A cold shaft of unease slithered down Charlie’s throat as she clutched her phone in her fist and glanced around at the surrounding wooden tables. She’d come to one of her favorite places on campus to study for her final exam in Spanish—the Loker Reading Room located on the second floor of the venerable Widener Library of Harvard University. There were a handful of other students hunched over their laptops or textbooks. Normally, Charlie enjoyed the quiet ambiance of this cavernous area with the handsome walnut bookshelves lining the walls and her favorite architectural feature—the rounded ceiling brushed in a soft sea-foam green and embellished with intricately designed skylights.
However, in light of the text, the empty space around her rippled her skin with apprehension. She looked down at her phone, rereading the text.
Why aren’t you answering my texts? I need to see you.
Her stomach twisted into a hard knot. She looked over at the nearby window. The neat black squares staring back at her were as fathomless as they were menacing. Was Braden here on campus?
The first text came this morning as she was darting out the door to meet with her Spanish study group. It contained a friendlier tone. Braden said he’d moved back to town and wanted to know if there was a time they could get together for lunch or dinner. This was the first time Charlie had heard from Braden since he was expelled from Harvard for running an underground gambling ring. She’d thought—hoped—that when he left Cambridge to go back to his home in Ohio to work in his dad’s pet food manufacturing company that he was gone from her life for good.
For five months, there had been no word from Braden. It had been long enough for her to let her guard down and stop looking over her shoulder every second and fearing that he was lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce.
And now, the text. A shiver ran down her spine.
Charlie had been an undergrad student when she first met Braden Houser in one of her classes. The two became fast friends. Braden was smart, upbeat, and likable. Then, when Rafe broke her heart, Braden was there for her. He gave her a shoulder to cry on. The two eventually started dating. Braden had seemed a safe enough bet at the time—someone who could help mend her shattered heart.
An image of Rafe Morelli flashed through her mind, bringing a mixture of longing and anger. It was astounding and worrisome that after eight months of being apart from Rafe, he still elicited such strong emotions from her. Maybe it was because every time she thought of Rafe, she was reminded of what an idiot she was for falling for her twin brother Forge’s best friend. A retired Navy SEAL, Rafe was suave, masculine, fearless, and devastatingly charming with his quicksilver personality and disarming smile.
Charlie had known what Rafe was from the beginning. How much of an idiot could she be? Rafe was a thrill-seeking junkie who did stunts on his YouTube channel for a living. She’d known all about his reputation for dating scores of women but never settling down with any of them. She’d heard Forge mention that Rafe had commitment issues due to him losing his mom to cancer and then his oldest brother in a road biking accident. Also, Rafe had lost members of his platoon when he was a SEAL. In short, he was mixed up. Charlie vowed that she wouldn’t fall for him. However, that’s exactly what happened. He’d swept her off her feet and made her believe that the two of them had something special. Naively, she’d fallen head over heels. Then, when he broke her heart, that love turned to hate. Hindsight was a vicious kick in the teeth. She pulled in a breath and exhaled slowly. Oh, well. What was done was done. Ancient history. She’d learned her lesson and moved on.
Of course, she had no idea that her rebound relationship with Braden would end in disaster. Braden wanted to escalate their relationship to something more serious, but Charlie wasn’t ready. When she tried to break free from Braden, he became controlling and obsessive. He called and texted her nonstop, and he made a point of showing up everywhere that she was. Not wanting to alarm her family or burden them with her problems, Charlie kept the situation with Braden on the down low.
For one fleeting moment, she’d considered enlisting Forge’s help with the Braden situation but feared her twin would go ballistic and do some real damage to Braden. Forge lived his life in full-throttle mode. He never backed down from anything or anyone. That sort of boldness was intimating to Charlie. She preferred to handle things more diplomatically and find a peaceable solution rather than charging in and busting heads.
Her only other course of action seemed to be to go to the police. However, Charlie valued the privacy and anonymity that came from being so far removed from home. Around campus, she was evaluated for her own merit and not because her last name happened to be Chasing. On Honeysuckle Island, she could never escape the long shadow of her prominent and wealthy family, which included her older sister Arden’s New York Times Bestselling Author status and Forge’s YouTube stardom.
Had news of her getting stalked gotten out, then a correlation might have been drawn to her family name. (Ironic, considering that Braden’s obsession with her had nothing to do with her family.) The prospect of being thrust into the limelight was as daunting as having Braden stalk her. Braden hadn’t made any threats. However, his behavior had made her feel vulnerable and cornered.
Her distress must’ve shown on her countenance because her anthropology professor—August Baldwin—pulled her aside one day after class and asked what was wrong. At first, Charlie was reluctant to tell him the situation. However, after some prodding, she opened up and explained what was happening. August was outraged by Braden’s behavior. As it so happened, he knew Braden. At one time, Braden was a teacher’s assistant for Doctor Lillian Baldwin who taught Celtic Languages and Literatures. August explained that Lillian was his older sister. “It’s a good thing Lillian is no longer teaching here at the university. She would be mortified that she trusted a person like Braden to be her TA,” August had ranted.
August went to the dean over Braden’s department and explained how Braden was stalking her in a sly, covert way that precluded her from having anything concrete enough to take to the police. The dean called Braden into his office and extended a warning to either back off or risk getting expelled. The tactic worked. Braden left her alone. A month later, it was discovered that he’d been running a gambling ring amongst some of the other students. Braden was then expelled.
Meanwhile Charlie’s relationship with August slowly blossomed. When he asked her to dinner, she was reluctant to accept his invitation. Sure, August was distinguished and scholarly handsome. However, he was ten years her senior. Also, Charlie didn’t want to get a bad rep of dating a professor. That’s when August reminded her that while Harvard policy banned professors from dating undergrad students, there were no such policies prohibiting him from dating a grad student. August was as patient as he was persuasive. After they went to dinner together that first time, he waited an entire month before asking her out again. They went out a handful of times over the next several months. One thing led to another, and they were now a quasi-couple. Her fondness for August was growing stronger with each passing day. In time, she could possibly see herself ending up with him. Maybe. Only time will tell.
Charlie had taken a leap by inviting August to attend Forge’s wedding on Honeysuckle Island this weekend. The two of them were leaving from there to go to Italy where Charlie would accompany August to Lillian’s wedding … that is, after August spent a couple of days in Rome at Sapienza University for work. August was exploring the option of becoming a visiting professor or scholar where he would teach in Rome during the summer. He planned to pitch his program to the university.
When his sister Lillian announced that she was getting married, August scheduled his work trip near the same time. Lillian had left her teaching position at Harvard when she met someone online and fell in love. Her fiancé Ernesto owned a vineyard in Tuscany. Ever since she’d left her teaching post, Lillian had been helping Ernesto run the vineyard.
As Charlie expressed to August, her biggest concern about the two of them attending back-to-back weddings was that Charlie didn’t want to rush their relationship. Her other concern was them traveling to one of the most romantic places of the world. August put her fears to rest by assuring her that they had all the time in the world to see where their relationship might go. He was so blasé about it that she felt a little foolish for being worried. After all, the two of them had only been dating regularly for a few weeks.
Even though she and August had a clear understanding of what their relationship was or wasn’t, taking him home to meet her family was a daunting prospect. Grandmother was a beast. Charlie had no doubt that the old bat would pick August apart. Arden would pepper Charlie, wanting to know all the juicy details of the relationship. Mom would be wary but hospitable. Dad would question August at length about his career while assessing him on a personal level. Priding himself on being fair-minded, Talon would offer a hand of friendship. And Forge …
Normally, Forge would give August the third degree to make sure he was a suitable contender for his twin. However, considering that Forge was so consumed with his wedding, he might give August a free pass.
Charlie might have opted to avoid the hassle of the family drama and go to the wedding alone were it not for the fact that she knew Rafe would be there. He wouldn’t pass up a chance to be there for his best friend. Too bad he wasn’t as loyal to her as he was to Forge. She grunted at the thought. She needed to send a clear message to Rafe that she’d moved on and hadn’t looked back. She narrowed her eyes, thinking how much satisfaction she would get out of seeing Rafe’s face when he realized that she’d brought a date. Or maybe he wouldn’t care. Either way, she was going to flaunt August in front of him and make Rafe Morelli rue the day he ever toyed with her affections.
Her thoughts shifted to Forge. Charlie had spoken to him a couple of days ago and could hear the radiant joy in his voice when he told Charlie about the tumultuous events which brought Jetta back to him. Forge was devastated when he believed that the love of his life had been killed. He went into a cave that was so vast and dark that not even Charlie could bring him out. She’d resented Forge for leaning more on Rafe during that time than he had on her. She got that Rafe was Forge’s best friend and business partner. Still, she was his twin. That should count for something. She and Forge had always had a strong bond, which was why it was so tough when Forge withdrew from her.
Then, in a crazy turn of events, Forge discovered that Jetta was alive. She’d lost her memory due to an accident caused by her psychotic ex-husband who kidnapped her and was determined to get her back at all costs.
Goosebumps popped over her skin as she looked down at her phone. Speaking of psychopaths, why was Braden texting her? He was back! Her throat closed as clammy fear overtook her. She couldn’t go through the stalking thing again.
Calm down, she ordered herself. Braden has never crossed the line and shown any indication of violence. Odds are, he won’t do so now.
It was the what if that got to her. The thought of what Braden might do was more terrifying than anything he’d actually done.
Her phone vibrated, nearly knocking her out of her skin. Gripping her phone, she looked down at the text.
I love the shirt. Red has always been your best color. WE NEED TO TALK!
She glanced around. Even in this expansive room, the walls were closing in on her. Why had she not followed her instinct and gotten a new number back when all the unpleasantness took place with Braden? She’d convinced herself that it wasn’t necessary when Braden was expelled. Then he moved away to Ohio, and she thought he was out of her life for good.
Should she block his number?
Braden was lurking somewhere nearby or else he wouldn’t know what she was wearing. Was he getting some sick satisfaction out of toying with her before going in for the kill?
Her pulse thrashing against her throat like a caged cougar, Charlie dropped her phone into a side pocket of her backpack and gathered her things. This morning, when she got the text, a part of her had hoped that if she ignored it, Braden would lose interest and leave her alone. She should’ve known better.
Should she call Forge and ask him what to do? No, she didn’t want to get him in an uproar right before his wedding. The poor guy had been through the wringer. The least she could do was let him enjoy this happy time with Jetta. She might get an opportunity to talk to him about it this weekend … hopefully.
If Rafe weren’t such a jerk, she could call him. With his military background, Rafe could offer some sage advice. Charlie had learned through her mom that Rafe was the one who discovered that Jetta was still alive. Hearing Mom speak so glowingly about Rafe turned Charlie’s stomach. Good for him for saving the day and finding Jetta. Chalk another one up for Rafe Morelli. Everyone in her family would deem him a superstar now. Everyone but her—the only one who knew the truth about how fickle and shallow Rafe Morelli actually was.
No, she wouldn’t call Rafe. Blast it, she had to erase him from her life completely. That was the only way she could keep moving forward. In time, she hoped that any residual feelings for him would dissipate. She forced herself to think of August and how handsome and brilliant he was. Not to mention loyal. It was a good thing that they were taking things slow. That way, there was zero pressure. She should call August when she got outside the library and could talk on the phone. Yes, that was the answer. Having decided that, she felt a little better about the situation.
She walked briskly through the near-empty library, keeping her head on a swivel as she searched for Braden. No sign of him. During the fall and spring semesters, the library was a bustling place all hours of the day. However, during the summer, there weren’t as many students—especially at nine fifty p.m. It was eerie for everything to be so quiet and empty. As she went down to the main lobby, her heeled sandals were loud claps, echoing off the polished stone floor. The girl behind the circulation desk looked up from the book she was reading and offered a brief nod as Charlie went out through the double doors.
It was drizzling rain. No surprise, as it had been gray and overcast all day. She’d been so distracted by the text this morning and prepping for her final exam that she’d not even thought to bring an umbrella.
Chills ran up and down her arms as the dampness of the night seeped into Charlie’s bones, making her feel sluggish and paralyzed with alarm. The walk to her dorm room was only a quarter of a mile; but tonight in her state of mind, it might as well have been a hundred miles. She lingered in the protection of one of the massive columns and stared out at the foreboding night.
Was Braden lurking somewhere nearby? Her heart clanging against her ribcage, she scanned the area. Not another person in sight. Not good. She was alone and at Braden’s mercy. She retrieved her phone from her backpack and dialed August. She could ask him to come and pick her up. Then, she would show him the texts. They could decide what to do. August was so level-headed that he could put her emotions aside and properly analyze the situation.
The phone rang once before going straight to his voicemail. Irritation bubbled inside her. Why wasn’t August answering his phone? What could he be doing this time of the night? Was he in the shower? Probably. Tears sprang to her eyes as she left a curt message. “Hey, it’s me.” Her words lost air as she choked. “Braden is back in town.” She gulped. “He’s been texting me.” Stilted pause. “I’m afraid. Call me when you can. I’m walking home from the library.” What should she do? The library would be closing in a few minutes. Had Braden intentionally texted her right before closing so that she wouldn’t have any other alternative but to walk home alone?
Trembles coursed through her body, knocking her knees together. Stop it, she commanded herself. She couldn’t let Braden get to her. He’d texted asking to get together and had commented on her shirt. It was possible that she was getting herself all worked up for nothing. She took in a deep breath and offered a silent prayer for help. Then, she put her backpack on, straightened her shoulders, and went down the long trail of steps.
The frantic pounding of her pulse against her temples was a propeller that drowned out all else. Ignoring the cold wet needles of rain that pressed on her face, she kept her gaze fixed forward to her destination as she walked along the sidewalk. The massive trees crowding around her were dark, suffocating phantoms. Her feet seemed to have a mind of their own as she walked as fast as she could. The minutes stretched on, making it seem as though she were in a time warp. When The Perkin’s Hall came into view, she let out a sigh of relief and quickened her pace to a jog. Almost there! Go! her mind screamed as she scrambled up the steps. Her skin crawled with the itch of someone being on her heels.
It wasn’t until she got to the door that she dared to brave a look back.
From what she could tell, the coast was clear. Her hand shaking, she opened the door and went inside. Shivers ran through her as she brushed the rain from her clothes. Her teeth chattering, she hugged her arms and trudged up the steps to get to her room on the third floor rather than taking the elevator which was notoriously slow. It was good to be safe inside the protective walls of the dormitory. Forge had chided her for opting to live in a dormitory as a grad student. It just went to show how little her brother knew about Harvard life. The majority of all the students lived on campus. It was part of the Harvard experience.
She passed a couple of students in the hall who gave her funny looks. Fighting the urge to touch her sopping-wet hair, she nodded and offered a friendly smile. “Good evening.” She was sure she looked like a drowned rat. Her wet clothes were clinging to her. She wanted to get inside her room and take a hot shower.
She rounded the next corner and stopped dead in her tracks as the air left her lungs. Braden stood beside her door, holding a bundle of pink tulips. When he saw her, a large smile filled his thin face. “Hello.”
Everything in her wanted to turn and run as far away from him as she could. She glanced around, keenly aware that they were alone. It was all she could do to find her voice. “W—what’re you doing here?” Her heart was pounding so profusely that it was making her dizzy.
His expression turned wounded. “What kind of question is that?” The edges of his eyes hardened. “I’ve been trying to reach you. Why didn’t you return my texts?”
Instinct told her that she needed to put on a strong front so that he wouldn’t pick up on her fear. “How did you know that I was wearing a red shirt? Were you following me?”
Hesitation clouded his features, and then he thrust out his hand. “These are for you.”
Braden was tall and thin with a shock of blonde hair and bright blue eyes—an all-American guy. He didn’t look especially strong but looks could be deceiving. Could she fight him off if he attacked? “I can’t take them.”
His face fell. “Why not? They’re your favorite.”
The look of genuine shock on his face was astounding. Did he not realize how he was coming across? Where were the other students when she needed them? Ice flowed through her veins, reminding her that she needed to change out of these wet clothes. Why hadn’t August answered his phone? “Braden,” she began as kindly as she could. “You and I were over a long time ago.” When she and Braden were together, she mentioned that she loved pink tulips. He'd started buying them for her afterwards. The stranger things got with Braden and her, the more she’d come to despise pink tulips, simply because they reminded her of him.
Frustration tinged his features. He shook his head back and forth. “No! You don’t mean that.”
“Why did you come back here?”
He dipped his head like he was perplexed that she would ask such a question. “For you,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I love you.”
His admission was a slap in the face.
“Don’t you remember how great we were together?” His voice had a plaintive, whiny tone.
Invisible hands squeezed her neck. “No,” she said flatly. “We weren’t.” He was clearly delusional. “You need to leave.”
His jaw went sharp as he closed the distance between them. A crazed look came into his eyes. “I came all this way, rented an apartment … for you.”
She took a step back. “I never asked you to.”
“You didn’t have to. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Nothing.”
The rigid determination on his face filled her with a growing panic. Braden was unhinged, possibly dangerous. “You need to let this go.” Her voice sounded pathetically weak and cornered in her ears. Normally, she considered her older sister to be too abrasive and outspoken. Right now, however, she needed to channel Arden’s candor. Plain speak might be the only thing that Braden would understand.
Rage tightened his features. “You love me,” he growled. “Don’t try to deny it. We were meant to be together. I knew it from the first minute I saw you.”
“Please.” Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the quiver out of her voice as she continued. “Leave me alone.”
He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, the veins of his neck writhing like worms. She had the uncanny impression of watching Dr. Jekyll rein in Mr. Hyde as a tight smile stretched over his lips. His voice grew conversational. “You’re soaked. Let’s go inside and talk this out.”
“No,” she blurted and moved to flee, but he caught hold of her wrist.
“We’re going inside,” he hissed.
No way was Charlie going into that room with this lunatic. He would rape her. Maybe even kill her. A cold numbness spread through her body as tears blurred her vision. “You’re hurting me.”
A hard cackle sounded in his throat as a feverish light flickered in his eyes. Her stomach roiled with the knowledge that her terror excited him.
In a flash, her fear gave way to anger. She jutted out her chin and looked him in the eye. “I—said—let—go—of—me!”
He blinked in surprise as she kneed him in the groin.
Cursing, he released her wrist and doubled over.
She took those precious seconds to bolt. “Help!” she screamed as she sprinted down the hall. “Help!”
“Shut up,” Braden snapped. “You’re being ridiculous.”
She ran smack dab into a guy coming the other direction. He caught hold of her arm to steady her. “Hey.”
Her knees buckled as she looked up. “August,” she cried, falling into his chest.
“I got your message and rushed over. What happened?” He looked past her. “Stop!” he ordered.
She looked back to see Braden running the other direction, carrying the tulips with him.
“You’re soaked. Let’s get you inside,” August suggested, rubbing her arm. He gave her a pointed look. “You know what this means, right?”
She scrunched her face. “What?”
“This time, you have to go to the police.”
While a part of her recoiled at the thought, she knew he was right. Braden obviously wasn’t backing down. Chances were the situation would get much worse before it got better. It would be smart to involve the police. Wearily, she nodded her agreement.
