I shake my head, smiling warmly, despite the anxiety insideme kicking up. “I promise, nothing is going to happen to me.”
Liam is tense for the rest of our session, but I think I manage to get through to him by the time it’s over.
It’s only once he’s left that I process his words fully.You need to get away from him.Him who? Eli? How would Liam know about that?
In the waiting room, Carina is waiting by Kayla’s desk.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, a slight spring to my step as I come closer.
“Lunch,” Carina declares. “You haven’t been answering my texts.”
I follow her out to the cafe down the road. The same one I sat in with Eli all those weeks ago. Back when I didn’t know he was my stalker.
Once we’re seated with our food at an outdoor table, Carina leans in. “Why have you been ignoring me?” she asks, hurt lacing her tone.
My shoulders drop. “I didn’t mean to… I—” I’m about to lie, but then I realise, she’s the one person in the world I can actually be honest with.
Just as I’m about to open my mouth again, Tess walks past.
Carina waves her down, and she drops into the spare seat dramatically.
Conflict rises inside me. Being friends with Carina is one thing. Our friendship formed after our therapist-patient relationship was well over and a sea separated us. But Tess? She’s technically still my patient. But I guess if I’m breaking the rules with Eli, what’s one more person to add to the list?
Carina rests her hand on her chin expectantly. “So?”
“What’s happening?” Tess asks, leaning in excitedly.
Indecision wars inside me.Fuck it.
I drop my head closer to them, lowering my voice. “You know how I told you about my stalker?”
Carina nods. Tess’s eyebrows shoot upwards. “You have a stalker?” she whisper-yells, clearly trying very hard not to shout the words as she wants to.
I dip my chin in confirmation. “Well… I kind of live with him now.”
Carina laughs. Loudly. Heads turn. She grins sheepishly. “Sorry, I just can’t believe you of all people have—”
“A stalker? I know, I don’t understand why he’s interested in me.”
Carina rolls her eyes. “I was going to say—fallen for a criminal.”
“I have not fallen for him. This is the thing. He kidnapped me.”
Immediately the two of them sit up straighter. Carina bares her teeth. “I’ll kill him,” she hisses.
I snatch her hand in mine, holding her still so she doesn’t do just that. “No. I don’t need you to do that. I’m okay.”
Tess gapes at me in shock. “Start from the beginning and do not leave a single detail out because seriously, what the actual fuck?”
So, I spend my lunch explaining the past week, telling them all about Eli. I don’t leave out any details. Not one.
Carina’s eyes narrow at the end of my story. “Are you sure I shouldn’t kill him? Tying you to the bed doesn’t sound good—well, maybe in certain situations.” She winks.
“No, there’s no need to kill him. He scared me, and" —I lean in close, keeping my voice as low as possible— “I do eventually need to get away from him, but I don’t think he’s a danger to me.”
Carina smirks. “You like him.”
I blink at her. “What?”