—A survivor, no longer grateful, no longer silent.
It started with small things. He didn’t like my best friend, Jenna. “She’s reckless,” he said. “She puts you in danger.” Then he didn’t like my job. “Your boss doesn’t respect you. Quit. I’ll support you.” Then he didn’t like me going anywhere without telling him first. “After what happened with Mark, I just need to know you’re safe.” the admirer who fought off my stalker was an even worse hot
The language of safety is the most effective weapon ever invented. Because how can you argue with someone who says, I’m only doing this because I care ? That’s like arguing with a glass of water. You just drink it and wonder why you’re drowning. The turning point came three months into our relationship. I was late coming home from a dentist appointment. My phone had died. I walked into the apartment to find Aidan sitting in the dark, perfectly still, like a spider at the center of a web. —A survivor, no longer grateful, no longer silent
The night I finally left, I waited until he fell asleep. I took only my phone, my passport, and the dog. I drove to a motel 40 miles away and paid in cash. For three days, I didn’t tell anyone where I was. Not because I was afraid of Mark anymore. I was afraid of Aidan. Because Mark wanted to watch me from a distance. Aidan wanted to own my breath. “She’s reckless,” he said
“My phone died. I’m sorry, I—”
Then, one night, Mark crossed the line from haunting to hunting. He followed me into the third level of the Grand Avenue garage, his footsteps a metronome of dread echoing off the concrete. There was no one else around. No security camera pointed at this particular corner. Just me, my keys threaded between my knuckles, and the slow, sickening realization that he had cornered me against a pillar.
Aidan became my shadow in the weeks that followed. He would text me at 2:00 AM: Just checking you locked your windows . He showed up at my coffee shop, my gym, my grocery store. At first, I told myself he was attentive . Then I told myself he was protective . Then, one night, he told me he had hacked into Mark’s email to make sure he’d left town.