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I nod slowly, feeling the realization creepy up "

Cole just stares at me His nostrils flare and he blinks "When? When did all this start?"

I pull away froy floods my body and I start to pace His eyes trail my moveain, but it hurts My mouth is too dry "I don’t know I felt like so ht it was you--"

"Me?" he says shocked

"Yeah, you said you were followingto talk tome"

"Anna, I never followed you like that" Cole runs his hands through his hair "Shit I can’t believe so this to you I went to places where I knew you’d be I never stalked you This is a fucking stalker and he’s gotten into your house" Cole pauses a beat and lifts his eyes to meet mine "Does Emma know?"

I nod "Yes, well, sort of I felt weird telling anyone INo one was there, and I figured that I just lost the panties, but then today" I shakewith tears I blink them away and rub my eyes with my hand "I called her brother over so she wasn’t there alone after dark I left her a e on her phone I haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet"

"You told her brother?" Cole asks "You told hi to remember exactly what I said The day had that white haze over it, like it was a o The part with the bathtub and the raccoon is vivid, but the rest grows fuzzy fast

"I told him that it wasn’t safe for Eht and didn’t really say why He promised he’d stay"

"You need to tell her," Cole says His eyes lock with htly aroundabout it makes it worse Cole asks, "Who do you think it is?"

"I don’t know," I answer, and close lance up at Cole as I speak "For a second I thought it was Ja, but he was on the other side of the door Jaot in, I don’t kno

"And that doesn’t make any sense anyway The kid’s in school He’d have to be cutting and ditching curfew to show up at the ti up on my arms I try to rub them away Cole steps toward me and pulls me to his chest

"It’ll be okay You stay with me," he kisses my head and holdstoyou have If you don’t fight back… you’ll have no home Besides, whoever this is will just come at me when you aren’t around I’d file a police report, but what am I supposed to say? I don’t have a description or a na"

Cole looks like I kicked him in the stomach when I mention the lawsuit He turns from me and sits down at the table He works his jaw and is quiet for a while I walk to the kitchen and grab a bottle of wine and open it After pouring two glasses, I return to the table and offer hi mine like it’s a shot

Cole looks at htens Cole stands and says, "I need to make a phone call"

Cole disappears from the room I hear his voice, but can’t hear his words I don’t knohat he’s doing or who he’s talking to Tonight was supposed to be a night of passion, a night of sticky sex, and sultry s how my day went to hell and that solass of wine and lean my head on my hand In a h me The fear that’s been coiled in my throat all day lessens

Cole reappears and drops his phone on the table He walks toward me and never takes his eyes off my face Cole slips his hands around h ht hair he says, "I’ll protect you I pro will happen to you"