Obsession Falls (The Haven Brothers #1)

This was so much to process, I didn’t even know where to begin. But there was a particularly nagging question at the forefront of my mind.

“Why are you telling me this now? Is the mom demanding money or threatening to go public or something?”

“No. His mother moved away from Pinecrest a number of years ago. I don’t know where she is now.”

“Then what’s going on?”

“I’ve decided to go to the police.”

I was about to ask why, when it dawned on me what she was saying. “You think he’s the stalker, don’t you?”

She nodded.

“Who is he? Does he live around here?”

“His name is Jeffrey Silva. And I heard he’d moved to Tilikum a few years ago.”

I searched my memory, trying to place him. Five years younger meant we wouldn’t have attended middle or high school at the same time. I didn’t remember him from Pinecrest, but had I met him since moving to Tilikum? His name didn’t ring any bells.

“Does he know who his father was? Does he know about me?”

“I can only guess what his mother told him. But I suspect he knows exactly who his father was and who you are.”

“But what makes you think he’s the stalker?”

“Who else would hold such a grudge against you?”

I couldn’t believe I was about to argue for this when I’d been so adamantly against the idea when Josiah had brought it up. “Well, Colin for one.”

“Colin isn’t stalking you.”

“How do you know?”

“He wouldn’t.”

I rolled my eyes because that had been the extent of my argument. “I know it seems like that, but we don’t know. He might.”

“Fine. I acknowledge it’s possible. But I don’t think Colin is capable of that kind of madness.”

“Mom, I think he would have cheated on Lorelei with me if I’d been willing.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s stalking you. Besides, Lorelei is cheating on him. Everyone knows that.”

The burn of bile hit the back of my throat and I almost gagged. “How can you be so nonchalant about that?”

“Because he cheats on her. Everyone knows that too.”

My stomach churned and I moved toward the sink in case I did vomit. This was all too much for one afternoon, especially in the wake of theI hate younote on my car. “I can’t take all this. They’re cheating on each other and everyone knows it? And this is not a big deal to you?”

“There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“But you keep implying that I should have married him. Why would you imply I should have married a cheater?”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t have cheated on you.”

“Mom.” I stared at her in disbelief. “Are you really that naïve?”

She took a resigned breath. “No. You’re probably right. It’s for the best you didn’t marry him.”