How unhinged was this guy, after all?
The two of them then stood back and watched the jeep pass by, at which point Jefferson wound his window down, stuck his head out and shouted, ‘You slut! Burn in hell!’
Then he carried on past and down the road. Kurt got the impression he was trying to speed away but, from the sound of the engine, there was the distinct impression that Jefferson was having trouble getting the vehicle into gear.
‘Well, that wasn’t very nice,’ Kurt reflected.
‘And I thought it was all over with,’ said Darlene, ‘I can’t believe he’s followed me all this way.’
‘You did say he had been like a stalker.’
‘Annoying phone calls and Facebook messages, but nothing like this.’
‘That was why you deleted your Facebook account?’
‘That’s right!’
‘It’s all falling into place. If you thought, he was only a mild stalker up until now then he has just raised the stakes.’
‘Tell me about it, I’d better get home.’
‘What are you talking about?’
Darlene had looked about to be getting in her car and leaving, but Kurt could not see how that was going to help the situation.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked. ‘The best place is at home until he leaves.’
‘Are you serious? I’m not letting you out of my sight until this matter is dealt with.’
‘But what can be done? Stalkers don’t get prosecuted, it’s too difficult.’
‘I’m not having you waiting around for this to end, wondering whether he’s going to appear around the next corner. It isn’t on!’
‘But… I have to go home. Kurt, we’ll give the game away.’
She was right, unless he kept his distance their families would find out all about them.
‘I’m not ready to tell my father about us. It’s… it’s just happened so quickly and I’m sure he’ll think less of me.’
‘I don’t want anyone thinking less of you, sure, but–’
‘Look, we’ve dealt with him before. I’d better go in case he reappears to follow me.’
‘But he’ll know where you live.’
‘I’ll call home before I get there,’ Darlene insisted, getting in her car despite his protests and adding, ‘I don’t know when we’ll see each other again but I’ll be in touch when this dies down.’
Kurt was still in protest mode, but Darlene was far more strong-willed than he had previously given her credit for. Unfortunately, her vision was limited in terms of getting rid of this Jefferson. He could tell she was going into siege mode and believed the matter needed to be dealt with more directly.
It had been a strange day with strange twists and, if Kurt had been capable of thinking faster on his feet, he would have got in that car with her. Regrettably the instinct to be more assertive with protecting his girl only set in once he saw her speeding off around the corner.
Driving off like that was a daft idea; Jefferson could be lurking in wait from numerous streets and it was more than an hour’s drive to her home in Portland.
A sensitive family atmosphere had tired him out, but it was time to get his head in gear and decide what should be done. Either that or lose Darlene for good. Previously he had not been one for complicated relationships but seeing her speed off like that – possibly in danger – did something to him.
There was something unbearable about the whole thing – and then it dawned on him what an idiot he had been.
The nightmare had returned and Darlene’s stomach was in knots.