Page 9 of Done Waiting

My smile is wide as I read his text. His words help ease my loneliness.

Me: There’s only one problem. Dad is giving me his Mustang and Mom said I could have it before the will is read.

Ben: That’s awesome. I know how much he loved that car. We can get ice cream, then come back and get the Mustang afterward, if that works for you. Or if you want to stay at your mom’s, I can drop you off there. It’s up to you.

Wow! He’s being super nice and understanding. Lately, I’ve felt like I’ve been a burden to him because of my grief, so I’m a little surprised by how nice he’s being.

Me: Sure. That sounds like a plan.

Ben: Okay. See you at 3:30.

I look at my phone again, but there are no texts from Chloe.Why didn’t she stay here with me?

And why does it still bother me that she and Ben were alone in our apartment?

4

THE STALKER

Iwatch Maddie every chance I get, learning her habits and the things she likes and dislikes. She’s a beautifully captivating woman, different from anyone I’ve ever met. Full of light and laughter, she draws in those around her.

She’s practically perfect, except for one flaw: she has a boyfriend.

There’s something about Ben Cromwell that rubs me the wrong way, aside from the fact he’s dating and living in the same apartment as Maddie. He’s too smooth, too perfect. I’ve been watching him. Every once in a while, I see a crack in his perfect exterior. A sign that maybe he isn’t as perfect as he pretends to be.

I see it again as I observe them at Maddie’s dad’s funeral. I’ve caught Chloe looking at him and Ben looking back at her. The gazes they exchange make me wonder if something is going on between them behind Maddie’s back.

From my research, Ben arrived in town eight months ago. Within days of his arrival, he conveniently bumped into Maddie at the bookstore, conversing with her and taking her out forcoffee. Shortly after, he happened to go to Rizzo’s Bistrowhere Chloe works, conversing with her.

Maddie and Chloe were looking for a roommate to help them pay rent. Conveniently, Ben was looking for a place to live and moved into the apartment shortly after to help pay rent.

Then he and Maddie started dating, which led to him becoming her boyfriend.

My hands clenched into fists as I mull over the events of the funeral yesterday. My focus shifts to Maddie’s mom, Maura. The Ice Queen, as I refer to her.

She and Maddie seem to have an odd mother/daughter relationship. Maddie was extremely close to her dad, who often acted like a single parent from the intel I dug up. Maura wasn’t good at the emotional stuff, so Michael Jacobs, Maddie’s dad, handled that. Maura was focused on her career.

A snort of disgust escapes me.The Ice Queen is focused, all right. Focused on corruption and ruining people’s lives.

From all I’ve observed, Maddie has no clue of even half the secrets the Ice Queen keeps from her. She’s blind to how corrupt her mother is.

My gaze moves back to Maddie, the woman I’ve been obsessively watching. She’s the key to getting the revenge I crave. I’ve been analyzing her since I killed Jimmy, looking for weaknesses so I can infiltrate her life.

Her agony is destroying her, eating her alive. As much as I relish in the feel of the vibe of it floating from her to me, I’m also jealous as hell.Iwant to be causing her misery.Ineed to be the one destroying her.

While she appears to be calm and in control, beneath it all, she’s screaming from the agonizing pain that courses through her. It nearly deafens me, although no sound comes from her lips.

How the hell the assholes surrounding her don’t notice it is beyond my comprehension. I shake my head as my lip curls in disgust at the trio closest to her.

My gaze flits back to Maddie. She’s so fucking beautiful, reminding me of a porcelain doll, delicate and pale, despite the sadness lining her face, dark circles beneath her puffy eyes.

Before her dad’s death, she sparkled with life. The light pours from her, causing her to glow, bathing those around her in it. And I’m jealous of anyone in her presence, soaking up her light… and darkness. I want to capture and torment her until she submits to me completely, then break her.

She’s an innocent trapped in the crosshairs, the key to getting my vengeance.

Shoving my hands in my pockets, my gaze roves over the people standing around her, then back to her.

Now that her father died, Maddie’s loneliness is draped over her like a heavy dark cloak. It speaks to the deepest, darkest part of me. I understand loss well.

---