When did you become such a scaredy-cat?
I find myself thinking about Nikolai and something occurs to me. I haven’t heard from him all morning. I wonder what he’s up to.
What if he’s…
I have never reached for my phone more quickly.
There are three unopened messages and two missed calls. All from him, the first one delivered half an hour ago.
Shit.
He only ever sends one text. But I silenced my phone earlier because I didn’t want my father to question who I wastexting. He still doesn’t know about Nikolai and me, as far as I know.
Dammit, Lauren!
I guess I should have checked my messages earlier. My fingers tremble slightly as I tap the text icon on my screen.
“Where are you?”
“Lauren, pick up. It’s not safe.”
“Lauren, answer me! I’m headed your way.”
My heart jumps into my throat as I type out my reply.
“Sorry. I’m on my lunch break. My phone has been on silent all morning.”
The response comes almost immediately.
“Location. Now. I’m coming to get you.”
My eyes scan my surroundings again before I shoot him a live location.
“Stay there. I’m on my way.”
Okay. So, he’s coming.
I pocket my phone and take a sip of coffee, taking the opportunity to take a good look around with my face shielded. Nothing seems out of the ordinary apart from my racing heart and churning stomach.
I take another bite of grilled cheese, but the cheddar has a sickening taste to it now. I wash it down with coffee, but the taste is far too bitter for my liking.
Stop stressing, Lau!
Think about the baby!
I force the rest of the grilled cheese down and head out of the café to assess the road. No shady-looking vehicles drive by. All of the cars have legitimate registration plates, letters and numbers arranged as they should be. I turn around to the on-street parking beside the coffee shop, glancing through the windows to see if any suspicious-looking drivers are sitting behind their wheels watching me.
Nothing.
All of my surroundings seem normal. Maybe too normal. The only thing that doesn’t sit right with me is the nagging feeling in my chest, pinching me like it’s trying to tell me something.
The same feeling I had in the parking lot the day I got attacked—that primal warning I’d ignored once before.
I turn over my shoulder. Still nothing. The café I just left is still full of people, servers whipping by with trays as they clear tables, customers enjoying their lunch. Nothing is different. But I feel a chill, my body temperature plummeting.
Realizing that I’m in the shade, I punch the pedestrian crossing button, crossing the road to wait for Nikolai in the sun where he can see me. I sit myself down on a bench after double-checking my surroundings, facing the highway. My fingers drum on my thigh as I wait. Cars fly by in a variety of directions, networks of roads leading off into all kinds of places. I wonder what Father’s going to think when I don’t return to the office.
The chilling shivers running up and down my body refuse to ease. Goosebumps prickle all over my bare arms even though I’m in the sun. I check over my shoulder again back to the road I just crossed over, but there’s nothing there.
