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Chuckling, I shake my head in amusement. “Baby, I’ve been exclusively yours since the moment we met. I don’t tell just anyone that I love them.” I tuck loose strands of her hair behind her ear and bring my mouth closer. “If anyone tried touching you the way I do, I wouldn’t think twice about going back to prison for ending them. Just remember that the next time you try to make me jealous.”
“Oh come on, that was one time.” She groans.
“And that was enough.” I flash her a wink, then lower my palm to swat her ass. “What should we make for dinner?”
After receiving another suspicious text this morning, I’ve been contemplating telling Everleigh about them. The last thing I want to do is worry her more than she already is. It’s been stressful, but I don’t want to keep hiding it either. I’d rather she know in case she gets them too.
After cooking us chili and cornbread, I decide to bring it up as we sit on the couch. “I’ve been getting some messages from an unknown number, and some of them are weird.” My words immediately grab her attention.
“Like what?”
“One was about Sassy, and whoever it was implied they had been in the house,” I explain.
“Oh my God, Archer. How could you not tell me this?”
“I didn’t want to freak you out,” I say calmly, resting my palm on her knee. “We have cameras up now, so I assumed whoever did it wouldn’t be stupid enough to try again.”
“I knew someone was in here and gave something to Sassy!” She grinds her teeth together.
“Krystal’s just trying to get under my skin, so I don’t bother responding. I’ve blocked every number.”
“Who’s Krystal?”
“Chad’s sister.”
“Oh. I don’t think you’ve ever said her name before. You really think it’s her?”
“Yeah, she called me once, and I recognized her voice. She talked about how I took away the only important person in her life and mentioned Chad.”
She stops eating. “When did that happen?”
“After our trip to see Annie and Sadie.”
“That was two months ago!” As she stands, my hand drops, and I know she’s furious. “Why did you keep that from me?”
“Baby.” I get to my feet and meet her eyes. “I didn’t want my past to ruin what we had and worry you.”
“You didn’t think that was crucial information for me to know? What if she’s the one who stabbed me?”
“I saw the woman’s face. It wasn’t her.”
“How can you be positive? It’s been years since you’ve seen her. She could’ve changed or had plastic surgery for all you know. Women dye their hair all the time.”
“I don’t think so, but…” I shrug.
“Wait, you said her name was Krystal, right?”
“Yeah.” I follow her to the kitchen, where she grabs a bottle of water. “I had an out-of-town customer come into the boutique like a month before the incident. She said her name was Krystal, but her friends called her Kay.”
My heart races as I think about Krystal being in Lawton Ridge. If she was brave enough to go into Everleigh’s shop, who knows what else she’s capable of.
“What’d she look like?”
“I don’t entirely remember. I wanna say she had short jet-black hair, and she talked with a weird accent. That’s how I knew she wasn’t a local. She asked about you a lot, but I didn’t think much of it because it was an everyday occurrence after your pictures went live. In fact, Lexie and I were talking about it right before she walked in.” Everleigh leans against the counter, and I can tell she’s deep in thought. “A week before that was when I noticed Sassy was acting weird, and things were moved.”
“It could’ve just been a coincidence,” I offer, though I don’t think anything about our situation is coincidental.
“I wish you would’ve told me sooner,” she says with a deep sigh.
