Cold Hearted Bachelor

And someone is trying to fuck it all up.

We need answers, and better yet, we need a plan of attack. We can’t lose any more projects.

We just can’t.

A few minutes later the dining room is filled with people, and everyone takes a seat. Paisley plops down into the only available seat, right next to me. I’m stoked she’s by me, but at the same time nervous everyone can read what’s written so clearly all over my face.

That I’m crazy about this girl.

“Mom, Dad, everyone,” Paisley pipes up after everyone has started eating. “I have something to say. I don’t want anyone to freak out.”

I squeeze her knee under the table, letting her know I support her decision to tell everyone.

“Over the past weeks, someone has been, I guess you can say, stalking me.”

Her father is first to react, and the look he is giving her looks like he wants to kill someone. I picture that being the same look he’d give me if he ever found out what’s happening between Paisley and I.

“Dad, it’s ok. Vaughn and Spencer have been keeping an eye on me.”

Her dad’s eyes soften just a bit as he stares at me, and then Spencer. “I appreciate you boys doing that, but Paisley we need to go to the police.”

“I did,” she says. “Vaughn and I called the cops after the house was vandalized.”

Both my mother and her mother gasp, and her mother has tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe this.” Her mother starts mumbling about how buying that house was a bad idea, and how she wants Paisley to move back home permanently, but my mother quiets her down.

“Mom, we’re making sure everything is taken care of,” Spencer says, squeezing his mother’s hand on the table.

“Who do you think it is?” my mother asks.

“I don’t know.” There’s a sadness behind Paisley’s eyes that I wish I could erase for her. She may be putting on a brave front, but I can see all of this is wearing on her.

“I never liked you buying that house so far away from us.” Her dad points his finger at Paisley.

“Dad, it’s not that. I can take care of myself.”

“Paisley, we didn’t say you couldn’t. But we’d feel better if you got a roommate.”

“I don’t need a roommate, Dad.”

“You could move in with her, right Vaughn?”

I straighten in my chair, fidgeting with the fork in my hand that has grown slippery at the idea of me moving in with Paisley. “I, uhh, well.”

Paisley puts a hand over mine. “I don’t need anyone moving in.”

“Well, she’s been staying with me. I’d never let anyone hurt her.” Already, that one line, I feel like I’ve said too much. I feel like I should take it back, so I add, “Nothing’s happened between us.” Now I feel even worse.

Everyone stops and stares at me.

The awful part is, Paisley’s hand is still on mine. I quickly remove my hand, and I fear everyone noticed that reaction even more.

Paisley coughs. “Everything is fine. See, I’m still here without so much as a hair out of place. I’ll be ok. It’s just someone trying to scare me.”

Her dad stares at me, and I swear the man knows what’s going on. I swear this man can see every filthy thing I’ve ever thought about doing with his little girl. The nerves are back. My gut twists and I push my food away.

“You’ve been staying with Vaughn? Why not stay here where I can protect you?”

“Dad, we felt the stalker would be expecting that. I can’t handle it if something happened to you guys because of me. It’s bad enough Spencer and Vaughn’s business is suffering because of me.”

“Because of you?” her dad asks, his eyebrows shooting up into his forehead.

“Yes, it has to be because of me.” She has fresh tears in her eyes, and instinctively I wrap an arm around her shoulder.

“It’s not your fault,” I say mainly to her, but I feel everyone’s eyes on me.

And it isn’t her fault.

“I thought you said nothing is happening between you two,” Spencer says.

I remove my arm. “Umm, nothing is happening.”

“I’m an adult and I can make my own choices,” Paisley is saying, and my eyes widen. “Vaughn and I, yes, have something going on.”

Oh, no.

Her dad, he’s giving me that look. Like the one he had earlier. No, not the one where he can read my mind, but the other one where he wants to kill me.

“You’ve been taking advantage of her while she’s being stalked?” Spencer says, and when I glance at him he has that same look.

“No, it’s not what it seems like.”

“Yeah, what is it then? She’s vulnerable and you couldn’t help yourself. For once I wish you’d think with your head and not your dick,” Spencer yells, pushing back his chair into the wainscotting.