Right before he reaches the door, I see him turn, and his smile brightens, but not at me. He’s smiling at something else. Or someone. He lifts a hand and waves someone over.
I’m momentarily relieved to know someone else other than me has his attention.
I start to look away, but then something pulls at me, willing me to look up again. Why would he be talking to anyone here? Who would he know here?
Has he told anyone about us?
I’m craning my neck around the reader in front of me to see who it is he just waved at. I see someone making her way over to him as he walks toward her.
Nora.
She’s smiling back at him with a giddiness that makes my stomach sink. The last thing I need is for Saint to fuck with her head next.
They continue walking toward each other, and I’m doing everything I can to see why Saint is trying to speak to Nora, but two more people swoop in and block my view. I’m forced to give the people in front of me my attention, but I can’t help but feel an imminent urge to scream Nora’s name, to warn her away from him before she falls for that smile and fake charm.
I’ll be damned if he does to her what he did to me.
A fearful thought engulfs me.Was I not the first writer he’s done this to?What if it’s happened to more than just me, and he’s done it to multiple writers? It sounds like something he’d be capable of, and from the looks of it, his plan is to manipulate my best friend next. If he’s watched all my videos, that means he’s watched all Nora’s too.
Why didn’t I anticipate that he’d be capable of this?
I smile for pictures as I search for Nora, but I’ve lost sight of them. I sign more books as I search for Saint. I look for signs of them both as I finish up the last several readers, feeling guilty they didn’t have my undivided attention. But it has taken all the willpower I can muster not to run and save Nora from this monster.
When the last person in line finally leaves, the manager has two employees following behind her as she brings over leftover stock for me to sign.
“Can I take a break first?” I ask.
“Of course,” the manager says. I make a beeline for the exit. I ignore my name when it’s called by a reader. Not something I would ever do under any other circumstance, but I’m starting to worry about Nora. It’s all I can focus on, even though my actions since seeing him wave at her have probably come off as rude to a lot of people.
I don’t have time to worry about other people’s hurt feelings as I make my way outside and look for her.
I almost release a sob when I finally see her. Safe. Her back is to me, and she’s leaning against a car, talking to him.
Saint spots me first.
He stands up straight, pulling his weight off the car he was pressed against. Nora spins around, and she flashes her usual smile, but she also looks like I just caught her flirting with a married man.
He isn’t married, honey. Far from it.
“You done already?” Nora asks. Her voice is cheerful, but also ... rushed. She’s walking toward me like she wants to escort me inside and not even introduce me to her new friend.
Saint’s jaw is tense as he stares straight into me. Nora sees me clocking Saint, so she pauses her steps and stands awkwardly, feet from me and feet from him. She shoves her hands in her pockets. It makes her look ... guilty.
Saint suddenly looks guilty too.
Why do both of them look like they have something to hide from me? Has something already happened between them? Am I too late?
I walk closer to them, hesitant. “What is this?” I ask, my eyes trading glances with each of them, waiting for one of them to speak.
Saint and Nora glance at each other with a look that indicates they share a secret.
My head is spinning. “Do you know him?” I ask her. Then my attention lands on him. “Stay away from her.”
“Petra,” Nora says, sounding shocked by my anger.
I don’t give her time to make it seem like I’m overreacting. She has no idea what he’s capable of, or that, if anything, I’munderreacting. “Stay away from her,” I say to him again.
He lifts both hands in a peaceful gesture and takes a step back.
