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“Just Bear?” I ask, flipping open the letter and setting it down as I wait for his answer.

“No, but he is the one being the most pathetic about it.”

Laughing, I lift the letter and start reading. “Well, I’m very sorry but…” My voice trails off, and my hand starts to shake as I read the words in front of me, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Ali? You still there?”

“Yes. I’m here,” I whisper, my voice shaking as tears well up in my eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Logan’s voice is panicked, and I can hear rustling through the phone.

“I got a letter,” I tell him, my voice cracking as a tear falls down my cheek. Why the hell am I crying right now? I shouldn’t be feeling like this. I mean, it’s a stupid letter except I’ve never been more scared in my life.

“Read it to me,” he demands, his voice tight.

“Okay,” I whisper and start reading to him.

Dear Alison,

I’m so incredibly sorry, my love. God, I’m sorry for so much but most of all, I’m sorry for thinking that you would ever leave me willingly for that man. No, man isn’t even the right word. Monster. I should have known that you wouldn’t leave me for that monster. I should have known better. It was a momentary lapse in sanity, and I can assure you that it won’t happen again. And I’m sorry that I ever allowed him to get close enough to you for this to happen. As soon as I saw your face the other night, I knew you didn’t want to be there. I don’t want you to be afraid, Sweetheart. I have a plan, and I’m going to get you away from him. We’ll run far away, and I’ll keep you safe for the rest of your life, I promise. Just hang on for a little longer.

Yours until the end of time,

Chris

“Come home now, Alison,” Logan growls into the phone, and I stand, nodding my head.

“Okay.”

The line is quiet for a moment, and I can almost hear the shit storm going on in his head right now. “Are you okay to drive, Kitten?” he asks, his voice softening, and I love him for it.

“I think so.”

“Come straight home, do you hear me? I’ll be waiting here.”

I nod again even though he can’t see me. My brain is so scrambled right now that I’m not really sure if I should drive. “I’m on my way.”

“Okay, Baby. I… Just get here safe.”

I promise him that I will, and we hang up before I grab my bag and walk like a zombie out into the common area where I bump into Carly.

“Hey, you okay, Hon?”

“Um…no,” I say, handing the letter to her that I never put down. She reads through it quickly before looking back at me with wide eyes. “I, uh… I need to go home.”

She nods. “Yeah, I’ll go explain this to Mercedes. She may know what to do but you just get home, okay? Is Logan waiting for you?”

“Yeah, I was on the phone with him when I opened it.”

“’Kay. Go before he freaks out.” She ushers me out of the office, and I hurry to my car, parked in the parking garage at the end of the block. I feel like everywhere I go, eyes are watching me as I start the car and drive out of the garage. Even as I drive home, I feel like I’m never quite alone.

The way he spoke about me in the letter makes it sound like Logan is keeping me prisoner. No matter how much I try to process it all, I can’t understand how I got here. Did I do something to encourage whoever this is into thinking there was something more between us? Or is he just completely crazy and making up an entire relationship with me? The more I try to answer the questions I already have, the more pop up, and by the time I pull up in front of my house, I’m officially losing my shit.

Logan is sitting on the porch with Bear, and I scramble out of my car as he stands, looking tortured. Bear rushes down to me and leads me back to the porch where Logan grabs me and pulls me into his arms. He buries his nose in my hair and takes a deep breath before kissing my cheek.

“You okay?”

I shake my head. “No.”