

“You definitely have grounds for a restraining order,” Officer Jasken says. “His behavior constitutes stalking and harassment.”

“What would that involve?”

“You’d file at the courthouse. It would legally prohibit him from contacting you or coming within a certain distance of your home, workplace, or person. Given his patterns, I’d strongly recommend it.”

“I’ll do it,” I say. “First thing in the morning.”

“Good. Call us immediately if he contacts you again or shows up at your home or work.”

“I will.”

She asks if there’s anything else I want her to put in the report. I feel the weight of Rachel’s eyes on me, but I ignore it.

“No,” I say. “That’s everything I can think of.”

The officer nods, hands me a business card, and leaves.

Rachel closes the door behind her and stands there with her back to me for a solid five seconds before she turns around.

“Hailey.”

“Don’t.”

“I’m going to, though.”

“Rachel—”

“You just sat here and lied to a police officer for him.” Her voice is low. Not cruel—my friend doesn’t have a cruel bone in her body. But she’s worried for me. I fear I’ve given her a good reason to be. “A man you’ve known for a few months, who just admitted that he’s been surveilling another human being practically since the moment you two met… You’re protecting him.”

“I didn’t lie. I just didn’t—”

“You kind of did, Hailey. You left out some pretty major parts of the story.”