“What. Do. You. Want?” she finally asks, but I don’t answer.
I wish I knew so I could take it and move on. I don’t reply, but I do take off my helmet.
She steps back. “Are you here to hurt me?”
“I don’t hurt women,” I speak quickly so as not to scare her more, but I don’t think my words relax her.
With shaky hands, she pulls something out of her purse and holds it to me.
“Did you send this to me?” she asks.
I shrug, pretending I have no idea what’s inside the yellow envelope I placed in front of her door early this morning. “I know it was you. Take it back. I don’t want it.”
When I do no such thing, she throws it at my feet.
“And you made me drop my dinner,” she whines. “Now, I have to eat more peanut butter sandwiches.” She takes a stepcloser to me, and I want to jump back for fear she’ll touch me, but I don’t. She looks at me, points, and says, “Stop leaving those flowers on my doorstep. You’re giving crazy, stalker vibes. And I swear to God, I will have mace next time you get this close to me.”
She walks past me, mumbling, “Now I have to go clean all that shit up.”
I snatch her by the elbow before she gets too far. She stops walking, and I pull her back to me.
We stand there. I glare down at her, and she peers up at me with big, doe eyes. She’s a mess compared to the night I first saw her. She’s not wearing any makeup tonight, she looks tired, her hair is unkempt, and the clothes underneath her coat look wrinkled. Not only that, but they also have a stain.
I look around the driveway and the house. All the lights are off, but there are no cars parked.
“Where’s your car?” She tries to pull her arm away, but I hold on to her.
“I don’t have a car. I’m broke, remember? I have no car and, thanks to you, no ID and no phone.”
“You have a phone,” I remind her.
She pulls her arm away. I lose all my willpower and run my finger along her cheek. She trembles and wraps her arms around herself. Cupping her chin, I force her eyes on me. “You must be some kind of witch.”
“If that were true, I’d turn you into a frog and drive over you.”
“With what car?”
I almost laugh at the offended look on her face.
As if touching her burns me, I drop my hand and step away. Without another word, I get back on my bike and leave. And hope never to look back.
Chapter 8
Eden
“And about an hour later, there was a knock on my door. It was a deliveryman with food from three different restaurants. There was chicken, a pasta dish, and a steak. The envelope with the phone was also back, along with another red rose,” I whisper to Cori the next night.
My first direct deposit hit my bank account yesterday, and I promised myself I would do one fun thing per pay period. Tonight is that night. It’s Saturday, and my girls and I will splurge on a decadent dinner, drinks, and maybe some dancing at this lounge one town away from Shadow Cove.
“This is the weirdest mating dance I’ve ever heard of.” I roll my eyes at my friend while she drives. She pulls in front of Selene’s building, and she comes running out.
“By the way,” Cori says. “I’m not driving back because I plan on drinking, so you guys figure out who the designated driver is going to be.”
“Not me,” I say quickly. “It’s my first paycheck in forever. I’m drinking.”
“Fine,” Selene says, “I’ll only have one. But guess what?” she whispers.
Instead of buckling her seatbelt, she leans between the two front seats.
