Anger flares inside me. I force myself to take a moment before responding. Wringing her neck isn’t an option, so I decide to take the high road.
“Mind your own business,” I say through gritted teeth.
I walk past her, heading to my desk, but the tension between us lingers in the air for the rest of the day. I don’t know why she hates me so much. She’s never liked me, but I’ve never done anything to make her mad. I’ve seen her being bitchy with other people, too, so maybe she’s just like that. She’s probably miserable inside, and she just likes to take it out on other people. I can’t be bothered by her moods. After all, they have nothing to do with me.
As the day goes on, I can’t shake the feeling of being watched. My skin prickles as if invisible eyes are following me. I catch myself glancing over my shoulder every few minutes, searching for any sign of danger. I keep returning to the memory of Talon’s scorching hot kiss this morning. Being this distracted isn’t typical for me, and I can tell my work is suffering. Talon was probably right in that I should have stayed at the clubhouse. Maybe tomorrow I’ll just work remotely. I don’t like doing that, but in this case, I may not have an option.
During lunch, Hank, one of my male coworkers, does something that sets off alarm bells in my head. He stops by my desk, as casual and friendly as ever, but there’s an intensity in his gaze that makes me uneasy.
“Hey, Jess, how’s your day going?” He leans against the edge of my desk, waiting for a response.
Although he’s not crowding me, a sense of unease creeps through me. He stops by a lot. I never realized how much until now. But does it mean anything?
“Fine,” I reply, forcing a smile.
I watch him closely. Could he be the one stalking me? Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off.
“After that crazy bomb squad stuff yesterday, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m good. It was just a false alarm.”
“You seemed pretty freaked out.”
“Maybe I was overreacting.” I try to keep my voice light, but it vibrates with nervous energy.
“Well, let me know if you need a ride home. I saw that guy on the motorcycle drop you off. It’s not safe to ride on one of those things. People die every day on them.” His eyes lock with mine. I try not to look away because that would betray my fear, but it’s impossible to hold his gaze.
“I’m fine. But thank you,” I hastily add. If he’s the one stalking me, I don’t want to do anything to make him angry.
As I turn back to my work, I glance at him one more time. Suspicion gnaws at the back of my mind. I replay our recent conversations through my head, but nothing stands out. I hate being so paranoid, but what choice do I have?
The rest of the day is an exhausting blur of paranoia and second-guessing everyone around me. Every unexpected sound makes me jump. Every shadow seems to conceal a hidden threat. Every interaction leaves me questioning the motives of my coworkers.
By the time I leave the office, I’m emotionally and physically drained, desperate for the safety and comfort of Talon’s arms. But I also know that getting too close could be dangerous—both for my heart and for the investigation into my stalker.
As I walk out of the building, I inhale the fresh, mountain air. Talon’s waiting for me on his bike.
“How’d it go today?” he asks.
“Okay.” I slide in behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. Laying my head against his shoulder, I fight back tears of relief. When I’m with him, I feel so safe. I could get used to this.
As we ride home, I replay the day’s events in my mind. The suspicion and fear gnawing at me make it hard to focus on anything else. I’m still consumed by my thoughts when we pull up to the clubhouse. He parks, then helps me off the bike.
“Can we take a walk?” I ask softly.
“Sure. What’s going on?” He leads me out to a trail that parallels the stream.
“I don’t know if this means anything, but something strange happened at work today.”
“What do you mean?” He stops to look at me.
“It’s about Hank, one of my coworkers.” I pause, trying to steady my nerves.“I noticed him acting suspiciously. At first, I thought he was just being friendly, but now, I’m not so sure.”
“Tell me more,” he urges, his eyes searching mine.
“Well, he often asks me where I’m going and who I’m spending time with. It never seemed odd before, but today … I don’t know. Maybe I’m just paranoid because of everything that’s been happening, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.”
Talon’s gaze narrows.“It’s possible he’s just being nosy or overly friendly, but we can’t afford to overlook anything. Let me make a call.”
