Page 31 of Reckless Single Daddy

I walk into my adjoining bathroom, washing my hands clean from the residual paint. Then I start cleaning up my paintingspace. My new collection is off to a good start, and I’m happy with the process of where it is heading. I just hope it is perceived well. The art community has a habit of being rather smug and highly critical. One false step, and your career can be over in a matter of moments. Still, I’d be lying if I didn’t find peace in that now.

Before, I was worried about pleasing everyone in the art scene. Conforming to the norms and the technicalities of it so that I aligned with everyone else. But I think I’ll remove myself from that with this new collection. It’s a risk, because many of the collectors I’ve met are not collectors of portraits. They enjoy abstract paintings, landscapes, or anything devoid of reality. Something tells me that Lori and my contact at the gallery will be surprised by what I’m planning.

As I return to my room, I sit down at my desk and open my laptop. It’s been a while since I’ve checked my emails, so I figure now is as good a time as any with the downtime I have. As I scan each one, I come across one from Janet, the gallery curator for my next exhibit, asking about my new collection. I keep scrolling and see she’s also sent a few emails requesting follow-up, all of which have gone ignored by me.

Oops.

I quickly tap out a reply to her, expressing my apologies for the delay, blaming it on the wedding preparations when really it’s been mostly Cade. Despite how distracting he has been, he’s been helpful with getting me out of my artist’s block, so that’ssomething at least. I write to her that my collection is coming along well, and it’s risky, but I feel confident in the pieces being created.

I send that email and move to another one, stopping short as I read it over. The email address is encrypted, so it doesn’t show who it’s from until I reach the bottom.

My blood runs cold, and anxiety fills me to my core. How did they get my email? This is my private work email. Only Lori and various curators and collectors have it. Could this person be someone from the art scene?

I let out a shaky breath as I read the message.

Miss Bennett,

I hope you’ve taken my advice to heart and are now fueling your next collection with it, though something tells me you’re trying desperately to bury what it is that shaped you. How about I offer you this? Show the world all you’ve endured. Humanize thyself and allow yourself to strip yourself bare for the world to see. There is nothing wrong with a little vulnerability, is there? After all, you ask Cade Hart to do that, right? Before he strips you bare. Don’t worry, I’ll see to it that he’s no longer an issue.

Your problem isn’t that you’re afraid of falling out of existence. That has never been a problem for you after a decade awayfrom home. Your problem is you’re afraid of people seeing you at your worst, but what will come first? I have all the cards in my grasp to either bury your career or allow yourself to be free from the confines of your past. I have Cade’s, too. I am not a mere human. I’m your biggest nightmare, but also your biggest fan.

I’ll leave you with this final antidote: fear is a temporary state, but freedom can be everlasting. Which one are you willing to seek? If you choose wrong, I’ll make things right, my love.

Love Always,

Your Biggest Fan

This letter…

It’s different from the last one. It’s detailed and fleshed out, like they’re angry at me for some reason. To make matters worse, they mention Cade in this one, which means they know about our relationship and have enough information to reveal it to the rest of the community.

Also, what information could they have on Cade? How do they know all we’ve talked about?

I let out a shaky breath as I read it over and over again. The wording is more deliberate this time. My stalker is making their feelings known.

They’re jealous. Jealous that Cade has me and they don’t, but who are they? I swallow hard as I text a screenshot of the email to Cade and Mike—separate texts. Despite how indifferent Cade seemed about the last message, I still want to keep him in the loop of everything. Mike wanted a paper trail, so now I can provide him with one.

I don’t delete the email, but save it on my computer. I’ve seen enough spy and cop movies to know that if someone doesn’t want something to be seen, they will find a way to make that happen.

For now, all I can do is not let it rile me up. I can’t lose focus on what I’ve created thus far and let this stalker win. Whoever it is wants me to go down a path I don’t want to go, but I will not allow that to happen.

The sound of a car approaching pulls my attention to the window. A police cruiser pulls up, and Mike exits it immediately after. I can only assume he’s here to talk about the message I received.

I get up from my chair and make my way downstairs as he comes inside the front door. I jerk my head toward the kitchen so I canmake myself a cup of coffee. “You want some?” I ask, and he nods, sighing deeply.

“Seems like we are gonna need it,” he replies with a chuckle, though I can see the tension in his shoulders as he pulls his RVPD jacket off his shoulders and lays it over the barstool beside him.

He sits down as I prep the coffee before turning back to him. He shakes his head, trying to process everything. The letter didn’t just reveal that the stalker is in fact stalking me, but it revealed that Cade and I are together.

And I sent it to my brother, Mike. Cade’s best friend.

I knew this moment would come, but I didn’t think it’d be quite like this. I did expect the silence, the processing, and the confusion, but not because of some stalker who wants to get a rise out of me or hopes to gain my affections by casting everyone else out of my life so I have no one left but them. Whatever the reasoning behind this person’s motives, it doesn’t change the fact that I have to deal with what is right in front of me.

“How long has this… thing been going on?” Mike asks as he looks up at me, confusion written all over his face.

“Which part?”

He gives me a look that speaks volumes. I could say I was trying to put off explaining the gritty details about Cade, but the situation I’m in is much more confusing than just the Cade reveal. Then again, Mike already knows how long the stalker has been contacting me since I told him about it the first night it happened.

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