“You sure?”
“Mhm,” I say with little to no conviction.
West continues to rub his thumb along my cheek, watching me with concern, and I can’t bring my eyes to meet his. I’m afraid he will see through me. Being cornered like that reminded me of being defenseless against Adam, and I don’t ever want to feel like that again.
“Let’s get you out of here,” he says, and all I can do is nod and follow him down the hall.
We walk side by side back to Wren and Colter, where Sarah has now joined them. I scan the room but don’t see the man from the hall. My racing heart finally starts to slow down, but I must look pale and out of sorts because I watch as Sarah putsdown the drink she was holding and comes our way meeting us between tables.
“Hey, are you okay?” she asks, pulling me into her arms.
I nod against her, taking in her familiar scent, and finally let myself calm down.
“Some fucker was trying to pin her against a wall,” West tells her, still an edge of anger in his voice. If I wasn’t so shaken up right now, I would find his protectiveness really sexy.
She pushes me back, keeping her hands on my shoulders, and looks at me with wide eyes. “You’re okay?” she asks me again, and I let out a breath. I’m starting to feel embarrassed over how much this has affected me.
“I’m fine,” I say. “Just a little shaken up. I was lucky West was there when he was.” I turn to finally meet his eyes and give him a grateful smile.
“You wanna get out of here?” Sarah asks.
I hesitate for a while, not really ready to say goodbye to West, but I know it’s for the best. “Sure. Let’s go home,” I tell her.
We say our goodbyes to Wren and the guys and then begin our walk back to my place. The night is still warm. The sun has long since set, but dozens of stars in the sky light our way home.
Sarah loops her arm through mine. “So, were my eyes deceiving me or did I see a certain sexy cop have you bent over that pool table?” she says, bumping my hip.
My cheeks flame, and I shake my head. “It wasn’t like that.”
“Huh. Cause to me it looked like he wanted to rip your clothes off. And I definitely saw him readjust himself after.” She giggles.
“What about you?” I hip check her back. “Did you get your make out session with the cowboy.”
Tipping her head back, she lets out a laugh. “I did. But he was most definitely not a cowboy. I let him pretend he was, though, because he was still hot.”
We continue our walk, talking about Mrs. Ira and the knitters. When we are just turning into my neighbourhood, I feel a sense of unease. My skin prickles like we’re being watched. It’s late, almost midnight. The streets are quiet and most houses dark. I look around, scanning the shadows, and my first thought that the guy from the bar has followed us. I begin to panic and walk a little faster.
“Jade, would you slow down!” Sarah yells, trying to keep up.
We turn onto the street that leads to my house, and a figure pops from the back ally and bumps into me. I jump back, letting out a scream, but the figure doesn’t even flinch. In all black, the person keeps their head down. “Sorry,” the man says, and shivers snake along my skin. I’ve heard that voice before. The man continues walking while I stand frozen in fear.
“Well, that was creepy,” Sarah comments, looking back towards the man.
It can’t be him. It just can’t.
But I know that voice.
Swallowing the lump of fear in my throat, I reach for Sarah’s hand and pull her up the street. “Come on. Let’s get home.”
As we get ready for bed, and even when Sarah is fast asleep, I can’t shake the feeling of knowing that voice.
Blood. So much blood.
I scream, trying to run but my feet won’t move.
Adam stands above me and smiles. “I left you a present.”
I look around the room and cry in agony. Sarah, flat on her back, her red hair splayed around her as her eyes stare into nothingness. Blood all around her.
