* * *
Twenty minutes later, she emerges from the back.Still pale.Still tense.She says something to her coworker, grabs her jacket from a hook behind the bar, and heads for the door.
She doesn't look at me, doesn't acknowledge my presence at all.
But I see the fear still lingering in her eyes; see the way her hands shake slightly as she pulls on her jacket.
Something's wrong.Really wrong.
And I'm not letting her face it alone.
I wait until she's out the door, give her a minute's head start, then follow.
The streets are busy with the lunchtime crowd, tourists, and delivery vans blocking narrow lanes.I keep my distance, staying far enough back that she won't notice me but close enough to keep her in sight.
She walks fast, head down, shoulders hunched, arms wrapped around herself like she's trying to disappear.
I scan the street behind her, around her, looking for… what?A threat?Someone following her?
There’s nothing obvious, just normal Dublin foot traffic.
But the fear in her eyes was real.And fear like that doesn't come from nothing.
She turns onto a quieter street.Residential.Terraced houses with peeling paint and small front gardens.I hang back further, ducking into doorways when she glances over her shoulder.
She's checking, looking to see if she's being followed.
Smart girl.
But it makes my chest tighten.It makes me wonder what, or who, she's running from.
She stops at a the red brick apartment building, that she lives in.She fumbles with her keys, glances around one more time, then disappears inside.
I wait.Watch the windows.Third floor, corner flat.I see the shadow of her moving a moment later.
She's home.She's inside.She's safe.
For now.
I stand across the street for a long time, just watching, making sure no one else approaches the building.Making sure she's really okay.
My phone buzzes with a text from Cowboy.
Are you good?
Yeah.Just checking on something.
Need backup?
I consider it.Then text back.
Not yet.I'll let you know.
The lights in her flat stay on.I imagine her inside, pacing maybe, or sitting on her couch trying to calm down.Maybe checking on her kid, making sure he's okay.
I want to be someone she can trust.I want to be someone who makes her life easier, not harder.
But how do I do that when she won't even look at me?
