Page 40 of Sweet and Salty

I flinch as he leaps toward me, climbing up my chest until he’s practically clinging to my shoulder. I stand up, cradling the shaking cat in my arms.

“It’s okay, buddy,” I say in a soothing tone, my eyes widening as I glance at Zoe.

She’s smiling, but tears are rolling down her cheeks as she looks him over where I hold him. “He’s not hurt,” she says, relief drenching her tone. She bends and scoops up the letter, anger radiating from her as she opens it.

This could’ve been so much worse. Don’t you see? You see what your silence and indifference toward me is doing to me? You’ve pushed me to this level. Next time, I won’t be so nice. Lose the guy and agree to meet with me. I just want to talk to you. Once you hear me out, you’ll understand why we should be together.

Ice fills my veins as I read the letter, her holding it so I can see every single word.

He’s escalating, just like I was afraid of.

She folds the letter, sucking in a sharp breath as she looks at the cat, then me. “I almost wish he’d been here,” she admits as we start the walk back toward her building. “Is that awful?”

“No,” I say as we reach the back door. “You want this done. You want closure. It’s understandable.”

She shakes her head, folding her arms around herself.

I try to put Gregory down, but he clings to me and protests with a meow.

I raise my brows, and Zoe laughs a soft, broken sound. “Guess he’s warmed up to you.”

I force out a laugh. “I guess,” I say, glancing down at the damned cat. “All it takes to get on your good side is saving your life?”

Zoe sighs. “If he hadn’t left the letter, I would’ve assumed Gregory just moved on to another feeding location.” She shakes her head. “This is getting worse, right?” she asks, motioning to the cat with the letter in her hand. “This…it’s more intense than destroying flowers and obsessively texting.”

I nod.

She blows out a breath, turning to open the door. I follow her inside, and she sets the dishes of food and water on the floor in the break room. Gregory almost reluctantly releases me, hopping down to eat. Once he’s done, he’s immediately climbing back up my leg and into my arms.

“Again,” she says after remaining contemplatively silent. “I wish he would’ve been there. Whatever the result, we’d have an ending, right?” she sighs, rubbing her palms over her face. “Maybe I should answer his texts.”

My eyes flare, but she continues.

“Draw him out,” she says, shrugging. “I could ask him to meet me somewhere and then maybe…” she groans. “Then nothing, right? It’s not like the police can arrest him for texting me and leaving letters. Does tying up Gregory count for an arrest?”

I shake my head. “He didn’t hurt him.”

“If we didn’t go out there, he would’ve starved to death,” she counters.

“I know that,” I say. “I’m not saying what he did isn’t unhinged, but he didn’t physically harm the cat,” I say, indicating the purring, now sleeping, bundle in my arms. “So we can’t press charges for animal cruelty. You drawing him out would only give me a shot to speak with him, try to scare him off, but the risk isn’t worth that.”

A small, frustrated whimper comes out of her, and I extend my free arm, drawing her to me.

“When is this going to end, Owen?” she whispers against my chest.

I hate that I don’t have a solid answer for her.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “But you’re safe with me, and it looks like Gregory isn’t going anywhere now. We just have to stay vigilant. Caleb has never let me down before. He’ll get a lock on him, and I’ll do everything in my power to put an end to this.”

She looks up at me, exhaustion lining her features. “Why do I feel like this is going to get worse before it gets better?”

“Because you have good instincts,” I say. “I won’t lie to you. This stunt…” I look down at the sleeping cat in my other arm. “It’s a bad sign.”

“He’s becoming more violent.”

I nod. “His plea for you to meet with him isn’t because he wants to make amends with you, Zoe,” I admit.

“It’s because he wants to hurt me,” she says. “Like I supposedly hurt him.”

---