The stalker?

Chapter twenty-four

Harley

"Are you insane?'' mother shouts so loud that all I have regrets. Yeah, she is upset but I can't blame her.

I have been gone for a week.

"I am sorry."

My dad is watching, there is confusion on his face but he hasn't said a word. I think he is trying to figure out how to handle this, unlike mother, who has chosen anger.

"Where the fuck have you been?''

I wince at her tone.

"With a friend,'' I lie. That is the best thing to do in this situation. I can't tell them the truth. They will never even believe the truth. I don't even think I believe that all this is happening to me.

Ryker is a man that belongs in my dreams and he is real, in the flesh and bones.

"You don't have any friends,'' Charlotte pipes up with raised brows. I know she wouldn't have my back.

She never has my back.

She didn't have my back when I needed her months ago. I definitely know that she wouldn't have my back now.

"I have friends,'' I retort with a glare.

"You don't disappear for a week. We went to the cops, you left us all worried,'' mother ignores us as continues.

I doubt they were that worried. Maybe because of dad. He doesn't know the dynamics anymore. He just got back, so he doesn't really know that I am being treated as an outcast.

"Dad, I am sorry. I needed some time away. This won't happen again,'' I face him because he is the only one that actually matters to me.

"Away from your family?'' he asks in confusion.

Okay, maybe that is not the right way to say this.

"Time to think. I don't know," I walk over to him and he stands up from the chair. My eyes dart to his arm. The one that is gone. I miss his hugs, I want a hug from him.

"Where were you, honey?''

"I was with a friend, I promise.''

He sighs slowly reaching for my face. this is the first time that he has willingly touched me since he came back. he has been trying to be normal, but we could all feel it. Things have changed and we all know it.

"You can't just disappear; you can't just leave without a word.''

I nod as his palm rests on my face. "I won't.''

He smiles "If you need this break so much, you can have it, just tell us when you want it, and we need to meet this friend,'' he adds quietly.

"Okay.''

**********

The walk to the café feels different today. It feels like someone is following me. every time I turn, I feel a presence but there is no one there.

It has been three days since I said goodbye to Ryker and I haven't seen him since. I miss him so much but I don't have a means of communicating with him. I don't even know where he is, I don't even know how to get to his house. the last time he took me there, I fell asleep before we got there and when we left, I also fell asleep in the car.

So I have no clue where he lives.

I get to the café and Matteo greets me with the widest grin on his face. I haven't seen him in a week and I am pretty sure he has been worried. Being with Ryker has been everything and I am not saying that lightly.

"If it isn't runaway girl,'' he says as he pours coffee into a cup in front of me. I watch him with a quiet smile.

"Where have you been girl?'' he asks me curiously.

There is no way I can tell him the truth because he doesn't even like Ryker. If only he could see the person I see, things would be different.

"Family stuff,'' I lie.

He raises a brow "The same family that came to look for you. You know your sister was beside herself all week.''

Of course, Charlotte came here. This would have been the first place that they would come looking for me. I spend most of my time in this place. It only makes sense.

"Oh.''

He scoffs "Yeah oh, where were you."

I don't have to answer his questions but I tell him the truth anyway "I was with Ryker.''

He furrows his brows "Ryker?'' and I realize he must not know his name. Knowing his name suddenly makes me feel more special than I really am. It is just a name, not a big deal but he made it into one, and the fact that he told me makes me happy.

"The guy from last week, the one you said I should stay away from,'' I remind him and it takes him a couple of seconds to finally remember.

"Harley darling, you disappeared for a week, to be with a man you just met.''

I nod.

He sighs "You really are being everything but careful. What if something happened to you? What if he hurt you?''

Yeah, I get his worry but at the end of the day, he didn't hurt me. "He didn't, I am fine as you can see. So you don't have to worry about me.''

"I will always worry about you kid. You are like a daughter to me.''

I appreciate that he feels this way about me but I also know that I can take care of myself. I am not a kid even though he and everyone around me see me as a kid. I am more than just the child that they see me as. Ryker sees more from me and that is why I can't let him go. That is why I want to keep seeing him, why I want to have him close to him.

"I appreciate that but I need you to trust me. You are the only one I talk to, so please just believe me when I say that I can handle this thing with Ryker. He is not the bad person you think he is."

Matteo sighs in defeat but he doesn't say anything else about the topic. For the rest of the day, I focus on my books because right now, I am behind on studying. Once the sun starts to set, I leave the café, feeling more accomplished than when I got here. The sky is already dark as I head in the direction of my house.

That same feeling hits me as I get to a corner in the street. The streets are empty, except for a few people loitering around. I have never been scared of walking home but for the first time, it feels like someone is following me.

The footsteps behind me are evident but I don't want to turn around because I don't want the person to know that I know. I take a deep breath as I quicken my pace. The faster I walk, the faster I will be able to get out of this mess. I don't even know who it is but there are so many people that hate me, so many people that might want to hurt me. I don't have friends. I left high school with a lot of enemies.

It could be Billy. The last time I saw him, Ryker threatened to kill him. He could be here to continue what he started.

I take the other turn, the one away from my house because whoever this is might end up following me home and I don't want that. My footsteps are quick, I am terrified and this might all just be in my head. It seems like the faster I walk, the faster, this person walks. I stop walking when I get to the end of the road and to one of the few restaurants in the town. I enter it because I would rather be in a place with people than out alone on the streets.

One of the waiters leads me to a table and I take a seat, terrified out of my mind.

I take deep breaths in an attempt to steady my breathing which is spiked from all the fear looming inside me. I hear the door open from where I am seated and I am sure it is the person that was following me. The person that has been following me all day.

I hear the same footsteps until I see the man in front of me. There is a smile on his face as he comes into view and I recognize him immediately.

What does he want?