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“I know.” I swing my legs over the side of the bed and reach out to take his hand. “Peter—”
He finally looks at me, and the moment his eyes meet mine, the mix of emotions gives way to the biggest smile.
And then he’s laughing. A loud, giddy laugh that rattles through me, shaking loose my own happiness which I had carefully kept caged up this whole time. I was waiting to see his reaction before I let myself feel anything, and now that it’s done, I’m overcome by wave after wave of total and utter joy.
Peter pulls me up and into his arms, lifting me off the floor as he spins me around. We’re spinning, and laughing, and everything inside our little bubble is perfect. He lets out this ear-splitting howl of celebration that makes me laugh even harder.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe this,” he says through his laughter, which is beginning to simmer down. “I can’t believe it!”
“So, you’re happy?” I ask as he sets me down. There’s no more spinning, but he’s still holding onto me.
“Of course I am. Aren’t you?” He strokes my cheek lovingly.
A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. I don’t have to answer that.
He knows.
Chapter Sixteen
Peter
My life is a whirlwind right now. Between the baby and the stalker case, I feel like I’m constantly torn in two. Everything feels like it’s happening at the same time and only some of it is in my control. That’s not the kind of thing I’m used to. A couple months ago, my life played out according to my say-so, down to the date and time.
Oh, but I wouldn’t change it. Not for the world.
We’ve finally decided to break the news to our parents. There couldn’t be a more perfect time. Emily was hesitant at first, but I told her that our baby was going to be the one to heal this family. I can feel it in my bones.
So that’s why, instead of accompanying Ross and the team to Stonybrook today, I’ll be joining Emily and her mother for lunch.
I don’t know which of the two events I’m more nervous about.
The mechanic that Ross spoke to said the car he enquired about, the Mazda, will be there for one more day getting repairs. Then the owner is due to pick it up. The plan is to get there before Trevor does and dust the car for prints. We’ll then have something to match against the partials we lifted from Emily’s old apartment.
I wish I could’ve been there for it. But, as important as it is that we catch this sicko, rebuilding our family at this crucial time is way more vital.
I check the clock on my office wall and it’s almost 12 p.m. Emily was supposed to have called me by 10:30 to give me the details of the lunch with her mother.
My foot begins to tap anxiously under my desk and my fingers provide their drumming accompaniment. It’s always like this. The minute I’m out of touch with Emily for whatever reason or if something doesn’t happen as planned, like this phone call, I’m instantly a ball of nerves.
I know she’s safe at the apartment. I have a patrol vehicle in the area 24/7, and two guys stationed in the apartment building at all times. But still.
I pick up my phone to call her when it suddenly starts ringing in my hand. I let out a sigh of relief at the sight of her picture brightening my screen and answer immediately.
“Hey, you, this isn’t 10:30.”
“Peter, he has my number,” she says, the words tumbling out of her mouth.
My blood runs cold.
“How did he get your number? When did he contact you? What did he say?”
“He’s been sending all these texts. He sounds crazy. Like clinically insane kind of crazy, Peter.” Even over the phone, I can tell she’s really shaken up.
“Emily, when?”
“A few minutes ago. It was a whole bunch of texts, one after the other. And then it just stopped.”
“Give me his number,” I say. With a phone number and time stamp, our tracing equipment might be able to place him in a general area. It’s a start, and it’s better than nothing. I know Emily must be creeped out, but getting this extra information about the stalker is good for the case.
