Page 35 of Haunt Me

I’ve never felt closer to him than I do right now.

“Tell me about you,” I whisper and he stills.

“There’s not much to tell, little star,” He states, “I’ve struggled with my mental health since I was a little boy and my parents didn’t give a shit, just left me in the nearest psych ward they could find to deal with me.” He finishes and I can sense his anger mixed with sadness.

“I’m a little fucked up.” He whispers, his mouth next to my ear, sending shivers from the back of my neck down to my core. I slowly turn to face him again, placing both my hands on his cheeks, “Aren’t we all?” I say, pulling him closer until our lips connect. He slightly pulls back, wiping the water droplets from my face, “Let me take you out for your birthday next week.”

“Ourbirthday,” I chime in, pulling a chuckle out of him.

“Okay,ourbirthday. What do you say?” he says, looking at me with such softness in his eyes, waiting for me to answer.

“Like an actual date? Our official first date?” I ask, playfulness lacing my voice that pulls a smile on hisface.

“Yes, little star.”

At this point, I don’t think ‘no’ is an acceptable answer, but right now—staring into his eyes—I can’t think of anything better.

“I would love to.”

Chapter 20

Starlet

It’s been a weeksince I saw Argent. After our heartfelt moment we shared in the shower that night, he fucked me up against the shower door and again when we went to bed.

He was right when he said he was going to ruin me.

I fell asleep with his arms wrapped around me and for a second it felt like the most normal thing in my life. I woke up to an empty bed and a classic note sitting on the nightstand. We haven’t spoken since, except for sporadic notes that mysteriously appear or his lingering glances as he slowly drives past the diner.

Our birthday is in two days and to say I’m excited to go on an actual date with him is an understatement.

God, I feel like a teenager.

Lost in my thoughts, Chloe’s voice snaps me back to reality. “Hello, are you even listening to me?” she asks, clicking her fingers in front of my face as we walk through the bustling mall, the sound of chatter and footsteps filling the air. We’re here to buy school supplies for the upcoming semester, but my mind has been preoccupied with the chaos in my personal life.

“When we’re done here, you wanna go get a milkshake at the food court?” Chloe asks, her face lighting up with excitement. This girl has an insatiable love for milkshakes. I shake my head at her, managing a faint smile. “Yeah, sure.”

I’ve been carrying the weight of guilt for not confiding in her about what’s been happening between me and Argent. She knows about my stalker, but she has no idea that it’s him, or that I’m torn between fear and the possibility of falling in love with him. She’s going to flip.

“Um, Chlo, I need to tell you something,” I say with hesitation, causing her to stop in her tracks and face me. As she looks at me, a frown forms on her face, sensing my distress.

“What’s going on?”

“Um, well,” I begin, nervously fidgeting with my fingers. “The stalker guy I told you about, we have been seeing each other more frequently and I know this is gonna sound crazy—but I think I’m beginning to feel more for him than I thought I would.” I finish my sentence, and her honey-brown eyes widen, filled with shock, their gaze piercing into mine.

“Are. You. Fucking. Insane Starlet?” she starts, her voice laced with disbelief. “First of all, why didn’t you tell me about what was going on? I thought you trusted me enough to share everything with me. And secondly, this guy is a stalker—your stalker—and now you’re saying you’re falling in love with him?” Her words hang in the air, and I find myself staring at her blankly, uncertain of how to respond.

In love.

I can see the hurt and confusion on her face but everything just kind of happened. Tearing my eyes away from her, I find myself gazing at the ground, feeling like a toddler getting scowled, She lets out a deep sigh and asks, “Are you willing to finally tell me who he is?” her voice tinged with both concern andfrustration. The blood in my veins turns icy cold, and with a slow and deliberate movement, I lift my head to meet her gaze. I have no idea how she will react when I tell her that her brother’s best friend is the one who has been haunting me.

Swallowing hard, I take a deep breath before finally speaking, my voice shaking, “A-Argent.”

The look on her face will give me nightmares for weeks.

As the words leave my lips, a myriad of emotions flickers across her face. The disbelief in her eyes makes me instantly regret confessing the truth. She remains silent, her blinking eyes betraying her attempt to process what I just said.

“Argent? My brother’s friend, Argent? The same guy I practically grew up with?” She finally asks, still wide-eyed and mouth agape.

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