American Psycho by Lesley Whyte

The thing you have to understand about me is that I'm a good guy. I am. You've probably heard all sorts of things, terrible things, but you don't understand. I can explain everything. Every single thing you've heard, I have an explanation.

A perfectly simple, perfectly innocent explanation.

Penelope is a liar. She's lying about me. I don't know why. Why would she say such awful things about me? Why? I don't understand. I never did anything to her, you have to believe me when I say that. I knew her, of course, everyone knows Penelope, but I didn't do anything to her. We had a couple of drinks. It's not a crime to buy a pretty girl a couple of drinks, is it?

I didn't think so.

We flirted a little, perfectly innocent, though I could tell she wanted more. I suppose I was happy to oblige. So sue me. She was pretty and flirty and unattached, as far as I knew. She didn't have a boyfriend, I didn't...well, my own personal situation is beside the point. It is not a crime to go home with a pretty girl. It is not a crime to buy her a couple of drinks, it's not a crime to find her attractive and it's not a crime to want to go home with her. It's not a crime to go home with her.

Penelope's a liar.

We dated. I can prove that. Ask anyone that knows me. She was my girlfriend. My girlfriend. And yes, all right, she did end things with me and I did not take it well, but I didn't hurt her. I didn't harm her in any way. I haven't even seen her since that night in the restaurant. I go past her house sometimes, yes, but it's on my way home from my favourite bar.

What am I supposed to do? Drive home instead? I can't help it if I walk slow when I've been drinking, that sometimes I linger outside her door and think about how much I miss her. But to accuse me of stalking her, of harrassing her is crazy.

I mean, yes, there was that incident with the brick and the window, but as I told the police at the time, that wasn't me. I just happened to be there when that homeless man threw it. I chased after him, for Christ's sake! I tried to catch him so he could be brought to justice! And instead she accuses me of the most awful things, the most awful. We were dating, I was in love with her.

I still am.

I can't believe she would accuse me of trying to harm her, of frightening her. A restraining order is completely unnecessary. I'll find another bar if necessary, just to placate her, but really, I'm not a danger. Not to Penelope or any other woman. I'm worried about her. I'm afraid...well, I'm afraid that this is all in her head. I'm afraid that she's not well. All I want is for her to be well. I'd never harm her. Never.