Page 37 of Texting Dr. Stalker

This was going to end so very, very badly for me.

She was scarily smart and almost as perceptive as Colin.

And look how well I held my own around him.

Sweat rolled down my spine beneath my scrubs as I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

Me:I have a camera in your house.

“Youwhat?” Colin screeched, snatching my phone out of my hands and scrolling his way through the message thread.

Ah, Christ.

How had I not noticed him looming over me? What possessed me to say I had a camera in her house?

What am I doing?!!!!!

In one message, I’d gone from a creepy idiot who’d gifted her a cell phone to full-blown home invasion stalker.

Colin’s face went white. His dark brown hair flopped over his forehead as he peered at the screen. “What the fuck is this, Zan? What—”

“Give it back.” Leaping to my feet, I snatched the phone out of his hand. I hated that I was more desperate to read Sailor’s reply than to assure my best friend that I wasn’t crazy.

LL:And this is where I call the police again.

Me:Wait!

“Zander…you’ve got to start talking. Otherwise—”

“Give me two seconds.”

Tapping back a reply, I hoped to every deity in the universe that I wasn’t fucking up everything I’d worked so hard for.

Me:I meant outside your house. I have a cameraoutsideyour house.

Not technically a lie.

LL:And you think that’s appropriate? What are you? Some kind of pervert?

Me:No. I told you. I will never hurt you. I will never take advantage of you.

LL:You just watch me instead.

“Zander…talk to me. Right now.” Colin crossed his arms.

I didn’t bother looking up.

Me:I use it to make sure you’re safe. That’s all.

She didn’t reply.

Of course, she didn’t fucking reply.

My pulse pounded in my ears as I waited and waited, and when the phone remained silent, I sucked in a huge breath and turned to face Colin.

As expected, his eyes glinted with fear for my mental health, all while anger rippled down his arms as if to punch me. “Tell me. Right now. What are you doing?”

This was why I never put myself out there. Why I focused on helping others with scalpels and surgeries. I was better when bound by textbooks and things I’d learned through repetition and study. The second I went off script, I messed up.

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