Page 162 of Hayden's Stalker

I don’t have time to think much about this before the door to the room is thrown open, and Dan walks back in with a woman who has long brown hair. Her face is bright with excitement as she looks at me.

“Hayden!” she exclaims.

“Um. Hi,” I say hesitantly.

She rushes over to me and throws her arms around me. I gag slightly and almost vomit involuntarily, but the woman with her arms around me doesn’t seem to notice.

“You’re really here,” she gushes as she pulls back from me. “I can’t believe we can finally be together.”

“What’s your name?” I ask, wanting to get as much information as I can.

Her expression clouds over, and she frowns at me. “What do you mean?”

I’m confused because it’s a pretty simple question. It’s possible she doesn’t want to give it to me, though.

I give her my most charming smile and say, “I just wanted to know your name, so I know how to address you. That’s all.”

“Howdareyou,” she snarls.

Before I can react, she pulls her fist back and punches me in the jaw. Searing pain hits me, and I groan aloud.

“Oh my god, Hayden,” the woman gasps. “Your face is cut. Get the first aid kit quickly, Daniel.” She flicks her head around to ask him this before she turns back to me. “It’s okay. We’ll get you all fixed up, I promise.”

I don’t know what to say to this. She’s gone from yelling at me to being almost over-the-top sweet to me. I’m scared of doing literally anything in case it makes her hurt me again.

“Don’t look at me like that, baby,” she coos at me. “You don’t need to be scared of me. We’re meant to be together. You’re my soulmate.”

“I don’t even know you,” I say without thinking and immediately regret it.

She storms out of the room and slams the door behind her as she does. I jump when it slams shut, but it’s a relief to be left alone without her terrifying presence. I know she must be my actual stalker. So then that means that she somehow just convinced Dan to help her kidnap me?

I retch again as I try to wrap my head around all of this, and I have no idea how anyone is ever going to find me. I know that if anyone can, though, it’s Tati. Just the thought of her is like a comforting shield against these people. I hold her deep in my heart, and nobody can ever take her away from me.

Dan and the woman both come back, but this time Dan’s carrying a first aid kit. The woman takes it off him, and he glares daggers at me as she strides over to sit next to me on the bed.

She brushes my hair away from my forehead, and her touch makes my skin crawl as she shakes her head. “I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to hurt you. You’re just as beautiful as you were the first time we met.”

She opens the first aid kit and rummages through it as I turn her words over in my head and frown up at her.

“First time we met?” I repeat her words back.

She nods. “Yes. I’m hurt you don’t remember. I suppose you have fucked women like thatbitchsince you met me. I can forgive you, baby, because we’re meant to be. This might hurt a little.”

She dabs antiseptic on the cut on my cheek, and I yelp at the stinging pain. “Fucking ow!”

“I’m sorry. Hold still, and it’ll be all better in a moment.”

She puts a Band-Aid on my cut and then sets the first aid kit aside before she stares down at me with her dark brown eyes. She strokes my hair back from my forehead again and smiles at me.

“You really are beautiful, Hayden Vega. It’s been five years, and I love you just as much today as I did on theCards Have Been Dealttour.”

She looks into my eyes as if she’s waiting for this to trigger some memory for me, but it doesn’t.

She sighs and shakes her head. “You really don’t remember, do you?”

I’m not sure if she’ll fly off the handle more if I don’t answer or if I give her the truth, so I carefully tell her, “I’m sorry, no.”

“I’ve loved you since before we met.” She smiles at me. “Your music is so amazing. It speaks to my soul. I knew we had to meet, so my friends and I followed your limousine from the hotel to a pool hall. We got to meet, and it wassoperfect. Do you remember now?”

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