Inn Love

But it would give me and him a shot. It would give me a chance to be happy finally. I don’t want to be a troublemaker, but I also don’t want to be alone. Not again. Not when I’ve finally found a reason to live. Not when I’ve finally found someone who makes the world seem like a better place.

I draw in a deep breath. My choice is difficult. It’s one I don’t want to make. It’s one I wish I had more time to ponder. But I put a timer on my own decisions when I told him I’d be gone in twenty-four hours.

It’s now or never.

I rise to my feet. I can’t leave here now, not until he knows the full truth. Maybe telling him the real reason I’m so scared to be with him will put him off. Maybe he’ll send me on my way, and my decision will be made for me. But I have to at least give him a chance to process everything going through my mind. This thing involves us both. I can’t be the only one who gets a choice in how this story between us ends.

I tentatively leave my room. I’m scared to go outside in case the paparazzi are hanging around again, but the whole place seems quiet. I head downstairs and find Elijah sitting at the same table where he and I had dinner together last night. It seems like a lifetime ago, after everything we’ve been through. I approach him nervously, as though he’s a stranger, and he looks up at me with a heaviness in his gaze.

“Everything okay?” he asks protectively. I slide into the chair opposite him with a deep breath.

“I want to tell you everything,” I say decisively. “And then at least you can make your own judgment. At least you can be a part of this decision about our future.”

He leans forward and takes my hands in his. “Nothing will deter me from you,” he growls. I lower my gaze with a sigh.

“Hear me out first…and then you can make your choice.” I take an anxious deep breath. “Okay. Here goes…I’ve spent the last year terrified of someone. A man who has followed me around everywhere I go. I tried to talk to the police, but they never did anything about him. He’s an actual stalker, and they never did anything to help me. I don’t know his name, who he is, or why he’s fixated on me…but from what I’ve seen of him, I know he’d follow me anywhere I go. He spent the last year hanging around my place of work, following me home, waiting outside my apartment. I’m terrified of what he’s capable of…I think he wants something from me, but he’s never gotten close enough to take it from me. Now…I think I’m vulnerable to him. I think out here, on my own, he might make a move to hurt me, somehow.”

“But how would he ever find you?” Elijah asks, perplexed.

I sigh.

“That’s where you come in. I’m worried about what your fame will mean for us. If the paparazzi photograph us together and it goes viral online…he’ll be able to track me down. With you being in the limelight…I was scared that our relationship would draw him in. I’m scared of what he might try and do to you or us.”

“Olivia…,” Elijah takes my hands in his. “You don’t need to be afraid of that low-life. If he comes anywhere near you, I’ll make sure he regrets it. You’re mine now. I will always protect you. I’ll always make sure that you’re safe.”

“We don’t know what he’s capable of…he might have a gun, for all I know.”

“He doesn’t know what I’m capable of,” Elijah snarls, a darkness in his eyes. “I’ll do anything to make sure you’re safe, baby. You’re mine, and I protect what’s mine. Is that what’s been worrying you so much? I understand that you’re scared of him…but I swear he won’t lay a finger on you. He won’t ever get the chance.” His hands squeeze mine. “I don’t want you to worry about a thing ever again. For as long as you’re with me, you’ll never need to be afraid. You’ll never be alone. I’m not letting you go, Olivia. I can’t. I’ve waited too long for you to let you slip through my fingers.” He touches me under my chin, raising it so that I’m looking him in the eye. “We’re going to be okay, baby. I’ll make sure of it.”

And all of a sudden, all the tension leaves my body. He’s right. As long as he and I are together, everything will be alright. As long as we’re together, we can face the world side by side. I feel warmth rush through my body. I don’t need to be afraid. He’s going to make sure that everything’s okay.