Page 23 of Stalking My Stalker

We sit in the most terrifying silence before Parker finally speaks.

“Ali…?”

His voice is hollow and shaky, nothing like the Parker I’m used to. He almost sounds sick, or like he’s been taking shelter in the cold for days. His despair spears straight through my chest, and my eyes snap shut as I retreat back into myself.

“Parker.”

“You’re alive.” I can hear the immense relief in his voice as he takes a deep breath. “Thank God. Where are you?”

My rational mind knows I shouldn’t tell him. But I’m not being rational right now. I can’t be. Not with him. My instinctshave taken over. My lust. My desire. Everything driving me now is innate. And the truth is, I am desperate to be back in Parker’s arms.

“Illinois,” I tell him. “Where are you?”

“In front of your apartment.” He coughs, and I hear the sound of boards moving as he shifts around. “Where I’ve been waiting for you…”

Tears well up in my eyes.

Look what I’ve done to him.

“Five hours,” I say as I grab my things and slip into my parka. “I can be there in five hours. Can you wait that long?”

“Don’t toy with me, Ali,” Parker replies as I step out into the rain. “We both know you’re not coming home.”

“I am, Parker. I am.”

He says something back, but his voice is too low to hear as the rain pours down on me and I slip into my car. “What?” I shout. “What did you say?!”

Click.

The call goes dead.

“Shit,” I curse as I peel out of the motel parking lot. I dial his number again, but this time, it’s me that gets sent straight to voicemail.

“Parker, don’t shut me out,” I cry into the phone. “I’m coming back. Stay where you are. IpromiseI will see you soon!”

The doorto the vacant house across from my apartment is hanging open, ready to fall off its hinges. I pull up out front and double-park as the rain crashes down like it’s the End of Days.

The water doesn’t bother me as I step out and race into the building.

In a moment, I’ll be seeing Parker again. That’s all that matters.

The stack of boards where I hid the sensor is gone, and it’s nearly pitch-black inside. The only light I see is a shaft of glowing blue spilling out of a doorway leading right off the hall. My heart is absolutely quivering in my chest as I take a deep breath and prepare myself for what I might find when I step through that door.

I’ve been thinking about this moment for the last five hours as I drove and thought I was at least semi-prepared, but when I enter the room and see Parker curled up on the floor in a fetal position, I realize just how unprepared I was.

A sob chokes in my throat, and I rush quickly to his side, tears streaking from my eyes and blurring my vision.

“Parker!” I cry, rolling him onto his back. “Parker, baby!”

The last two weeks have taken their toll on him. I’ve definitely lost weight, but Parker looks like he hasn’t been eating at all. He’s all veins and sinew, dehydrated with a full beard. And when he opens his eyes, I see they’re streaked and bloodshot.

“Ali…?”

Pain fills my stomach. This is all my fault.

“Yes, baby,” I sob. “It’s me. I’m back.”

Parker growls, waves a dismissive hand in the air, and rolls away from me. “Seeing things…” he mutters. “Seeing things again…she left me…Ali left me…”

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