Page 94 of Forced Proximity
I could feel Romeo looking over at me, but I held Dru’s eyes for a long second before she looked back over at her brother. “He blocked them. And then removed my numbers from their phones so they can’t contact me anymore. He also did something to where Mom and Dad can still call me when they want, but my phone number’s not listed in their phones so they can’t give my number out anymore. I think…” She hesitated. “I think I’m done now, Romie.”
Romeo grinned then, and it completely transformed his entire face. “Fuckin’ finally.”
The next half hour was spent talking about what had gone down with Dru’s sister and aunt, and by the end of the discussion, Romeo was angry right along with me.
“I don’t know what everyone’s utter devotion is to Daniella. I seriously don’t. She’s been doing this for years, making it uncomfortable for everyone. Do you remember when she started stalking my high school girlfriend’s brother?”
“Yeah,” she groaned. “You loved her with your whole heart and they had to move to escape her craziness.”
I sensed a story there, but never expected Romeo to explain, but he surprised me.
“When I was seventeen, I met a new girl at school on her first day. She was one of the prettiest girls I’d ever seen, and she was the nerdiest book girl I’d ever had the pleasure of meeting. She was instantly a target, because all of the popular girls saw competition instead of friends. I broke up a verbal fight between a few of the girls and Jessamy in the hallway that first day, and I was sunk. The only problem was, Jessamy had a younger brother, Ramsey. Ramsey was really good-looking, just like her, and my sister sank her claws in the moment that they met. At first, it was just a small obsession. But eventually, Ramsey met another girl at another school that he really liked, and he no longer wanted to have anything to do with Daniella. Daniella freaked the fuck out—not that she ever really had him—and started to stalk him. Thousands of calls and texts a day. Showing up at his house at random times. Seriously obsessive stuff, and Jessamy was ordered not to see me anymore.”
I hissed in a breath.
You could tell that this still bothered him.
“He searched high and low for her after she left. When he had his own money, he hired a private investigator to try to find her. But he was never able to find her,” she explained. “Daniella eventually moved on to her next conquest, but brother dearest here never recovered. I think him still loving Jessamy was the reason he married his ex.”
Romeo didn’t say anything, but I had a feeling that was true.
My brain was already working, and I knew that as soon as I got home, I would be spending some time on my computer trying to find her.
And if I could get Romeo out, I knew exactly where he’d have a new life…
Twenty
I’d kick a kid in the face for a Dr Pepper.
—Dru’s secret thoughts
DRU
“Long time no see!”
I looked over at Aella and smiled. “Hey, stranger.”
It’d neither been a long time, nor had she been a stranger.
We’d seen each other every day for the last week, practically.
Yesterday was the first time that we hadn’t, but I’d still seen half of the Truth Tellers MC when they’d come over for a beer after we’d gotten home from visiting my brother.
“How are the kiddos?”
“They’re good.” She smiled. “Fussy this morning. Glad that Chevy was able to stay home with them. I think they caught a cold. Since they were both under the weather, Chevy said that he was going to pull out the Christmas decorations and put the tree up.”
“That’s so sweet,” I said, then frowned. “You know, I can’t believe it’s already mid-November. I usually put my tree up on the first of the month, but it’s been so hectic that I haven’t even thought about it.” I paused as a thought occurred to me. “Question.”
Aella looked up at me with wide eyes. “Answer.”
I smiled. “Is Finnian okay with decorations? Will he freak out if I put some up? He’s not going to be here for the next couple of days. He was called away to go help Gunner with some computer mechanics with his next job in West Texas. I could decorate his house, but I don’t want to get him upset if it’ll hurt his heart.”
“He decorates every year. Some guy comes out and puts the lights up because the homeowner’s association for the place that he lives in requires it. But he bucks back and goes with colored. The HOA hates it, but all it says in their bylaws is that it has to be done by the third weekend in November. I know this only because he bitches about it every year. He hates that they make him color inside lines. He puts décor up in the house, too, because we usually have all of our get-togethers there during the winter since he has so much indoor space.”
“Good.” I smiled, but it slipped off my face when I said, “He wants me to stay at his place. He gave me a key, and the alarm codes, but I seriously don’t want to overstep. Do you think I should stay?”
“I think you should stay.” She nodded. “I think you’d like it much better than where you’re staying now. Plus, a little birdie told me that Apollo already wants you to move in with him. He told Chevy that he had already run the idea past you. He asked him if it was too early. Chevy said no. I said yes. Finnian went with no, and had planned to beg you when he got back if you hadn’t already caved.”
