Tempt the Ex (Tempt 2.5)

My throat’s suddenly dry, so I grab a water bottle and twist open the top, then walk outside because I need fresh air. I inhale a deep breath and then let it out slowly. I look around the backyard and see people all over the place. A bonfire crackles in the middle of the yard, and people sit in groups. I walk to the far end where I see Austin sitting with Cooper. I sit in one of the empty chairs, the tightness of the pants almost blocking my legs from bending. “I fucking hate these things.”

“Me, too,” Cooper says as he drinks his bottle of water. A couple of guys come over and start talking to us. The whole time, my eyes go to the door, knowing she’s just inside there. With a fucking date.

I shake my head as I talk to Cooper. I see Noah coming down the steps, his face leaking brown. “It’s so fucking hot in there. I thought I was going to faint,” he says as he sits down on the grass, takes off his jacket, and then wipes his face with it, leaving streaks of tan on his jacket.

“You paid five hundred dollars for that suit,” I tell him, trying not to laugh.

“I don’t give a fuck,” he says as he looks at me. “Your girl is leaving,” he tells me, and I look at Austin, then at Cooper. “What the fuck are you waiting for? Go get your girl!” Noah yells. I stand in a hunched over position and slowly rise as my pants stretch, then run out of the backyard. I look left and right as I try to weave my way through the people who have come outside. I finally see her walking down the sidewalk, her head down all by herself. I start following her, keeping my distance the whole time.

Chapter 8

Dani

My day went from horrible to even past fucking horrible, I think as I walk down the sidewalk back to my dorm.

The minute I got in my car this morning, I made my way over to the police station. As I walked up the steps, my heart beat so fast I felt like I would faint.

I walked up to the raised counter in the middle of the room, and a balding man on the other side sat there looking down. “Hi.” I started because the man was shuffling papers around the desk. “I’d like to talk to an officer about some letters I have received.”

He looked up at me, the glasses on the edge of his nose slipping but his fingers just pushed them back up. “What kind of letters?” he asked as he just stared at me.

“It started about a week ago,” I told him as I opened my bag and brought out the folded letters. “I would find them on my car in the morning. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but then I got this creepy feeling someone was following me.”

He grabbed the letters, unfolding them, and looked at them one by one. “You found these on your car?” he asked as he put them down, picked up the phone, and called someone. “I have a girl here with a possible stalker.” He placed the phone down and handed me the papers. “Someone will be right out,” he said as he pointed at the chairs in the corner. I walked to them, then took out my phone and texted Melissa.

Me: At the police station. I’ll let you know.

I didn’t have time for her to answer because a man in a police uniform came out. He looked at the guy behind the front counter who pointed at me. “Ma’am, my name is Detective Anderson.” He put his hand out to shake mine.

I took his hand, shaking it, and introduced myself. “Dani Milan.”

“Follow me.” He turned and led me to the side door which led to a big room with desks everywhere. He sat in his chair behind a desk in the corner, and I sat in the chair in front of him. “So explain what’s happening.”

I swallowed and started. “A week ago, I got the first letter. At first, I thought it was cute, but then the letters kept coming. Yesterday morning, I felt like I was being followed while on campus, then I got the last letter.” He took a pad out and started writing down the story. “Is there anyone you can think of who could have done this?” he asked as he looked up at me. “Enemies, ex-boyfriend, new boyfriend?”

“I’m not dating anyone right now. I broke up with my boyfriend last week,” I told him as I wrung my hands.

“You think your ex would do this?”

“No.” I shook my head. “John wouldn’t do this.”

“Anything else besides the letters and feeling like you were being followed?” He looked down and then up again.