Page 89 of Creep

“My childhood made me into a lot of things, baby. A stalker is not one of them.”

So he did have a shitty childhood.

“Then why me?”

“Why you?”

I nodded against him.

“Because the first time I saw you was the first time I felt my heart beat.”

And as if on cue, that slow and steady rhythm I had been feeling sped up. I sucked in a breath.

“Because I knew you were mine on sight. I was a man obsessed. Seeing your face in everything I did. Knowing I couldn’t rest easy until I saw you again. And again. And fucking again. Until you became my favorite subject.”

“The roses?” I asked. He had left them there for me. I knew it.

“They’re your favorite flower.”

I let out a small sigh. Of course he would know that.

“What happened in your childhood?”

“Nothing happy.”

I didn’t say anything. I waited for him to elaborate. He seemed to know a lot about me, and I knew nothing about him. It was only fair that he told me more. Why that mattered, I didn’t know.

“I was in the system from when I was five up until about nine.”

I blinked. That wasn’t what I had expected him to say.

He tightened his arms around me, giving me some of his warmth. I was suddenly feeling cold.

“What happened at nine? Did you get adopted by a nice family?”

Even I could hear the naïve hope in my voice.

His bitter laugh told me everything I needed to know.

“Nope. My father found me. And I wished the son of a bitch would have left me in the system to rot instead.”

I closed my eyes, moving in closer to him.

As if he could sense my turmoil, he said, “It was a long time ago.”

“Which obviously still affected you.”

He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. I wished he wouldn’t act so blasé about this. I didn’t dare ask him how it was living with his father.

I pulled back and cupped his face. He held still for me as if he was afraid I might hurt him. The thought was almost comical.

Slowly, I leaned down and kissed him. He didn’t do anything more than let me.

For the first time, it was me making the first move. I could no longer claim to be a helpless victim in this twisted game with him.

That should have mattered to me, but it didn’t.

Not when there was one thought running through my mind.