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I will have you. No one can stop me.
Your voice belongs to me, Drea Joy.
My hands fall limp, the letters falling from my grasp. I bury my face in my hands, trying to make sense of it all.
How long has this been going on? How many of these deranged letters has Brandon been hiding from me?
Anger rises in my chest, hot and bitter. Brandon has always been controlling, but this is a new level of betrayal. He had no right to keep this from me, no matter what his justification might be.
"Are you okay?" Damien's voice is soft, laced with concern.
I lift my head, blinking back tears. "No, I'm not okay. How could he do this to me? How could he keep something so serious, so...frightening from me?"
Damien sits beside me, his body a solid, reassuring presence. "I don't know his reasons, but I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you."
His words should comfort me, but a nagging fear takes root in my mind. If Brandon has been hiding this stalker's existence from me, what else doesn't he want me to know?
I think back to all the times he's brushed off my concerns, all the instances where he's dismissed my instincts as paranoia or overreaction. Has he been gaslighting me this entire time?
"We need to go to the police," I say, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and determination.
Damien nods. "I agree. This has gone too far."
As I gather the letters, my hands shake violently. The words seem to blur before my eyes, the threats taking on a new, terrifying weight.
This stalker, whoever he is, knows things about me. Intimate things. Things only someone close to me would know.
A sickening realization dawns on me, and I clutch Damien's arm, my nails digging into his skin.
"Damien," I whisper, my voice barely audible. "What if...what if it's someone I see every day? Someone close to me?"
The thought chills me to the bone, and suddenly, every shadow feels like a potential threat, every familiar face a mask concealing a twisted obsession.
Damien's expression darkens, and he pulls me closer, his arms enveloping me in a protective embrace.
"I won't let anyone hurt you," he vows, his voice low and fierce. "No matter who it is, I'll keep you safe."
I cling to him, drawing from his strength. In this moment, he is my anchor, the only thing keeping me from being swept away by the tide of fear and uncertainty.
As I bury my face in the crook of his neck, breathing in his familiar scent, a strange sense of calm washes over me.
But deep down, a nagging question remains: how far will this stalker go to make me his?
CHAPTER TWELVE
DAMIEN
I pull Andrea closer, her bare skin warm against mine. She nestles into the crook of my arm, head resting on my chest. Her hair tickles my nose, smelling of perfume and sweat.
She's so quiet. Too quiet.
This isn't like her at all. My Andrea is passionate and fiery. The weight of tonight's revelations must be crushing her.
Learning the man she trusted most has been lying, manipulating her this whole time. I know that soul-deep ache of betrayal all too well.
Memories of Natalie's deception flood back, unbidden. The way my heart shattered when I realized she'd been unfaithful with Ethan—my best friend. That sickening feeling of the ground crumbling beneath my feet.
I shake my head, banishing the ghosts of the past. Andrea needs me now, in this moment. I won't fail her like I failed myself back then.
