Page 122 of Texting Dr. Stalker

Getting the vibe she didn’t really want to talk to me, I headed back to my bike and continued polishing it. Not that the Harley needed much TLC. I’d always looked after it and with its life of semi-retirement, it looked almost as good as the day I rolled it off the forecourt.

The back of my neck prickled.

My spine snapped straight beneath my white t-shirt as Sailor crossed onto my driveway and stopped behind me.

Whirling to face her, I scratched at my chin where I’d freshly shaved this morning. “Sailor.” I forced the brightest, nerdiest smile I could manage. “What are you up to on this fine day?”

Her half smile turned genuine as Peng swiped at a strand of her hair that had come loose from her ponytail. She wore yet another faded tee with sparkling stars and flowers, along with holey jeans that just begged me to tear a bigger hole and take her over my bike.

Fuck’s sake…stop it.

“I, eh…I wanted to say I’m sorry I didn’t answer the door last night. I was already in bed and…I didn’t want to get up.”

If it was X she spoke to, those lies would’ve been truths.

She probably didn’t get up because her fear had pounced again, and walking through an empty dark house would’ve sent her spiralling into another panic attack.

But Zander shouldn’t know that.

So I accepted her explanation with a shrug. “No worries. I was just checking on the kitten.”

It was getting harder and harder to keep the two versions of Sailor in my mind. The Lori X knew seemed so much braver than this Sailor Rose who could barely meet her neighbour’s stare.

I’d watched her on my cameras as she’d hitched up her skirt in the garden. I’d felt the power of her climax as she shattered on my tongue.

I didn’t know which was the real version of her: the feisty survivor trying to remember how to live or the demure granddaughter of my gran’s best friend.

Either way…I was stupidly in love with both of them.

“Yeah, about the kitten.” She smiled again, but it looked brittle. “I…I think…I’m, eh—”

Crossing my arms, I clutched my polishing rag to avoid snatching her into a hug. I hated seeing her so wary. I wanted her in my arms again. I wanted her on her back, and my tongue—

Clearing my throat, I arched an eyebrow. “Let me guess.” I tried to add a mixture of compassion, humour, and understanding into my voice, but somehow sounded like a stuck-up know-it-all instead. “You want to keep him?”

She flinched.

Peng reacted to her wince with a horrified look. Scrambling higher in her arms, he tried to embrace her neck and head-bopped her chin.

Whatever magic that tiny feline possessed instantly made her lose her tension. I caught a glimpse of the girl only X saw.

Her blue eyes glimmered like the summer sky, and she kissed Peng’s head before looking up. “I still don’t know if I’m any good at providing for an animal, but I can’t imagine giving him up. He’s helped me so much.”

Reaching out before I could stop myself, I scratched Peng under his jaw. “He was yours the moment I found him.”

The kitten purred like a freight train.

Sailor turned to stone.

I froze to match, realising how close my hand was to her cheek.

“Shit, sorry.” Backing up, I shoved my hand in my jeans pocket. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

She sighed heavily, frustration etching her voice. “It’s not you, Zander. It’s me.”

“Ah yes, the tried and true ‘let ’em down easy’ line.” Holding the rag to my heart, I laughed gently. “Does this mean you’re breaking up with me?”

Her eyes rounded. “Breaking up with you? We’ve never been together.”

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