Love Me in the Dark novel Chapter 36

KREW

Fuck. This is a fucking disaster. It suffocates me.

She wasn’t supposed to be here. What do I do now? It was fucking hard to watch her crying, surrounded by her photographs.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I think I’m gonna die.

It must have slipped my mind to lock the drawer after I kept her notes.

“You are not supposed to see that.” I was supposed to burn these photographs before I would confess, but it was too late now.

She was startled by my voice. She did not notice me as I entered my office. I was shocked to find her here too.

I just came back from my home when I realized what I did. I screwed up. No. I fucking screwed up again. She had this way of solving my mysteries. But she shouldn’t have found it this way.  She deserved an explanation. Right now, I didn't know where or how to start.

She met me with those glassy, dazed, and horror-filled gaze. “What are these? Why do you have these? Please, don’t tell me this is what I think it is?”

I pressed my lips. I blinked when my eyes started to blur and sting. I drew a deep breath and gathered all my strength, hoping my words would come out strong. “That’s what exactly it is.”

“Why?” She slumped back down. “For how long?”

“After what my brother did. I wanted to know if you’re okay.” I couldn’t tell her everything just yet.

“If I was okay? Do you really think I would believe that? Why would you watch me or check me if I was okay?”

“You became my obsession.” That one was true.

She gasped. Her mouth hung open. Her eyes widened, filled with fear. “You’ve been stalking me?”

“No.” I shut my eyes, biting my bottom lip when my chin trembled. Jesus Christ, I was losing my shit. I shook my head. “I couldn’t call it stalking. I just—”

“I heard you the first time, Krew. You wanted to know if I was okay. Do you think I would be okay with these?” She gestured to the photographs around her. “This is not okay. This is an invasion of my privacy. This is the work of a mentally disturbed person.”

“I’m not crazy, River,” I defended myself, but there was no way she would believe me right now.

“Then why I’m finding it hard to believe? Tell me one freaking reason why did you do what you did? I might be able to forgive you for doing this to me for years.” She gasped again. “You went to my apartment, did you?”

“No. I never came that close. I swear. I just—” I swallowed uncomfortably. “I just like you so much, and I felt bad for what my brother did to you, but you made it pretty clear that I shouldn’t come closer to you, and you hate my family.” I was saying another shit. “Imagine my surprise when you called my name. I had not turned around, but I knew in my heart that it was you. That was the best thing that happened in my life for a long time.”

“Do you know that someone had been stalking me?” It was the sincerest question she asked.

“No. Not until you talked.”

She scoffed. “You’re lying to me, Krew. It takes a stalker to know a stalker.”

“I told you. I just paid someone to take pictures of you, then sent them to me.”

“How did you feel when you found out that someone was stalking your sister?”

“That was a different story, River. You know that. I didn’t go to your apartment and steal your belongings. I made sure to keep myself away from you. Look at these pictures, are there any had taken in close shots? None. I knew you went out on a few dates. I know you applied for jobs. I also know that you had never been to see your father. You visited your mom once a year. Things like that.”

She stared at me with those pain and anger-filled eyes. “So the background check you told me was not true?”