“What? Who?”
“This random guy. I heard yelling and turned and realised he was yelling at me, saying I was a slut and he was going to kill me.” Cheryl’s breath was choppy. He could hear her heels clacking fast on the pavement.
“Where are you?” Patrick demanded. “Tell me right now!”
“It’s okay, I think I lost him. I just need…” Her voice cracked. “It was so scary.”
“KitKat, I’m so fucking sorry. Where are you?”
“Exhibition Street. I’ll call the police, I just need to calm down.”
He yanked open his locker, searching for his street trainers. “I’ll come get you. I’ll leave now.”
“It’s okay. I’m close to work.” She inhaled shakily. “Sorry, I know it’s not a huge deal, he just freaked me out.”
“Is he still behind you? Did he touch you?”
“No. He didn’t come too close, and I kept walking. I don’t think he’s following me anymore. No, I can’t see him anywhere…”
Patrick could feel his teammates watching with concern. He nodded to show everything was okay. “I’m still coming. I’ll meet you at your work.”
“You don’t have to.” He heard a door swing open. “I’m back in the office. God, that was so fucked up.”
“Go to your desk and call the cops. I’ll be there soon.”
“Don’t you have a coaching session—”
“I’ll be there soon.”
He hung up, his ears ringing. Someone stalked Cheryl. Someone had scared Cheryl…
“Everything okay?” John Yarding, the captain, asked.
“Yeah, my girlfriend just got followed down the street by some random guy. I’ve gotta go see her.”
John nodded. “Get out of here. I’ll tell coach where you are.”
“Thanks.” He grabbed his sports bag, shoved his phone and clothes into it, and bolted. He was almost at the door when he realised his mistake. Cheryl wasn’t his girlfriend. Diana was. Had been for almost three months.
“Fuck.” He looked back at the change rooms. He wanted to go tell John the truth, but then what? ‘My mate got followed down the street’ didn’t have the same ring to it and Cheryl was… she needed him. Swearing under his breath, he jogged through the club rooms toward the car park. He hated how scared Cheryl had sounded, hated that she’d been harassed walking down a main street in the middle of the day, and he really fucking hated how easy it had been to tell John she was his girlfriend.
He’d never done that before, accidentally, or otherwise. People sometimes thought he and Cheryl were a couple, but people thought that about any guy and girl who looked around the same age.
Diana could never know. Since his housewarming, she’d been at him to stop going to the movies and working out with Cheryl. He’d refused, but if she found out he was in love with her—
He came to a grinding halt in front of the reception desk.
He was in love with Cheryl. He loved Cheryl. He was in love with Cheryl.
“Are you okay, Psycho?” Tia, the receptionist, asked.
He nodded dumbly, staring through the double doors and into the autumn afternoon. He needed to end things with Diana. Figure out how to tell Cheryl how he felt.
He was in love with her. Jesus fucking fuck.
* * *
Present Day
