Page 34 of Stalker Daddy

“What?”I am beginning to go speechless at her logic.“You don’t know what—”

She screams at the top of her lungs.“Iknow!I know you!I know what I’m talking about!I’m the one that understands you.I am doing this for you!It was you that told me to wait until the time is right!”

“I-I don’t even know you!”I back away more.

She throws the curling iron down on the ground, and the clanking sound jolts my heartbeat.“You spoke to me through ‘Morning Six’!I got the message!You were looking for me.I know you were.And I’m here now!”

Morning Six?What is this woman talking about?I have never played that piece before, but I have heard of it.If I remember correctly, it’s a piece that was anonymously recorded and put out into the world.

People thought it was me, but I assured them that I would never take credit for a beautiful piece that I did not personally put the effort it.

Another thing that I don’t understand is how she thought that hurting me and putting my life in a cycle of vicious paranoia was to protect me from Vito.Her logic and thought progress are unimaginable even if I tried to understand where she’s coming from.

Her blood-stained hand reaches out to me.“Don’t you see?I have been trying to warn you that Vito is taking advantage of you.He wants to be the only person in your life and make you a prisoner.”

I hiss, glaring at her as I dodged her hand.“He’s protecting me from you!”

“No, no, no,” she repeats with crazed eyes.“I didn’t mean to hit your car so hard, but I wanted to teach her a lesson.Then you left before I could apologize.I wanted you to know that I’m your guardian angel, and that’s why I sent you ‘Pandora’s Star’ because I knew you would understand the message!”

I make a quick pass at her hand and left her stumbling into the cart of clothes.

“The flowers were for you, and it was my apology, and the picture—the polaroid, it’s so you know that I’ll always protect you even if that barbarian thinks he’s doing my job.”

I have heard stalker stories that aren’t necessarily from celebrities, but they are the ones that got the spotlight because of their fame, so their stories are popularized.The ones that stuck with me are the ones that say it only takes one fleeting moment to become the foundation stone for an obsession.

This is what happens to this woman, and I am positive I have never been to a DMV in this city.

I can’t stay here.I need to leave before she becomes inconsolable.The moment she twists out of the clothing rack, I spin around and make a run to the door.Her voice is demonic in my ears as I struggle to open the door, but she had locked it.

I fumble with the lock with a pounding heart and trembling limbs.Her hands sink into my arm and turn me around to slam me against the door.My lungs burn as the air flies out of me, stars burst behind my eyes, and I push her shoulders away.

“Why can’t you see?”she demands through her delusion.“I do so much for you, and all you can think about is Vito.He’s not good for you!And that stunt he pulled at the gathering?He kissed you so he can use you for money.He doesn’t care about you—”

During her mid-rant, I struggled with her and fixed the door’s lock.One swipe and the door opens, we both fall on the ground, and the back of my head smacks loudly on the floor.

The people busy running around stops and come to help me.They take the screaming woman off me, and a pair of warm hands wrap around me.I crack an eye open and sigh in relief when I see Vito.

His expression is closed-off, angry, and sinisterly cold.The grayness of his eyes seeks refuge through a crackling sour mood as he sets me on the ground.

Clarissa’s wild tantrum becomes despairing when she sees Vito.She’s shrieking, recoiling as security takes over to hold her while they drag her away.

“He’s the one—ask him!Ask him!He’s one of us too!He’s worse than me!He doesn’t deserve you!I do!I have known you for longer!I watched you longer!”

I gasp with a short jerk, the rolling chills snapping at my skin like rubber bands.They hurt, but they keep me awake as I focus on Vito’s hand caressing my bare shoulders.

This isn’t the time to be worried, now that he’s here, he can take care of the woman.I can’t let this opportunity go to waste because of this incident.

This woman had already taken years of ultimate freedom from me by letting me rot in fear and paranoia.I don’t need to grant her another thing and especially not this performance.

“I got this,” Vito whispers into my ear and leans down to press a reassuring kiss on my quivering lips.

I nod and dart back to the room that still gives me the chills.I come back out with my violin and a relieved smile on my face.Throughout the struggle, the violin was not damaged, and I’m glad that something good came out of this.

I watch Vito quietly speaking to the head of the security officer, and I wait until he is done.I hold my violin to my chest and close my eyes, the hasty heartbeat presses against the instrument as I get to the breathing exercises.

Normally, I would think about apologizing to the guests for not performing, but I want to push through this and make everyone proud.It’s not just about me anymore.I have others that are counting on me to allow this performance to set my name on the twenty-fifth anniversary of this music hall.

Vito cups my chin and presses his thumb on my bottom lip.I smile back at him; the easy flow of calmness runs through me when I’m with him, and I’m not scared anymore.

---