My body relaxes … and then my stomach clenches as I ignore the call. When you’re a romantic at heart, a guy you’re falling for calling in the wee hours of the night is goals. But tonight, there’s nothing but anxiety.

Anxiety he’ll sense something is wrong.

Shoot, he definitely knows something is off, considering he’s calling me in the middle of the night.

A text comes through seconds later.

Lincoln: Just tell me you’re okay, Cass. Text me, call me, email me, tell Georgia, whatever. I need to know nothing is wrong.

I bite into my cheek as I read his text, so many raw emotions running through my head. My fingers itch to text him back. My heart yearns to call him and hear his voice—to make me forget about Quinton.

Me: I’m okay.

I owe him a response. He’s been there for me. If our situation were reversed, if he’d avoided me this long, I’d blow his phone up and show up at his place.

I should tell him what’s going on, but I can’t. If I tell anyone Quinton is my stalker, they’ll want me to go to the police. All that will do is provoke him further. Quinton is stupid and just wasting his time tormenting me. All I want to do is move on from him. It’d be in his best interest to leave me alone, so I can forget he exists.

Too bad all he’s done is left reminders.

The texts.

My throbbing neck.

The ugly-ass bruise painting my skin.

He’s texted me a few times, apologizing for his manic behavior, to which I replied with middle-finger emojis.

My thoughts are broken by my phone ringing again.

Lincoln.

“Are you ignoring me because of Isla?” he rushes out as soon as I answer, as if he’s worried that he’ll only get a second to speak.

Yes, I’m pissed about Isla, is what I want to scream.

Ask how dare he.

Mainly, I want to yell to release all the frustration from the past few days.

I exhale a stressed sigh. “I’m sure you’d be upset if you found some rando guy at my house the day after we had sex.”

“Fair point.” He blows out a breath. “I’m sorry, Cassidy. She showed up out of the blue. I want nothing to do with her. I’ve ignored her for months.”

“Who is she?”

The truth test.

Let’s see how much honesty Lincoln will give me.

“Can I come over? Explain myself?”

His question blindsides me as chills chase up my back. As I run his question through my mind again, my blood warms. If there’s anything that’d make me feel safe, that’d give me a sense of security, it’d be Lincoln.