Page 18 of Stalked By the Doctor

Paul

The walls close in around me as I lie awake, staring into the darkness. The sheets are cold without her warmth beside me.

Britney's scent lingers on the pillow, a haunting reminder of what I've lost.

I can't sleep. Can't eat. Can't breathe.

The days pass in a haze. At the hospital, I go through the motions, my mind far away from the patients who need me.

All I see is her face. All I hear is her laugh. We had something rare, something pure and true, and I let it slip through my fingers.

When I'm not at the hospital, I watch her apartment from my car, waiting for a glimpse of her through the grimy windows. She lives in squalor now, alone and vulnerable. It's no surprise she didn't keep the luxurious apartment I secured for her. How could she after I confessed to watching her in it?

The thought of her in danger, hurting, tears me apart inside. I can't lose her.

I take a leave of absence from work. I have to make this right. Have to get her back where she belongs.

With me.

Always with me.

I pull up outside her apartment under cover of darkness. The neighborhood is quiet for once, the usual sounds of sirens and shouting muted in the dead of night.

The light in her window flickers out. She's alone.

It's time.

My knuckles rap against the rotting wooden door. Once. Twice.

When she opens the door, I'm struck breathless at the sight of her. Messy blonde hair falling around her shoulders. Gray eyes peering up at me through a fringe of lashes.

I was wrong to ever let her go.

She'smine. She's always been mine.

And I won't make the mistake of losing her again.

Britney's eyes widen, pupils dilating in the dim light of the hallway. "Paul? What are you doing here?"

Her words come out slurred, the scent of alcohol heavy on her breath. She sways unsteadily in the doorway, barely dressed in a thin camisole and panties.

Rage boils in my veins at the thought of her like this, vulnerable and exposed. But I swallow down the anger, forcing a smile. "I was worried about you."

"You shouldn't be here." She shakes her head, taking a stumbling step back. "We're not together anymore. You can't just show up whenever you want."

"I know, baby. I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be drinking. You're too young to drink, and you shouldn't do it like this anyway. Where did you even get alcohol, honey?" I reach out, grasping her upper arm as she loses her balance.

"My neighbor...she gets it for me," Britney hiccups, and my grip tightens, fingers pressing into the soft flesh of her arm. "I couldn't stay away, Britney. I had to make sure you were safe. Here. Let me help you."

She tries to pull away, but I don't release her. "Please, Paul. Just go." Tears shimmer in her eyes, and a sob catches in her throat.

The broken look on her face shreds me to pieces inside. I never meant to hurt her. I was only trying to protect her, to give her a good life.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, drawing her into my arms. She resists for a moment before collapsing against me, her body wracked with sobs. "It's going to be okay now. I'm here."

She suddenly pulls back from me and tries to turn away, but she wobbles and falls, crying out in pain as her ankle twists. Her eyes fly open, gaze sharpening with panic. "My ankle!" she whimpers. "I think I twisted it."

"I got you, baby," I try to soothe her as I scoop her up into my arms.

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