Page 29 of Dark Obsession

Keira jerked upright as a scream tore from her throat.She forgot he was coming to her house after work.

Daniel quickly walked toward her before he hunched down and gripped her hands in his.“God, Sweetheart.I’m sorry.I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Keira wiped her eyes and sniffed.“No, I’m sorry.You just startled me.”

“That was more than just being startled.”He moved to sit beside her on the bed, tightening his grip when she moved to stand.“Not yet, Sweetheart.Tell me what’s going on?”

She started to shake her head, then stopped.She knew she had to do something.Whoever was terrifying her got in again, even with the new locks she’d had replaced.She couldn’t figure out how.Worse, he was becoming bolder, angrier.

Keira turned and looked at Daniel, then back down at her hands.“Someone’s been in my house.”

Daniel stiffened as his eyes darted around the room and then back to her.“Why do you think that?”

“Because things are moved to places that I know I hadn’t set them, and some of my things are missing.I changed the locks, and he still got in.He was here today.”

Daniel stood abruptly with his back to her.

“Daniel?”She visibly cringed when he turned toward her.His face was blank, even kind of cold.

“Do you have any evidence?Anything we can take to the police?”

Her heart faltered at the livid look on his face, and a calm descended on her.She had known it would come down to having viable proof.She shook her head.He didn’t believe her.She could see it as plain as day on his face.“I’m telling the truth,” she said as she tried to bite back the desperation that laced her voice.“The washer was running when I got home, the only thing in it was a pair of my panties, and I found my underwear like that,” she said, indicating the underwear on top of her dresser.

“We need to get the cops involved, Honey.They are not going to be able to do anything until we get evidence to them, but at least they’ll have it on file.”

Keira sucked in a breath and stood.“Someone is coming into my house, and nothing can be done about it.”Her voice had risen in volume and came out sounding shaky.She resented her display of emotion and took several deep breaths to calm herself.

Daniel walked to stand in front of her.“Why is this the first time you’ve mentioned this to me?”

“Because I’m a private person and I certainly didn’t want to involve you in my problems.”

“There has got to be some kind of evidence.Something we could show the police.”

She tightened her grip on the bottom of her shirt and shook her head, but showed no other emotion.“Well, I don’t have anything.”

“Could you maybe unconsciously be misplacing your things, then forgetting?Moving to a new town and starting a new job can be stressful.”

A sense of acute loneliness fell on her, and a feeling of hopefulness, and the thought that this time she might get the help she needed, and she could end up dead.Keira took a few steps to the dresser and swept up all her underwear into her arms before silently walking past Daniel and dropping them in the laundry basket in the closet.

Keira turned back to face Daniel.“Please forgive me.I’m sorry I brought this up.It won’t happen again.”When would she ever learn?This was the third time in her life she had been desperate, asked for help, and gotten nothing but rejection and shame.

She had to remind herself she was a strong woman.Each time she’d been able to pick up the pieces of her life and move on, she vowed never to ask for help again.She could do it.“I’m sorry I bothered you, Daniel.I hope I didn’t ruin your day.You know your way out.”

He clasped her arm when she moved to go past him.“Wait a damn minute, Sweetheart.You can’t tell me you’re being stalked and then try to push me out.”His tone was filled with dismay.

She stood frozen, unable to look at him.“No, Daniel.I thought you would be more comfortable at your own place.”

He loosened his grip but didn’t release her.“No.I want to be with you.Here or my house, I don’t care.We need to figure this out, Honey.”

A buzzing clouded her head, making it hard for her to understand much of what he was saying.Keira didn’t reply to that and stayed unmoving for a moment.“If you want to stay, stay.”She pulled away from him and closed the bathroom door behind her.

A few minutes later, Keira walked into the kitchen with her hair damp and dressed in a pair of old grey sweatpants and a t-shirt, saw Daniel making sandwiches, and headed for the fridge.“Would you like soda or beer?”

“I’ll take a soda.”

She grabbed one of each and scavenged through her pantry for chips to go with the sandwiches Daniel set on the table.

“Thank you.”Keira slid her plate closer before opening her beer and taking a long drink.

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