Page 80 of Archer

“I never looked at you,” I whispered.

Archer moved closer, reading along with me.

@soundguy_nc: When you sang to me that night. Everyone else disappeared. It was just us.

I lowered the phone and turned to Archer. “This is nuts. It’s sick.”

“Harper.” Archer’s voice was tight. “Keep reading.”

I followed his line of sight to my phone screen.

@soundguy_nc: I’ve been patient. So patient. Waiting for you to understand.

@soundguy_nc: But seeing you with HIM breaks my heart.

My breath caught. “Does he mean today? At Island Adventures? At the cottage in general?”

@soundguy_nc: He doesn’t understand you like I do. He doesn’t see you.

Archer pulled me closer, his arms a protective cage as I read on.

@soundguy_nc: Leave him, Harper. Come back to me. Come back to Nashville

@soundguy_nc: We can start over.

Ding!

He was still typing!

@soundguy_nc: I’m a patient man, but you’re making this very difficult

The tone shift was stark. The first messages were worshipful, pleading. This was different. Hard.

@soundguy_nc: I’m right here, Harper.

@soundguy_nc: And I’m the only one who should know what you look like without your clothes.

I dropped the phone as if it had burned me.

“He’s watching us right now,” I said, voice shaking. I swiveled on the couch, looking through each window. “He saw us together. He saw⁠—”

Archer collected my shirt and handed it to me, then dialed his team. He sent screenshots of the messages, his voice growing more lethal with each passing moment. “He’s escalating. Getting possessive. Territorial.”

“He thinks he owns me,” I said. The words came out strangled. “Like I’m his property.”

Archer caught my face in his hands, forcing me to meet his eyes. “You’re not his anything. He’s a delusional stalker who’s built a fantasy that doesn’t exist. He’s trying to scare you. Make you feel violated. He’s attempting to exert his power over you however he can. But his power is as imaginary as everything else. Don’t forget that.”

I couldn’t breathe.

The walls felt too close, the air too thick. Every shadow in the cottage suddenly seemed suspect. I closed my eyes and concentrated on slowing my breaths as Archer finished his chat with the team and dialed the sheriff.

Nash’s voice crackled over the speakerphone when Archer finished filling him in. “Don’t respond to the messages. We’ll see if Colton can trace the account. Harper, you okay?”

“I’m trying to be.”

“All right. Stay inside. Stay alert. I’m sending a unit to do a sweep of the area.”

The call ended, and Archer pulled me into his embrace, but the only thing on my mind was Jeremy Webb’s words.