Page 24 of Shadows in Bloom

“Back in Le Grande… there was this… guy.”

“I thought you were a lesbian?” Jamie asks hesitantly. And I surprisingly find it in me to huff a short laugh.

“I am. Wasn’t like that. He was a bit… obsessed, I guess. The cops didn’t do anything, said not to worry, it would pass, so I ignored it…” My throat closes off, and as my chest contracts as I hold back a sob.

“I shouldn’t have ignored it.”

“Fuck.” She pulls back and clamps her hands on my shoulders, beautiful, hazel eyes looking anguished. I hate that it’s my fault. “Fuck, Fiona.” Her forehead is lined with worry. “Are you saying you have a stalker?”

I nod slowly, somehow coming to the realization for the first time myself. He really is a… a stalker.

My stalker.

“And… he, uh.” Fuck. “His-his name?—”

“What’s his name, Fiona?” A moment passes. Then another. “Fiona, this is important. What’s his name?”

“Lars,” I choke, hating that the first time I finally fucking say it is to Jamie. “His name is Lars.”

To be continued…

ABOUT MARIE ANN

Marie Ann is a writer of dark and depraved romance with a proclivity for the weird and unorthodox. You can find her on almost all forms of social media where her awkwardness is blatantly obvious, but we pretend it isn’t.

Stalk her.

authormarieann.com

ALSO BY MARIE ANN

Standalones:

My Lovely Tragedy, Inevitable Destruction, Quiet Is the Night Now, Strangled, Abysmal, Fragmented Illusions

Visceral Series:

Make Me Pretty: Vol One, Make Me Scream: Visceral Vol Two (Coming Soon)

Poetry:

Skin&Bone, Mea Culpa

The Desecration of Justice

The House of Machiavellianism

Julie Anne Addicott

CONTENT WARNING

Pyrophobia, pyromania, arson, murder, branding, burning, torture, mutilation, cannibalism, sexual, physical, and psychological abuse, stalking, violence

Author’s note

Julie Anne Addicott is an Australian author and writes in British English.

This story is set in fictional locations based in Australia.

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