“I broke up with Kyle last night,” she answered absentmindedly while texting without missing a beat.
“Excuse me, what?!” Skylar yelled, only to wince when multiple customers glanced up from their books or pulled away from hushed conversations with friends to look at her. She winced and waved in apology. “What do you mean, you guys broke up? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Kaylee shifted her gaze up from her phone screen and blinked like a deer in headlights. “I didn’t tell you?” She shrugged as if the news wasn’t anything big. “He shouted at me because he lost a stupid video game, so I told him to get out. I hate that shit. Don’t take it out on me that you lost your online game when it’s not my fault.”
Skylar figured this was just the final straw from a list of many issues, and Kaylee didn’t want to put up with him anymore. Kyle was usually a silent guy, but he could be rude when it suited him, condescending, and a little overbearing.
“Now he’s just being insufferable. He said he left his favourite jacket at my place, but I know I don’t have it. He just wants an excuse to talk to me in person, probably to apologise and make up, and I can’t be arsed.”
Skylar regarded her friend, whose expression was just bored as she looked around.
She didn’t care. She was entirely unbothered and had one foot out of their relationship for a while. When Kaylee brought her gaze to Skylar, her lips curled with distaste.
“I’m almost twenty-eight. I don’t have time to be messing around anymore.” Then she grinned as she pulled up the same dating app Skylar had. “Wanna help me make a profile?” she offered, tilting her phone Skylar’s way.
She laughed. “Sure, but we both know I’m not going to be any good.”
“That’s fine. I think it’ll be more fun if you help me swipe like I did for you. Maybe I can get married first, and you can be my maid of honour instead. Actually no, I think Taylor would be mad if I didn’t pick her.”
Taylor was her roommate and had been her best friend for over fifteen years.
Forgetting about her own guy – and the not-so-human guy – problems, she felt lighter as she slid in next to her friend.
They spent the day greeting customers and swiping left on most guys. Kaylee was less picky, though.
She did often lift her gaze to Malcom’s favourite spot, one of the only places the sun hit the inside of the café in the afternoon.
He’s going to be so stoked.
Skylarmayhave rejected every guy Kaylee showed interest in just so Malcom could get the first shot.
Chapter
Sixteen
Skylar wished that light-heartedness had followed her home. Instead, someone else was doing that, and no matter how quickly she walked, she couldn’t lose him.
Larry walked down the opposite side of the street with a grey hoodie covering his head, trying his hardest to stick to the shadows and away from her, so as to not be noticed. But she knew he was there, following her to find out where she lived.
She had her magic – she knew she was safe – but it still sent her heart racing that this creep just wouldn’t take no for an answer.
He’d once been a customer until he’d trapped her inside her café one night because he wouldn’t let her leave until she agreed to go for a drink with him. It’d been so awkward as he’d tried to compliment her, eventually sitting right next to her and placing his hand on her thigh.
She’d bolted the first chance she’d gotten and then put a life ban on him from entering her café. He’d become angry when she’d told him to leave her establishment, throwing a giant hissy fit until Hank had intervened and scared him off.
That was almost two months ago, and he’d been lingering on and off at closing time since then.
Whenever he did, Malcom would walk her home, or Hank would drive her.
He’d managed to stay hidden this time, and must have waited until she was alone to follow her down the backstreets of Newtown, heading towards Stanmore.
I don’t want to use my magic.She didn’t want to out herself and have to deal with the consequences. She clutched her keys, and the knife clipped to them that Kaylee had insisted she carry.I don’t want to stab him either.
It was gory, and she didn’t want to be investigated for assault – or possible murder. The police would probably raid her house, and she had some questionable stuff in it.
When the end of her street came into view, Skylar didn’t know what to do.I can’t go home.She wouldn’t let him find out where she lived and haunt her, but she didn’t want to be on the dark streets with him much longer.What if he just grabs me?
Her three-inch flatform boots felt like lead on her feet, weighing her down. She’d never outrun him in them. She’d no doubt trip over, like in one of those silly, dramatic scenes in horror movies that always had her screaming at the TV from the idiocy of the main character’s actions.
