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Back Stalker Save as PDF
Chapters (66)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. EPILOGUE
  63. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  64. MORE FROM GEMMA ROGERS
  65. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  66. ABOUT BOLDWOOD BOOKS

A while later I fell asleep at the table, my head resting on my arms. When I woke, the flat was dark and my head pounded. Switching on the light and filling a pint glass with much-needed water I saw it was past eleven. Maybe Ben would be back soon, and we could have a drink after all. I downed the water in one go and poured myself a small shot of gin to take to bed. I hadn’t checked my phone all night and saw I had two missed calls and a text from Ian.

You okay? No gym today?

He was such a control freak. He had to know everything, where I was, who I was with. I hated him. Tears welled up in my eyes. Tears of anger and frustration but also fear. I could pack a bag and run. I could make an excuse and break things off before anything happened. I could even pretend he wasn’t the one and carry on dating him. I snorted at that thought, but the point was, I had a choice. I’d tried to give his name to Emmerson, but I didn’t try hard enough. I couldn’t blame her. Her mind was elsewhere. Concentrating on bringing new life into the world, where I was planning to end one. I had to stay strong. Hold onto my anger. He was a monster and he was going to pay. He would be held accountable for what he did to Sophie and the others. I would be the one to do it.

I lay down, running over how I thought things would go tomorrow, again and again. What if this happens? What if he does that? Every possibility thought out. One thing was for sure, if anyone walked out of that flat tomorrow, it wouldn’t be him.

52

FRIDAY 26 JANUARY 2018

Ben didn’t stand a chance when I knocked on his door in the middle of the night. My mind set on fulfilling a need for comfort, so strong I’d given up with reason. He’d arrived home drunk, crashing through the front door and stumbling into his room. Rousing me from the sofa where I’d dozed off, still clutching the bottle of gin, television playing in the background. I’d waited a few minutes before going to his room. He stood, half dressed, in the doorway, bathed in red light from his lamp. Interrupted as he got ready for bed.

Puffy eyes and cheeks hot, I chewed at my thumbnail, anticipating the forthcoming rejection.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked, swaying slightly.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed myself against his cold body, nuzzling my head into his chest. His breathing shallowed and I felt a stirring in his groin.