Chapter 4

"He sure is a smooth talker." Pace said as she crouched next to Halle. She looked calm which was better compared to the darting eyes like she was undergoing shock. Pace pursed her lips. "He left. You can come out if you want."

She looked surprised. "So soon?"

"It wasn't soon. It took me 30 minutes to get rid of—"

"He didn't say anything? Anything suspicious?"

"Well . . ., for one: he knew you'd be here." Halle's eyes widened. "He asked to see the owner. He could've asked it for any reason, but since you're shell-shocked seeing him, I think he knew this café is yours."

Halle put her head in her hands. "No no no no no." she looked up abruptly. "How did you make him leave then? He wouldn't have left so easily."

"I told him you went on a trip and you won't be here for another week."

"You what?"

"Stop getting angry. What else did you expect me to say? 'I'll call the owner, wait a minute, please?'"

"But you told him I'll be here. He knows I'm here. He knows . . ."

Pace bit her lip. "What the hell do you mean I told him? He got to know from somewhere or someone that you're here. I wasn't the one who brought him to the café!"

"But now he knows I'm here because you told him I will be here!"

"You're an idiot. I told him the owner is not available, not 'Oh Halle's on a trip to Spain, she'll be back in a week'!" Pace shouted. "You are overthinking. I neither mentioned your name nor anything closely resembling you. But yeah, he might have confirmed that this café is owned by a lady."

"What do you mean?"

Pace scratched her head remembering how she mentioned Halle was with her boyfriend right now just for spite. "The place is more feminine than you think . . ."

"What?"

"Hey, come to think of it, we don't hang up photos on the walls, like achievements or certificates, so he can't possibly know."

"No no, now that you say that," Halle's mind was working in the speed of light. All in parallel directions, each with a different solution. "He may have checked the name of our café and confirmed who runs this place. It's easy for that criminal minded slob. Just too easy."

Noticing how deep in thought Halle was Pace became a little worried. "You are not in shock anymore and that's a relief." Halle looked at her. "But I don't like where this is going."

"What do you mean?"

"Looking at you obsessed over this, you look like a detective trying to solve a crime. It's cool, but until today morning if anyone asked me if you're a fit for a detective job, I would've said no. so I don't know, it doesn't look healthy. Are you okay?"

"I can't be okay, Pace. He's trying to ruin my life. But my life is already in shambles—"

"Don't say that—"

"— and I wouldn't be bothered about the whole thing if it's not for my mom. And the fact that the whole thing is about to get worse . . . I can't take it."

Pace hugged her, "Hey, stop crying."

"You don't understand. If he's come after all this time, maybe this time, he's thought things through and he's probably 100% sure of his plan."

"Maybe he came by and happened to find you out accidentally?"

"It still doesn't cut the fact out that he's hasn't forgotten his need for revenge, right?"

"But—"

"He left 5 years ago, because he got an offer to study abroad and he took it. Not because he thought I was lost cause."

"What do you mean?"

"Now, it looks like he's completed his studies and maybe even got a job if he has time to wait here for a week."

"That's not what I—"

"Or even if what you said is right, maybe some reason he had to come back here and some stupid senseless piece of gunk reminded him of me and he just thought why not use this time to make things worse for me and have fun himself?"

Pace stared at her.

"What are you staring at?"

Pace sighed. She hasn't seen Halle like this before. Heck, she wouldn't know what kind of person Halle was 3 years ago, before they started this café. "Do you think there is any reason why he would want revenge on you?"

Halle paused a moment before she spoke. "He doesn't like people who go beyond his wish. He hated me for wanting to leave him when he didn't want me to leave. The torture I was put through, the things he did to me to make sure I wouldn't think of leaving . . ."

"Hey, hey, hold on a sec. he tortured you for wanting to leave him?"

"Yes, he . . . the words . . ."

"What did he say that hurt you so bad?"

"I . . ." her eyes were blank. "I don't remember . . . I couldn't . . ."

"You don't remember?" Pace was taken back. "How is it possible to forget something like that? It's important, in case you have to defend yourself and you don't remember."

"I . . ." Halle's eyes looked like empty holes devoid of life. "How can I not remember . . . ? They were so hurtful I couldn't think of anything else for months . . . I don't know what's going on . . ."

As much as she didn't understand anything that was going on or how the person she knew Halle to be, this calm and collected person turned into a freaking mess of emotions and crazy. But Halle needed her. She had to be there for her. "Do you remember why you wanted to leave him?"

"But I . . ."

"You know what? Let's leave this room, we might lose customers."

That seemed to bring her back a bit. "Okay." She whispered.