Page 17 of Unbearable

I wanted to do right by Dotty, unlike I did ten years ago.

SIX

Dotty

SILENCE - MARSHMELLO, KHALID

The days flew by,and before I knew it, I had already spent a week in Woodstone Falls. True to his word, Trent kept his distance. We exchanged polite greetings in passing, but nothing more.

He seemed to be working at the cabin when I wasn’t there because every time I returned, I noticed small improvements. Progress was steady, and I had various contractors lined up for electrical, plumbing, and other repairs that fell outside my realm of expertise.

Deciding to take the afternoon off from responsibilities, I settled into the oversized armchair in Trent’s guest room with a romance novel. The guest room was cozy, with light filtering through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow on the rustic wooden furniture. The faint scent of pine lingered in the air.

A knock sounded at the door. “Come in.”

“Um, hi. You had a delivery. I wanted to make sure you got it.” Trent entered, carrying a vase of lilies with a note.

The blood drained from my face as I read the card.

I can’t wait to see you soon.

Trent noticed my reaction and furrowed his brow. "Everything okay?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't know," I said, my voice shaky.

Trent glanced at the note, then back at me. "Do you know who sent this?" he asked more gently.

"I have no idea," I replied, my mind racing.

"Are you seeing someone?" he asked, curiosity mixed with concern.

“Not that it’s any of your concern, but no.” I sighed, rubbing my temples to ease the tension that suddenly curled its way over me.

“What is this, then?” he asked, his voice settling slightly.

“I have... a secret admirer?” My voice wavered, unsure of how to define it.

“A secret admirer? You mean a stalker? How long has this been going on?” he asked, balling his fists at his side. The veins in his forearms stood out, pulsing with tension. I fought the urge to let my eyes linger on him.

The last thing I wanted was to have this conversation again, especially with him.

“A while, and before you ask, I’ve reported every note. Every damn time. I get flowers—lilies, always stupid lilies. You think he could at least pick a flower that doesn’t smell like shit,” I scoffed, standing to meet Trent in the doorway. “But it’s harmless. The police aren’t worried for my safety, and therefore, aren’t going to use resources trying to track the creep down. It’s never escalated. It’s always just the flowers and notes, so I let it go.”

The lie slipped out easily, but the truth was I didn’t just let it go. It affected my everyday life, but I didn’t let on how much it bothered me, not even to Noah.

I also failed to mention that this note seemed a lot more threatening than the previous ones. There had never been an implied promise of seeing me before, and that had my stomach turning.

“Do your brothers know?” He pinched the bridge of his nose, body rigid as he lifted his arm to lean on the doorframe, studying me.

“What do you think?”

“I don’t know, Dotty. I really don’t know you anymore.” His voice was sharp and tinged with sadness. He rubbed the left side of his chest.

“Well, I can assure you, I never have been, and never will be, the type of person to hide things from my family. They all know. It’s never amounted to anything. I assumed while I was away from Seattle, it would stop, but I guess not. I will report it and move on. Just as I always do.”

“Why didn’t I know about this, Dot?” Heat radiated from his body. Even if he tried to hide his anger, I could see it in his emerald eyes.

I stared up at him, refusing to break eye contact. “If you haven’t noticed, we haven’t talked in ten years, Trent. I wasn’t about to call you up and say,Oh, hey, guess what? I got a stalker sending me stinky fucking flowers.” My voice threatened to crack, thinking back to how badly I wanted to do just that all those years ago. “You don’t know anything about me or my life now.” I rushed to remove the claw clip from my hair, the pressure on my scalp suddenly too much.

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