I Thought I Was His Stalker. I Was Actually His Girlfriend Chapter 01

I Thought I Was His Stalker. I Was Actually His Girlfriend Chapter 01

I searched online for dating hacks and found a top-rated post:

“You don’t need to chase a guy. Just call him hubby for three months and he’ll get used to it.”

I figured I had nothing to lose, so every day online, I called my aloof crush “hubby” this and “hubby” that.

Then, at my brother’s birthday dinner, he started gossiping about his famously aloof roommate, the campus heartthrob.

“Blake Carter’s been getting harassed by some creep lately. She messages him nonstop and keeps calling him hubby!”

“He’s documenting everything so he can file a police report and get her arrested!”

The more I listened, the colder I felt.

Then I saw Blake’s League of Legends account.

Whatever hope I had left died on the spot.

I-I was the creep?

That night, Blake messaged me like usual.

[Want to see a picture? I trained chest today.]

I answered solemnly.

[Sir, please conduct yourself appropriately. Do not distribute obscene material.]

Blake went silent for a few seconds.

[Do you have a new hubby or something?]

—

At dinner, my brother had been telling the story with way too much enthusiasm.

“That cool, quiet roommate of mine, Blake? He’s got a stalker now.”

“You have no idea how creepy she is. She sends stuff to the dorm all the time, calls him constantly, and keeps calling him hubby. It’s seriously disturbing.”

I looked calm on the outside.

Inside, I was having a full-blown crisis.

Buying things for my crush. Calling my crush. Calling him hubby…

Why did that sound so familiar?

With trembling fingers, I pulled out my phone and looked at the last message I had sent him.

[Hubby, I have plans tonight. I probably won’t be back early.]

Blake hadn’t replied.

My brother, meanwhile, kept unknowingly digging my grave.

“And she keeps updating Blake on where she is, like she’s convinced they’re dating. Tell me that isn’t insane.”

I asked weakly, “So… what does Blake think?”

“What do you think? Did you forget we’re law students?”

My brother lit up his phone. His lock screen showed the words CRIMINAL LAW in giant red letters.

“Blake’s already collecting evidence. Better get ready for jail, menace to society.”

Half my soul had already left my body, but I still wasn’t ready to give up.

“Logan, can you send me Blake’s contact?”

Maybe it wasn’t him.

Maybe Blake wasn’t the same cold, ridiculously good League player I had been flirting with online.

Logan lifted a brow and was just about to answer when the private dining room door opened.

A guy walked in wearing a plain black shirt. His expression was distant, his face unreadable, and somehow that only made it harder not to look at him.

“Blake!”

Logan waved him over. “Perfect timing. Someone wants your contact info—”

Blake didn’t even look up.

“No.”

Logan shrugged at me like, See?

“Once bitten, twice shy. He’s extra cautious now.”

One of the other roommates leaned over and explained in a low voice, “You know, in case he runs into another creep. Not saying you’re one, Sophie…”

No.

I probably was that creep.

I was about to accept my fate when I decided I needed one last confirmation.

“Blake.”

I looked at him carefully. “Logan said you’re really good at League. Could you carry me through one ranked game? I’m trying to rank up.”

Logan frowned. “When did I ever—ow.”

Without changing my expression, I moved my heel off his foot.

“You did.”

Blake actually agreed this time.

“Give me a second.”

He opened League and logged in.

Before he could queue, though, a low-battery warning flashed across the screen.

“Sorry.” He frowned slightly. “I’m at five percent. I can’t play until I charge it.”

“N-no problem.”

I stared blankly at the screen.

“I don’t want to play anymore.”

Because I had seen his username.

It was exactly the same as my crush’s.

Okay. I really was the menace.

For the rest of dinner, I was distracted, terrified I would slip up and expose myself as the stalker he was supposedly building a case against.

By the time everyone started leaving, it was late.

I pulled out my phone to call an Uber and saw a message Blake had sent half an hour earlier.

[Send me your location. I’ll come get you.]

My entire body went rigid.

Was he planning to pick me up and drive me straight to the police station?

A few steps ahead, Logan was asking, “Blake, how are you getting back?”

“Driving. I need to pick someone up on the way.”

“Who? Can you drop Sophie off too? Her campus is only a few miles away.”

“Not sure yet.”

Blake frowned and pulled out his phone.

“I’ll call and ask where she is.”

The next second, my phone started ringing.

Every head at the table turned toward me.

I swiped at the screen with impressive calm.

“My vocabulary-study reminder.”

Blake watched me for a few seconds longer than necessary before looking away.

He probably hadn’t suspected anything.

I exhaled, slipped into a darker corner, and texted him.

[I’m already back at my dorm. I’m about to shower.]

Blake pressed his lips together, then replied with a simple okay.

After that, he looked at me.

“Want me to drive you?”

“No, no.”

I waved both hands. “My Uber’s here. I’m leaving.”

The second I got back to my dorm room, I finally let myself fall apart.

I grabbed my roommate and wailed, “That stupid forum ruined my life!”

That was when Blake called.

My hand reacted faster than my brain and answered automatically.

“Hello…?”

There was a pause.

When he spoke, his voice sounded concerned.

“Are you crying?”

I wanted to say no, but my stuffy voice betrayed me.

“What happened?” Blake asked quietly. “Did something upset you? Did someone mess with you?”

He was supposedly planning to have me arrested, so why was he acting concerned?

I grumbled to myself for a few seconds, then made something up.

“No. I just watched a few emotional videos and got kind of sad.”

Blake seemed relieved.

“Want to play League and take your mind off it?”

“No.”

He fell silent.

Blake really wasn’t good at comforting people.

Usually, he barely talked when we called. I did almost all the rambling and he listened.

Tonight, though, I didn’t feel like talking, and I was terrified the more I said, the more likely I was to incriminate myself.

“I’m tired. I’m going to—”

“Want to see a picture?”

Blake cut in without warning.

“I trained chest today. It should… look pretty good.”

I sucked in a breath.

A trap.

Definitely a trap.

I sat bolt upright and made my voice as serious as possible.

“Sir, please do not distribute obscene material.”

Blake choked on the other end.

“It’s just a gym picture…”

“No thanks, I’m tired, good night!”

I hung up immediately and let out a long breath.

Nice try.

I wasn’t falling for that.

Unfortunately, I had been far too optimistic.

The next morning, Blake called again.

“I ordered breakfast for you. Eat before class.”

When I picked it up, I nearly dropped the bag.

The upscale brunch spread had to cost at least forty or fifty bucks.

“I get it now.”

My roommate analyzed the situation like a detective.

“That was probably enough to make it a real fraud case. He’s trying to make sure you stay in jail for a long, long time.”

My eyelid twitched.

I immediately sent Blake the money back.

[Thank you, sir, but this really isn’t necessary. I have two functioning hands and feet. I can feed myself.]

Blake: [?]

[Is this actually you?]

I gritted my teeth.

[It’s me. If I want something, I can buy it myself. Please stop buying things for me.]

I was not going to fall for this.

There was a long pause.

[…Okay.]

For the next few days, Blake didn’t order me anything, and I finally relaxed.

Then I remembered all the food deliveries, boba, and little gifts he had sent before.

Altogether, they had been worth a few hundred dollars.

My anxiety came roaring back.

This man had been planning his case for months.

If I suddenly paid him back for everything, though, he would definitely get suspicious.

After thinking it over, I remembered his birthday was coming up and bought him a pair of basketball sneakers worth about the same amount.

The sneakers hadn’t even shipped when Blake messaged me.

[Your package arrived. Go pick it up.]

A bad feeling crawled up my spine.

[What did you buy?]

[You’ll see.]

The box was huge and heavy.

I struggled to carry it back to my dorm, and the second I opened it, I froze.

It was a collectible figure I had been obsessed with lately.

Not just any version, either. It was the rare chase figure, and its retail price was well over a hundred dollars.

Put together, that was getting dangerously close to real fraud territory.

My vision almost went black.

Then Blake sent another message.

[Do you like it?]

I took a deep breath.

[No! Can you return it? Or I can pay you back.]

This time, Blake went silent for a very long time.

Then he called.

When I answered, he sounded like he was speaking through clenched teeth.

“Be honest with me. Do you have a new hubby?”