All thoughts of the clerk’s callous disregard for her safety fled when Chase finally spoke. “No. There’s not really anything for us to talk about.”
“Then why are you bothering with me?”
His gaze skimmed over her frame. Larke folded her arms across her middle, feeling more uncomfortable than before. His eyes held hers, glinting with… Larke frowned. She was unable to discern what the look meant, because within a split second, a mask of utter disinterest shadowed his features. “Maybe I’m bored,” he murmured. “Maybe I don’t have nothing better to do tonight than stand out here talking to you.”
“You’re not going to do anything to me?” she asked, peering up at him.
No answer. Annoyed Larke shook her head and took a tentative step forward. “Fine. Since there’s nothing left to say, can I please get to my car? It’s getting late, I’m tired and I just want to go home.”
The smug grin returned. “Soon. I’ll let you go real soon.”
Right then and there, she knew he was playing a cat and mouse game with her. He still hadn’t answered her question, if he intended to harm her or not.
She clasped her hands together and plastered a sugary smile to her lips. “Okay, Chase. I’m all ears. What do you want to talk about?”
“Not like that,” he grated. His jaws hardened. “I’m not dumb. I know when someone is fucking with me. Don’t do that.”
“What do you expect me to say? I don’t know you. I'm surprised you recognized me after all these years. I didn’t recognize you. As far as I can tell, you hate me and because of that, you’re keeping me from leaving. What else do you expect me to say?”
His brows narrowed. He surveyed her up and down, then drew his head up, locking his darkened gaze on hers. “You look different now, Larke. Grew into your fatness.”
“Um yeah.” She blinked.None of this is real.“You uh… you look different too.” A lot different. She slid her focus to his arms. From here, she could see the tattoos on his other arm were also hate related. Her heart sank lower and lower. Raising her head, Larke caught Chase watching her. He growled, “They ain’t going away so get that fucking look off your face.”
She sucked in a tremulous breath. “You’re not making this very easy. This whole talking thing.”
“Are you still writing stories?” He blurted the question out of the blue, anger gone as he switched the subject entirely.
Larke parted her lips; shocked that he remembered. “Yeah,” she answered slowly. “I still write.” Pride grabbed a hold and got the best her. “I have three books in the bookstores. I write for children. No surprise.”
Chase recalling her being a fat little girl stuffing her face with sugar was one thing, but this; such a minute detail about her. That was…unexpected. Still, the revelation changed nothing. Chase wasnota good person.
He nodded yet remained silent, simply watching her, which prompted Larke to ask, “Did you really wait out here for me because you had nothing better to do?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Why else? I don’t kill time by harassing women if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Fair enough. “I’m confused because, despite our past, I’m not exactly the type of person you normallyminglewith.” Her brows knitted. “I’m honestly trying to make sense out of us standing around talking when it’s pretty obvious this shouldn’t be happening.”
He chuckled low. “Don’t worry. This was a one-off. I don’t make a habit of talking to nig—”
“Don’t,” Larke whispered, holding up a hand, warding him off. “Don’t ever call me that.” Angered and hurt, she drew herself up, no longer able to keep her silence. “You used that word before and I was too afraid to speak up when I should have.”
“And you’re not scared now?” he challenged. Still, he made no move toward her. She squeezed her eyes shut, swallowed down the nerves that caused her heart to beat rapidly inside her chest then reopened them. It was obvious Chase knew she, like any sane person, was terrified of him. Knew and relished it, she imagined. As she had done earlier, Larke slipped a hand inside her bag, curling her fingers around the phone like a lifeline.
She stood straight and raised her chin. “I’m going to ask you one more time to please move away from my car. I want to go home, Chase. I’m exhausted and you’ve ruined my evening.”
“I ruined your evening by talking to you?”
He had the audacity to sound shocked. Was staring at her with his brows arched as ifshehad offended him.
Larke stiffened. “Not by talking to me. You’ve ruined my evening by using that horrible word twice in front of me. The messing with my head I could tolerate, but not the slurs. If you try to stop me from reaching my car I’ll call for help. It doesn’t matter if no one helps me right away. At least it’ll be on record that I called. The clerk also saw me with you last. There are probably cameras around here too.”
“I get your point,” he said flatly. “It’s cool.” He held up his hands while backing away. His movements were exaggerated and telling. Her threat much like her fear, amused him.
Reaching for her keys, Larke took one hesitant step after the other as Chase continued moving further back until there was a safe distance between him, her and the car. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief the minute she was seated behind the wheel with the engine on and doors locked. Eyeing him one last time, Larke carefully exited the parking lot, forcing herself to not waste another second looking back on Chase.
