Hush crouches down and leans close whispering something. The man’s eyes grow wide with fear.
My brows furrow, wondering what the words were. But the man swallows and scurries away, almost tripping on his feet as he hurries down the sidewalk away from us. Never looking back.
Hush gathers his bat into his hand, tucking it securely into the strap of his slim black cargo like jeans. It isn’t the first time I’ve seen him carry it with him.
If Hush wasn’t here—if he hadn’t shown up… wait. Whyishe here?
“Are you following me?”
His attention isn’t on me, but on the cigarette, he pulls out of his pocket. He dips his head down slightly cupping his hand over the stick to light it. As he exhales, a cloud of smoke quickly evaporates into the cold.
He shoots a quick glance at the yellow caution tape still surrounding the area where the earlier dead body laid. And then it hit me.
Oh.
Still didn’t explain the first time I saw him following me. But we can address that later.
“I don’t need a bodyguard.” The words sound harsh, more than I had intended them to be. But with everything, anger boils inside me.
After only one puff, he smashes the ends of his cigarette into the same ashtray as before. My body tense as he makes his way back over to me and my neck strains as I have to look up.
“If they come back, you shouldn’t be alone.”
I’m lost in him. He’s always so closed off, not that we’ve had a lot of chances to conversate in a normal setting.
“I can take care of myself.” But as the words are said, another burst of something hits me. The thing is, Ican’ttake care of myself.
“You’re angry.”
The weight on my shoulders finally sags. “Yes, I’m angry. Actually, I’m furious. But it’s not because you’re following me. It’s because Ican’tprotect myself.”
His gaze seeps into mine. “Why?”
“Because!” My voice grows loud as I scan the outside. At least no one is around to witness all of this.
Just say it. Let it out, Danika.
“Because I haven’t been able to be myself. To speak for myself. To stand up for myself since…” I want to vomit. The bile rising and burning in my chest. “Since the attacks. The repeated rapes.”
If it weren’t for the blanketing of snow, I swear you could hear the quick gasp I let out. I’m being incredibly bold with him.
I missed when Hush avoided my stare because now when he looks at me, I’m not sure how to respond. It’s so intense my body grows hot with every second his gaze is locked with mine.
“And stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like… I’m crazy. Or… I don’t know. It makes me uncomfortable.”
“I’m sorry.” He looks away, focusing on the buildings, my building, across the street. “I don’t think you’re crazy,” he says, the quiet in his voice resembles a whisper every time he speaks.
I sigh, rubbing the spot where the guy held me. “I just miss who I used to be.” I plant myself against the building a few feet back from him, but he shuffles backward, until he’s next to me.
“And who is that?”
Diving into my head, I try to recall her. Who I was. I’d say she was more confident. More sure of herself. Or maybe I was never her to begin with. “Honestly, I don’t even know.”
“How can you miss someone you don’t know?”
