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“I’m sending a team to get your things. You’re moving in with me.”
“Leo, no!” I scramble off the couch and face him. I’m not doing this sitting down. What the hell? He’s so out of line right now. “I’m fine in my apartment. You have security there, too.”
“I’m firing all of them. It will take some time to find replacements.”
“Why? Why? I like them.” I don’t know them that well, but they’ve been fine. They mostly leave me alone. We get along that way.
“Because they let a stalker into your apartment to leave a gift. What’s next? Are they going to let him in to watch you sleep? Shower?” It doesn’t feel good to be mad at him when he’s so wrung out. Everything is right on the surface for him. They’ve lived through a nightmare, my brother and Haley. But anger bubbles up anyway. He didn’t tell me. He didn’t tell me anything, but now he’s going to dismantle my life in the name of safety.
“How is it better if you’re the one watching me sleep?”
“I’m not going to watch you sleep. I don’t care if you sleep. Stay up all night, if you want.”
“I want to stay in my apartment. I belong in my apartment. I’m fine in my apartment.” The worst part is, I know he’s right. I know it’s not good that Emerson came inside, and the team didn’t notice. They didn’t stop him. They failed at doing their jobs.
“Will you be fine when you wake up to him standing over your bed one night?”
“Leo—” Maybe I would. He’s not like Leo says. I can’t explain that to him. There’s no explaining it. Not now.
“Will you be fine if you wake up gagged and bound? Tell me.” Ice fills the pit of my gut. How did Haley wake up at Caroline’s house? Was it that bad? Was it worse?
“That’s not going to happen.” I’m telling Leo. I’m telling myself. Those things are not going to happen.
He steps in closer so I have to look up at him. My heart pounds. I hate this. I hate that we’re not on the same side. “And will you be fine if I have to come identify your body after he’s murdered you? I’m the one who would get that call, by the way. Would that be all right, Daphne?”
I want to say something snippy and cutting. For all of a second. But from this close, I can see it now. Fear. In my brother’s eyes. He’s not afraid of anything, but if he was, this would be it. He’s being such an asshole because of this thing he’s named. Receiving the call that something had happened to me that he wasn’t there to stop.
Tears sting my eyes. I blink them back. “He’s not going to kill me.” I drop my collar, but my hands turn into fists at my sides. “He’s not like that.”
“Tell me his name, and I’ll tell you if he’s like that.”
It hurts too much to look at him. “I’m not telling you his name.”
“Do you even know what it is?”
“Yes. I’m just not telling you. You’d go after him.”
“He probably deserves it.”
Silence falls. I steal a glance at Leo. He looks at Haley and something in his face softens. I can’t fight with him right now. It’s not the time. And some tiny part of me is relieved that he’s alive to be so overbearing.
“You are ridiculous,” I tell him.
“Good,” he says.
I run my hands over my hair and try to put aside my resentment. Make things light again. “How long am I supposed to stay here?”
“Until he forgets about you.” Leo’s so gentle when he says this that I know he means it. He really does want Emerson to forget all about me.
“Like you’re going to forget about Haley when she’s gone?” I tease.
Leo frowns. “It’s different.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s different because you love her.”
This was maybe too far. Leo grits his teeth. “This isn’t about me.”
“Isn’t it?” For the first time in this conversation, I feel like we’re on even footing. I might even have the upper hand. This talk about loving Haley has struck a nerve.
