Keeping Secrets (An Anonymous Novella)

Chapter 10

"How does this happen in the first place?" Chloe asked. "Wouldn't I know it if someone was being a bit too creepy?"

"Not necessarily." Jackson moved to his desk to pick up a manila folder. He paged through the documents. "I had one of my techs compile a folder on stalkers and stalker cases. It's so easy to unknowingly acquire a stalker." He handed the folder to Chloe. "Especially because of your popularity."

Chloe glanced over at Ethan, hoping he'd look at her. He didn't, though he could no doubt see her from his peripherals.

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Ethan was only acting like everything was perfect with everyone else. Her eyes spanned over his features. His shoulders had a tightness to them and if the lighting was fine then he definitely had dark circles under his eyes.

She needed his support right now and was desperate enough to get it any way she could. Even just a small glance.

He still didn't meet her eyes. "Is there...is there any way she could've encouraged this behavior?"

Chloe's stomach hardened and she reared back like Ethan had hit her. "Are you seriously asking if I somehow asked someone to stalk me?" The words came out sharp and dripping with hurt.

At that Ethan glanced at her, mouth tight. "That's not at all what I'm asking."

"Really?" She exhaled sharply through her nose. "Because it sounded like it."

If he was going to act like a jerk, well then she would too.

"Well good thing—"

"Guys," Jackson barked. "Focus."

"Lizzie did not ask to be stalked just as Ethan did not mean to be cruel." Jackson hurried on. "Now if you two are done, I'd like to go through this."

Chloe flipped through the folder Jackson gave her. It mostly held documents of other stalker cases, or of police records in which they'd been called in to deal with stalkers. She'd even caught a wisp of Danika's name in one of the police records, though she had no idea Danika had had the police get involved.

"Stalkers are easier to get than you think." Jackson told her. "It could be something as simple as a smile to get him to click with you."

"Being in the public light makes it worse. He's probably watched every interview, read every article about you—it wouldn't be uncommon for him to watch Ethan as well, especially now that everyone knows you're dating."

It kept getting worse and worse. "From what I've learned—and you can find it in that file right there—this guy has probably been rejected his whole life. In order to compensate for that he's created this entire fantasy life with you at the center, accepting him."

"How do we break that fantasy?" Ethan asked.

"That's where it gets tough. Since this is all in his head, he'll have a hard time letting go. He's dressed up this vision of you, Lizzie, in his mind and believes you to be his. If he thinks he's losing you, he can and will become very dangerous. As you've seen."

"But, we just let the whole world know Ethan and I are dating."

"Exactly."

"So what do we do?" Chloe burst out, the panic pushing at her chest.

"Right now? Lay low. I've already spoken to Melena and had her cancel your channel 7 interview for next week. It's important we don't give this guy any more fodder to work with. In some cases if you ignore them long enough, stalkers will find a new obsession and move on."