Nicholas Sparks - The Lucky One

His chutzpah nearly took her breath away. "Do you honestly expect me to believe you have my best interests at heart after admitting that you've been spying on me for years? And that you were responsible for ruining any chance I had of finding a relationship?"

"This has nothing to do with those things."

"Let me guess… you think he's using drugs, right?"

"I have no idea. But I should warn you that he hasn't been honest with you."

"You have no idea whether he's been honest with me. Now get out. I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to hear what you have to say-"

"Then ask him yourself," Clayton interrupted. "Ask him whether he came to Hampton to find you."

"I'm done," she declared, moving toward the door so much as touch me on the way out, I'm going to scream for help."

She walked past him, and as she was about to cross the threshold, Keith sighed audibly.

"Ask him about the photograph," he said.

His comment brought her to a halt. "What?"

Keith's expression was as serious as she'd ever seen it, "The photograph he got from Drake."

Clayton knew by her expression that he had her attention but wasn't sure she understood the implications.

"He has a photograph of you," he went on, "and when he first got to town, he flashed it around Decker's Pool Hall. Tony was there that night and he saw it. Actually, he called me right away because he thought the guy's story sounded weird, but I didn't think much of it. Last weekend, though, Tony came by to tell me that he recognized Thibault when he was playing the piano at church."

Beth could only stare at him.

"I don't know if Drake gave it to him, or if he took it from Drake. But I figure that's the only thing that makes sense. Both Drake and Thibault were in the marines, and according to Tony, the picture was an older one, taken a few years ago."

He hesitated. "I know that what I told you about the way I behaved might make it seem like I'm trying to run him off, but I'm not going to talk to him. I do think that you should, however, and I'm not saying this because I'm your ex-husband. I'm saying this as a deputy sheriff."

Beth wanted to walk away but couldn't seem to find the will to move.

Think about it. He had a picture of you, and based only on that, he walked across the country to find you. I don't know why, but I can make a pretty good guess. He was obsessed with you even though you'd never met, like someone who gets obsessed with movie stars. And what did he do? He hunted you down, but seeing you from afar-or simply meeting you-wasn't enough. Instead, he had to become part of your life. That's what dangerous stalkers do, Beth."

His tone was calm and professional, which only intensified the dread she'd begun to feel.

"By your expression, I know that all of this is news to you. You're wondering if I'm telling the truth or if I'm lying, and my track record isn't perfect. But, please, for Ben's sake-for your own sake-ask him about it. I can be there if you want me to be there, or I could even send another deputy if you'd prefer that. Or you can call someone else-your friend Melody. I just want you to understand how serious this is. How… creepy and weird this is. This is scary stuff, and I can't impress on you enough how important it is that you take it seriously, too."

His mouth was set in a straight line as he set the file on a child's desk beside him. "This is some general information on Logan Thibault. I didn't have time to dig too deep, and I can get in big trouble for even letting you see this, but since I don't know what else he hasn't told you…" He trailed off before looking up at her again.

"Think about what I told you. And be careful, okay?"

Beth

She could barely see through the windshield, but this time it had less to do with the rain than her inability to concentrate. After Keith had left, she kept blinking in confusion as she stated at the file, trying to make sense of the things her ex had told her.

Logan had Drake's photograph… Logan had become obsessed with her… Logan had decided to seek her out… Logan had hunted her down.

She found it hard to breathe, and it had been all she could do to go to the office and tell the principal that she had to go home. The principal had taken one look at her face and agreed, offering to cover her class the rest of the afternoon. Nana would pick up Ben after school, Beth informed him.

On the drive home, her mind flashed from one image to the next a kaleidoscope of sight and sound and smell. She tried to convince herself that Keith was lying, grasping for a way to rationalize his news. It was possible, especially considering the way he'd lied in the past, and yet… Keith had been serious. More professional than personal, and J told her something she could easily check. He knew she u d ask Logan about it… he wanted her to ask Logan… which meant…

She squeezed the wheel, possessed by a feverish need to talk to Logan. He would clear this up. He had to be able to clear this up.

Water from the river now stretched across the road, but in her preoccupied state, she didn't realize it until she plowed into the water. She jerked forward as the car almost came to a stop. The river flowed around her, and she thought the water would stall the engine, but the car continued to roll forward into ever deeper water, before finally emerging in a shallower patch.

By the time Beth reached the house, she wasn't even sure what to feel, other than confused. One instant she felt angry and betrayed and manipulated; in the next, she was able to convince herself that it couldn't be true, that Keith had lied to her again.

As she came up the drive, she found herself scanning the rain swept grounds for Logan.

Up ahead, through low-hanging mist, she could see lights on in the house. She considered going in to talk to Nana, longing for Nana's clarity and common sense to straighten everything out. But when she saw the lights on in the office and noted the propped-open door, she felt something catch in her throat. She turned the wheel in the direction of the office, telling herself that Logan didn't have the picture, that the whole thing had been a mistake. She bounced through muddy puddles, the rain coming so hard now that the wipers couldn't keep up. On the office porch, she saw Zeus lying near the door, his head raised.

She pulled to a stop out front and ran for the porch, rain stinging her face. Zeus approached her, nosing at her hand. She ignored him as she walked inside, expecting to find Logan at the desk.

He wasn't there. The door that led from the office to the kennel stood open. She steeled herself, pausing in the middle of the office, as shadows moved in the darkened corridor. She waited as Logan emerged into the light.

"Hey, Elizabeth," he said. "I didn't expect to see you…" He trailed off. "What happened?"

Staring at him, she felt her emotions threaten to boil over. Her mouth suddenly felt papery dry, and she didn't know how to start or what to say. Logan said nothing, sensing her volatile state.

She closed her eyes, feeling on the verge of tears, then drew a careful breath. "Why did you come to Hampton?" she finally asked. "I want the truth this time."

He didn't move. "I told you the truth," he said.

"Did you tell me everything?"

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before answering. "I've never lied to you," he said, his voice quiet.

"That's not what I asked!" she snapped. "I asked if you've been hiding anything!"

He appraised her carefully. "Where's this coming from?"

"That doesn't matter!" This time, she heard the anger in her tone. "I just want to know why you came to Hampton!"

"I told you-"

"Do you have a picture of me?" Logan said nothing.