11. Violet

11

VIOLET

My heart is still beating fast from seeing the letter on Kane's car. How did he find me here? What would've happened if I hadn't gotten out of the car at the grocery store?

We've been driving for an hour, but finally have a destination. Kane's dad has a friend with a fishing cabin we're heading to. It doesn't have any amenities, but it'll do for tonight. I don't care where we stay, as long as I'm with Kane and we're safe.

"Dad said it was rustic," Kane says as we drive up. "I'm hoping that there's at least working plumbing."

"It does look more shack than cabin," I agree.

We get out of the car and go inside the cabin. Looks can be deceiving, from the outside the cabin looks like it would be rat-infested and about to fall over. Instead, it's warm and clean inside. There's a full-sized bed and the linens look like they've been replaced recently. It's not a bad place to spend the night and not on any map. It's an illegally built cabin. No inspections, no permits, nothing.

"We need to call Zoe," I remind Kane.

"I know, but maybe we should read it first," he says, pulling out the letter from his pocket.

The red letters on the envelope look like blood and the violence behind the word written across the front frightens me. I can only imagine with the outside this way what the inside will be.

"Do you want me to read it first?" Kane asks.

"No, I need to do this."

I open the envelope and pull out the letter. In the past, it was one or two lines. Telling me to stop being with men in some way, stop acting, and then confessing his feelings. This letter is a full page of rambling somewhere between a love letter and a promise of violence.

"He says that we've known each other for years and always knows we were meant to be together. That the whole world knows we're destined for each other. Then he switches to telling me that if I don't stop fucking the tattooed asshole, he'll kill you. He mentions us drinking wine on the balcony and making love under the stars." I stop, unable to continue. The stalker has been watching me with Kane since almost the first night at the cabin.

"How does this bastard know where you are?"

"I don't know. No one knew."

"We're calling Zoe, now."

Kane pulls out his phone and dials his sister.

"Hello."

"Zoe? Are you asleep?"

"Sorry, Kane. I've been keeping late hours and must've passed out. What's up?"

"Violet and I are both here on speaker."

"Violet, are you okay?"

"Physically, yes." I sigh. "Emotionally, not so much."

"Can someone tell me what's happening?" Zoe urges.

"Violet got another letter. He knows she's in Star Mountain and at the cabin."

"What? How?"

"I don't know," I tell her. "I thought I was safe, but obviously not. I don't understand what the end game is here, but I'm starting to wish I could just confront this crazy person and move on."

Zoe laughs, "That's different than how you felt when you left LA. You were scared out of your mind. You ran away as soon as you were given an opportunity."

She must be tired. Zoe's always on my side, but that was snarky and unfunny.

"I've felt safe the last few days and I don't want to go back to living any other way."

Kane holds out his hands to me and I slide into his lap. Being near him makes me feel stronger and like I can handle anything.

"Zoe, there's something else I want to tell you," Kane says, looking into my eyes. "Violet and I have started seeing each other."

"What does that mean?" Zoe asks, an edge to her tone that I haven't heard before.

"Um, Zoe, I know that it's bound to be a little awkward, but I care about your brother. He's amazing."

"I know, he's my brother." Zoe sighs. "I'm tired. Can we do this later?"

"Of course."

"Where are you guys staying? In case I need to find you or something."

"We're off the grid and safe."

"I need to know where you are, Kane. I'm the one that runs Violet's life, and things are happening that I might need to find her for."

I shake my head at him. I have a gut feeling suddenly and I don't want her to know where I am.

Kane gives her the location of one of his marine buddy's ranches in Texas and we get off the phone.

"Is there a reason you didn't want Zoe to know where we are?" he asks.

"I think I'm going crazy." I stand up and pace back and forth in the small cabin.

"What do you mean?"

"She was different." I take a breath and clarify. "Zoe was different. She laughed at my fear, she didn't care about us being together, and she was demanding about our location. There was no reason for her to know where we are."

"She was just tired. You know how Zoe gets when she's tired," Kane laughs. "I think we're all tired."

He's right. I'm exhausted and imagining that my best friend is the one who's been terrorizing me. That doesn't make sense. The person who's been sending me the letters is a man who's obsessed with me. Someone I either know from acting or a fan who has somehow managed to get way too close.

"Let's go to bed and figure out what's next in the morning."

We climb in between the sheets and automatically move into each other's arms. Slowly we make love. It's not the hurried, passionate affair I imagined after necking in the car, but that feels like a lifetime ago.

Later that night, I lay on his chest listening to Kane breathe. What if I'm putting him in more danger by staying here? If I went back to my life in LA, would I be able to find out who's doing this faster, or would I be in more danger? If something happened to Kane, I'd never be able to forgive myself.

I get out of bed, pull on Kane's T-shirt, and slink to the other side of the tiny cabin. I call Zoe, hoping that I'm not waking her up again.

"Hey."

"I'm not waking you up again, am I?"

"No, I couldn't get back to sleep. Sorry for being a bitch earlier."

"Don't worry about it." I pause, thinking about my gut feeling earlier. Kane is right, how could his sister be the one doing this? She's my best friend. "I need a favor."

"You know I'd do anything for you," she answers. "Put me to work, boss."

"I hate it when you call me that."

"I know," she giggles. "What do you need?"

"It's time to come back to LA. This isn't going to end if I keep running and now, I'm putting Kane in danger."

"You like my brother?"

"I do."

"But you're going to leave him? That doesn't make a lot of sense, Violet. What do you think Kane is going to think when he finds out that you've just left him and gone back to LA where everything is easier for you?"

"Easier for me?" I don't know what she means by that. "It's not easier for me to leave him. My heart is breaking, but I can't be responsible for him being hurt. If he's safer without me then that's how it has to be."

"Where are you staying? I'll send a car and get you a plane back to LA," she says.

"I can get to the airport. We're staying somewhere off grid like Kane said. I just need a flight back. If you'll send me the information when you get it." My palms are sweating from gripping the phone so tightly. "And, Zoe, please don't say anything to Kane. It's best if I just go."

"Okay."

She hangs up and I sit with the phone still in my tight knuckled grip. Am I doing the right thing? Probably not, but I think it's the only thing I can do right now.