*Previously on Crazy Stalker Love– Read Chapter 12 HERE

Henley opens her apartment door. Hunter follows closely behind. He grabs her by the waist, and pushes her gently behind him, as he walks into her apartment first.

“Hunter?” she huffs pushing past him, she flicks on the light. “Don’t be so dramatic.”

“Oh ok, so you’d prefer to stay alone? Ok, fine then,” he says walking back toward the door.

“Wait. You can stay. If you want. I mean I guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing to have you around,” she says rolling her eyes.

“I don’t understand why you just can’t admit that you need me, or that you want me to stay.”

Henley looks at him, as she rolls her eyes, with a sigh.

“Will you stay?”

“Why?” he asks.

“Come on, you’re really gonna make me work for this aren’t you?” she says smirking at him as she shakes her head.

“Oh absolutely,” he says smirking as he raises an eyebrow.

“Ok fine. I’d like you to stay. Because I’d feel safer with you here,” Henley says cutting the bull crap.

“Hen, I was never not staying, even if I had to fight you on it. There was no way I was leaving you alone. But I have to admit it’s awesome knowing that you actually want me here.”

Henley rolls her eyes again, as she laughs, “Well thank you. I appreciate all you’re doing for me.”

“Anytime.” He says taking her hands in his as he places a sweet kiss on her lips. “This guy’s really got you nervous, huh?” he says looking at her with concern.

“I guess I didn’t realize how much, until I was faced with the idea of having to stay home alone at night,” she says looking away.

“Have you heard from him at all recently?”

“No. Thank god,” she says sitting on her couch. “I told him I would be working late tonight.”

Hunter makes a wincing face.

“What?” she asks.

“Not hearing from him isn’t necessarily a good thing at this point,” he says sitting next to her.

“What do you mean?” Henley says confused.

“Well, with stalker behavior if you haven’t heard from them, that usually means their stewing in their own weird delusions. A creep like him, he isn’t just going to go away.  And if he suspects even in the slightest that you’re onto him, then you can bet he’s going to be extra careful.”

“Oh god, what more can he possibly do?”

“Hey, look, Leo and the team are already on it. Ok, they’re working on getting a warrant to search his apartment. Don’t worry we’re gonna get this guy.”

“I just can’t believe I let this happen. I mean at first I just thought he was so attentive ya know? I thought it was endearing that he cared so much. And then today I just got a really weird feeling. Something in my gut. A little late I know, right? Ugh, how could I be so stupid!” she says getting up and pacing her living room, covering her face.

“Hey, you’re not stupid. You didn’t know he was a weirdo. You have a good heart. You trusted someone, who turned out not to be trust worthy. It wouldn’t be the first time,” he says knowingly looking at her as he gets up walking over to her.

“That’s different. I loved you. And I knew you were struggling. Do not put yourself in the same category as him. Even on your worst day, I was never made to feel this scared. Scared to lose you, yes. But afraid that you’d hurt me, never.” she says looking at him.

“Well I’m grateful for that. That was always my biggest regret, scaring you,” he says taking her hands in his, as he looks away.

“I just… I can’t believe I didn’t see this guy coming from a mile away!” she says frustrated.

“Look, it’s tricky with stalkers, they know how to play the game. You never really know with them.”

“No I didn’t, but you did. And I didn’t listen to you. I just thought you were being a jealous ex-boyfriend,” Henley says rolling her eyes at herself.

“Well I was. At first. But when I met him, I just got a bad feeling about him. The way he watched you like a hawk. It was just unsettling.”

“Hmm, I’m sorry. Don’t you watch me like a hawk?”

“Ah maybe, but I do it with a certain sexy flare, don’t you think?” he says smirking as he pulls her by the waist over to him.

“Yea maybe so,” she says smirking. She pulls him by the neck into a kiss. Hunter’s arms pull her in tighter. Henley starts unbuttoning his shirt, but Hunter pulls away. He looks at her for some type of signal to either stop or keep going.

Henley smiles simply as she reaches for his belt buckle.

“Hey…hey…It’s been a long day,” he says stopping her hand. “You should get some rest,” he says looking at her.

Henley looks up at him, confused yet offended.

Hunter’s phone starts to ring as he pulls away to answer it.

“It’s Leo,” he says looking down at it, “Hey Leo, what do we know?” he says turning away.

Henley stares awaiting any sign of good news, but also partly falling apart inside from Hunter’s rejection.

“We got the warrant, we’re on our way to search his apartment now,” Leo says walking up to his unmarked car.

“Ok good, I um, I’m staying with Henley, so keep me posted. Let me know if you need anything.”

“You got it,” Leo says nodding as he gets into his car and drives off.

“They got the warrant, their on their way to search his apartment,” Hunter says with a pleased smirk.

“Oh wow, that was fast.”

“We work fast.” he says smiling.

“You know you can go. If you want.”

Hunter looks at her confused.

“I mean clearly you want to go and see things for yourself, so…go, I’ll be fine. I’ll call Piper or something,” Henley says with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Look, would I like to investigate this myself, of course. But Leo’s on it, I trust him. I’d rather be here with you, knowing your safe.”

“Are you sure about that? Because I feel like you can’t even look me in the eye?”

“What are you talking about?” he says with a laugh, looking straight at her, making clear eye contact.

“You just, you couldn’t answer your phone fast enough, saved by the ringtone, right?” she says motioning to the moment they were just having.

“Oh my god, Henley really? You’re freaking out because I stopped us, while we’re waiting on news about your stalker. I’m sorry if I’m not exactly in the mood.”

“You’re always in the mood. So it just reaffirms my worry that you do in fact think less of me, because of all this. You don’t want to be with me, because you know I’ve been with him. And I hate it, because it was such a mistake. And I know it. Ok? I know it. It wasn’t anything like it is with you.”

“Ok first of all I’m not gonna pretend and act like that doesn’t make me happy,” he says smirking at her confession. “But you’re jumping into making some serious snap judgements. Second of all, I love you. So much. You know that. Stop questioning that. Is this whole thing crazy? Yes. Do I hate that you had sex with another guy? Yes. But that would be the case no matter who he was.  Do I still love you, and want to be with you no matter what? Hell yes. So stop overthinking this. It has been a long day. You should rest. And I need to be alert in case of anything. I can’t jeopardize your safety, just because I want to make love to you. Because I do, of course I do. I always do. But now’s not the time. Just be realistic Henley. Get out of your head and maybe cut me some slack, please. Give me some credit for being madly in love with you.”

“I’m sorry,” she says covering her face. “Ugh god, I hate this.”

Hunter softens, “Come here,” he says pulling her into a hug, he kisses her forehead. “Why don’t you sit, take a nap, I’ll figure out something for us to eat.” he says looking down at her.

Henley nods as she gives him a small smile, and cozies up on her couch.

Hunter sits watching TV, although it might as well be off, his senses all on high alert.

Henley sleeps on his chest, all snuggled up on him.

He turns and looks down at her, placing a kiss on her forehead, her hair smelling of lavender.

Hunter’s phone rings, as he wiggles out from under Henley and walks off to the side, “Stone,” he answers.

“Hey, we just got through combing his apartment, nothing out of the ordinary at first, but we kept at it. And well…we found something. You’ve got to see this Hunter,” Leo says as he switches his phone to video.

Hunter squints in the darkness of the apartment as he focuses his tired eyes on the tiny screen before him. Leo clicks through images on Blake’s computer, there are thousands of images of Henley. Henley out meeting with Piper and friends, Henley in a towel in her apartment, Henley at work, Henley and Hunter kissing, the images just kept coming.

“What the hell?” Hunters says, “He’s been following her for months? Who is this guy?”

“Look Hunt, I don’t know, but there are some seriously delicate images on this computer of Henley, of Blake and Henley, of you and Henley. This guy is obsessed with her.”

“Bring him in, I’ll meet you at the station,” Hunter says, as Henley starts to stir.

“You got it, I’ll have all this logged into evidence too,” Leo says.

“Thanks Leo, you’re the only one I’d trust with this,” Hunter says.

“I got your back, man, I’ll see you at the station soon,” Leo says hanging up.

Hunter hangs up, obviously thrown. He knew Blake was a creep, but didn’t think he could get any creepier.

“Hey, was that Leo?” Henley says getting up from the couch. Her voice scratchy. Her hair tousled.

“Hey, yea, they uh- searched Blake’s place, and found pictures of you on his computer.”

“Oh god, ew” Henley she says making a face as she slips her shoes on.

“A lot of pictures Hen, like, thousands. I mean but it’s not just of you, I’m in them, Piper, the girls. But the even scarier thing is you only met Blake what 5 months or so ago?”

“Yea about that long ago, why?”

“The pictures he has of us, they date back like a year ago, he’s been watching you and us for quite some time. Like literally through the blinds…,” he says his voice trailing off.

“Oh, that’s just sick. Why would he want pictures of me with you? I don’t understand. And when I met him, he acted like he didn’t know me, or know my situation with you. What’s his angle here? None of this makes sense.”

“Look, I don’t know yet, but we’re sure as hell gonna find out.”

“Hunter, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that you’re being dragged into this. I had no idea this guy was out there all this time- watching.”

“Stop. This isn’t your fault. You didn’t ask for him to come along and stalk you.”

“I know but, I encouraged it that night we met at the bar. I should have just ignored him-“

“Stop. I won’t let you blame yourself for this. I didn’t know he was out there either. How could we? There is no way you could have known.”

Henley frowns looking away.

“But listen, Leo is bringing him in, and I need to go down to the station, so I need you to come with me.”

“I don’t want to see him, Hunter.”

“You don’t have to, but I’m not leaving you alone.”

Henley nods.

To be continued…

*I do not take credit for any images used in my edits or otherwise.*

-<3-