“I’m confused too,” I whisper, dropping back onto my arse. “He messaged me earlier.”
Her eyes hold mine, begging me to open up.
“He just apologised.” I say, ignoring the fact that he was watching me at the time. I might not have searched him out, but I fucking well knew he was there.
“So what now, baby? Are you coming home?” she asks, hoping filling her eyes.
“I start work tomorrow. I’m going to stay at Sara’s just because it’s closer. I’ll be back next week,” I promise.
“Okay,” she says sadly. “I’m sorry for keeping all of this from you.”
“I know,” I say sadly, getting to my feet once more.
“Call me Saturday and let me know how your first shift goes.”
“I will,” I agree while internally wincing at what that shift is going to entail.I don’t need it anymore. We have money. But that’s not the point. I want to pay my way, be my own woman.
Emotion clogs my throat and burns the backs of my eyes as I let myself out of Mum’s house and into the dark night outside.
Tugging my coat tighter around me, I take off down the street.The air is filled with the scent of incoming rain, the dark clouds hanging heavy above me. Part of me craves it, but the other part knows that it’ll just take me back to that night with him. A night when everything was easy, fun. When I could allow him to just take away all my pain and grief and turn it into laughter and desire.
I haven’t even made it to the end of the street when I notice a set of slow-moving headlights behind me.
“Goddamn it, Toby,” I hiss under my breath.
Pulling my cell out, I tap out a quick message.
Jodie: I should call the cops on your stalking arse.
Despite the fact that he’s driving, his reply is almost instant.
Toby: I think you’d miss me. How’s your mum?
Jodie: Trying to convince me to talk to you. I’m just trying to remember how easily manipulated she is.
Toby: Ouch. Although I think she has a point. You really should talk to me.
Jodie: You don’t deserve it.
Toby: Tell me that to my face.
I move so fast that the rational side of my brain has no chance of trying to stop me. I jump out in the road and stand glaring at the man behind the wheel of the car.
He startles when he sees me standing there. He might be going slowly, but his shock prevents him from acting as fast as I’m sure he’d like and the bonnet of the car doesn’t stop until it’s mere millimetres from my legs.
My heart thunders, allowing me to feel its violent beat in every inch of my body. My fists curl in frustration as he throws the door open and climbs out.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“You want to talk? Let’s talk,” I spit.
His eyes hold mine as he rounds the car door. They’re alight with excitement that I’ve acknowledged him, but there’s also something darker within them—and not just the shadows from where he’s clearly not been sleeping.
The sight of him before me renders me useless for a few seconds. The connection that has always crackled between us is still as strong as ever and confusing the fuck out of me even more than I already am.
“Here?” he growls, the deep timbre of his voice hitting me exactly where it shouldn’t.
“Sure, why not? That’s what you’re stalking me for after all, isn’t it?” I spit, finding my voice once more.