“Get your hands off me,” I hissed and shoved him away.
“Don’t be like that, Caitlyn.” His voice was strong and clearly sending me a
warning. “I am just saying hello to an old friend.”
“You and I were never friends.” I backed away.
He looked at me with concern. “I don’t see your bodyguard anymore. Did the
queen take off and leave you all alone?”
Bile rose in my throat. “No. He’s waiting for me.” I set the perfume I had been testing down and began to walk away.
Christopher grabbed my arm and pressed his mouth to my ear. Inhaling
deeply, he whispered, “I’ll always be inside you, Caitlyn. The night we shared was magical. Come away with me. I promised you that I wanted to make our relationship more permanent. I am ready now.”
“Would you like to test any other samples,” the salesclerk called to me.
Christopher released me and turned around to smile at her. “No, thank you.”
I took the opportunity to get away. When I turned to make sure I wasn’t being followed, I saw Christopher whispering to the girl.
You can’t leave her, my mind screamed.
“Christopher, I’ll see you at home soon. Our daughter is so happy to know her daddy got off work early tonight,” I called, forcing him to address me.
Christopher turned and glared at me. “I’m looking forward to our evening together, sweetheart. Bath time is always fun.”
Terrified, I rushed out of the mall and into the parking lot. The bags I carried
were heavy and slowing me down. When I reached my car, I checked to make
sure he hadn’t followed. Confident he wasn’t behind me, I threw everything onto
the passenger seat before climbing in.
My hand shook violently, and it took me several seconds to get the key in the
ignition. I turned over the engine and pressed the gas. A group of teenage girls
on their cell phones walked in front of me, and I slammed on the brakes to avoid
hitting them.
“Put your phones away and watch what you’re doing!” I screamed.
Unaffected, the teens carried on as if I hadn’t almost killed them.
Tears flooded my eyes. Get yourself together, I scolded myself.
After a few minutes of deep breathing, I composed myself enough to drive away.
I drove carefully and kept checked my mirrors to make sure I wasn’t being followed. When the gas light flashed, I almost threw up. You are five minutes from home, and it is still daylight. The sun would not set for another six hours. I would be safe.
I pulled into my usual gas station. I just finished filling the tank when a silver car appeared. It slowly drove past me. The windows were tinted, but I made out
the silhouette of a man. The Mercedes circled around again, and I knew it was
Christopher. I had hurt his ego. He was going to make me pay.
I searched for anyone to help. I saw a biker leaving the convenience store with a bottle of water and a bag of chips. He was shoving his items into a backpack when I approached him.
The driver had not gotten out of the car. I knew he was watching me and plotting the perfect time to grab me.
“Hey, can you take me for a ride on your bike? I’ve always wanted to see what it felt like.” I smiled seductively.
The guy looked me up and down. “Sure, babe. Park your car over there and
I’ll give you a little ride.”
I reconsidered as I walked to my car, but then I saw the Mercedes. I could jump off a motorcycle, but I would not be able to escape Christopher if he captured me again. I relocated my vehicle to a parking spot and tucked my shopping bags into the trunk. When I returned to the biker, I saw who was stalking me.
My heart fell as I watched an old man shuffle out of the vehicle, and his wife
rush to help him.
