If he clenched his jaw any harder, his teeth would surely shatter. “I’m so sick and tired of that girl.” His voice was a low growl before his tone softened as he turned his attention to me. “You,” he murmured, moving his fingers through my hair in a way that felt halfway between soothing me and taming the frazzled mess it had become, “don’t need to worry your pretty little head about Alexander.”

He started rubbing my arms down gently in slow, deliberate strokes. “What are you doing?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Calming your nerves,” he said, his lips quirking into a small smirk. “You look like a baby deer caught in headlights, Blondie.” He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my hairline.

I flinched back instinctively, making him pause.

“What’s the matter?” His hands hovered just above my arms like he wasn’t sure if he should let go or hold on tighter.

I shook my head, trying to clear my head. “Nothing, sorry. I need to, uh, find Kelly. We’re supposed to go to the festival together.” Patting my pockets frantically until I found my phone, fumbling to send Kelly a text.

The screen lit up with multiple messages:

Kelly: where are u?????

Kelly: I can’t find u!!

Unknown: baby girl, I’m waiting for you

Kelly: where did he take you??

My stomach dropped. Deleting Alexander's number hadn't stopped him from texting me. I considered blocking him, but who knew what that might provoke. The second anonymous text I got drained the blood right out of my body.

Unknown: dirty little secrets...

A picture of Garrett and me out on a date was underneath that second unknown text. Along with a picture of me and Brent.

My hands trembled as I turned the phone and shoved it into Brent, showing him the messages.

His eyes darkened as he scrolled. “How long have you been getting messages like this?”

"I'm not sure," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I thought they were mass texts until just now. One is Alexander. Sloane made me give him my number, but I deleted the contact before his name made me hurl. But the other one..." My hands were slightly shaking, and I felt like I was working up a cold sweat.

Who was watching me? What did they want? Another mystery to add to the already tangled web of situations I kept finding myself in.

I tried to close my eyes and breathe slowly, but it felt like it just made it worse. There was someone specifically seeking me out, sending me messages, and I was stupid enough to think it was mass texts going out.

This couldn't be happening to me... I felt the sudden urge to puke again. Bending over, I knew it wouldn’t come, but I needed my head between my legs for the nausea.