boardwalk and caught sight of a tall man standing to the left, beside a big palm tree.
Fred.
Clutching her groceries to her chest, she ran for the boardwalk. Her heart pounded its frantic beat in her ears; air wheezed in and out of her lungs in strangled gasps. Her first thought was to go back to her little apartment as fast as she could and lock the door. But then she thought again. If she ran directly to the apartment, Fred would follow and know where she lived.
The ice-cream parlor she and Devon went to was directly in front of her. She swerved to dodge a skateboarder and then shoved open the heavy glass door.
Frigid air bathed her heated cheeks. Sweat trickled between her breasts. Her heart still threatening to burst from her chest, she turned and peeked back at the boardwalk. Empty.
A scan of the immediate beach area also produced nothing. Had she imagined seeing Fred? Was the fear so ingrained that she saw bogeymen around every corner?
“Ma’am? You all right?” A teenage boy behind the counter regarded her with a critical eye. He swallowed, his prominent Adam’s apple bobbing with the movement.
“Fine. Thank you. I’m fine.” She shoved some hair that had escaped from her ponytail out of her face and forced a smile. “It’s just so hot out there. Whew! I thought I was going to pass out for a minute.” She took a great gulp of water from the fountain by the door and waved as she opened the door and stepped into the sunshine. “I’m fine now. Have a great day!”
Afraid to look left or right, she put her head down and barreled her way home.
The cooler air of the hallway leading to the courtyard greeted her. She released a breath and picked up the pace.
Bracing for the final sprint across the courtyard, she took a deep breath and stepped out. And ran right into Devon’s arms.
“Oh!” She made a quick grab for her bag of groceries.
He steadied her for a moment and then stepped back, his hands still grasping her elbows. “Sorry, I didn’t see you.” He bent to look her in the eye. “Jamie? Are you okay?”
She started to tell him she was fine, but the lie would not pass her lips. Instead, her lips began trembling uncontrollably. Tears blurred her vision.
He steered her into his open apartment door, closing her in his arms as soon as he shut the door.
She wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, but finally the tears ebbed and she sniffed, stepping back from his embrace. “I’m sorry. I got your shirt all wet.” She brushed at the dark spots decorating the shoulder and front of his light yellow T-shirt. Sniff. “I’m okay now. Really.”
“But you weren’t okay. What happened?”
“Fred.” She drew a shuddering breath.
“Your ex-boyfriend?” He took her sack of groceries and set it by the door then led her to the sofa and sat down next to her, holding her trembling hands. “What happened? Did he do something?”
“No.” She hopped up. “You know, it probably was just my overactive imagination. I’m fine now. I’ll just take my groceries and get out of your way—”
She picked up her bag and almost dropped it. The trembling set in again, and she held the plastic sack in a death grip.
He eased the sack from her fingers. “Tell you what, let’s put this in my fridge and go take a walk. If we see Fred, we’ll call the cops.” He returned from the kitchen to find her standing in the same spot, still shaking. “Jamie, sweetheart,” he crooned, pulling her into his arms. “It’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll be right there beside you.”
Nestled in his warmth, it was easy to believe him. But if they walked outside and Fred saw them, she could be putting Devon in danger, too. The hard ridge of his fly pressed against her abdomen. Being so close to her had an obvious effect on him. Maybe they should just stay in and finish what they started last night….
“C’mon, let’s go.” Devon stepped back, grabbing her hand and tugging her
Fred.
Clutching her groceries to her chest, she ran for the boardwalk. Her heart pounded its frantic beat in her ears; air wheezed in and out of her lungs in strangled gasps. Her first thought was to go back to her little apartment as fast as she could and lock the door. But then she thought again. If she ran directly to the apartment, Fred would follow and know where she lived.
The ice-cream parlor she and Devon went to was directly in front of her. She swerved to dodge a skateboarder and then shoved open the heavy glass door.
Frigid air bathed her heated cheeks. Sweat trickled between her breasts. Her heart still threatening to burst from her chest, she turned and peeked back at the boardwalk. Empty.
A scan of the immediate beach area also produced nothing. Had she imagined seeing Fred? Was the fear so ingrained that she saw bogeymen around every corner?
“Ma’am? You all right?” A teenage boy behind the counter regarded her with a critical eye. He swallowed, his prominent Adam’s apple bobbing with the movement.
“Fine. Thank you. I’m fine.” She shoved some hair that had escaped from her ponytail out of her face and forced a smile. “It’s just so hot out there. Whew! I thought I was going to pass out for a minute.” She took a great gulp of water from the fountain by the door and waved as she opened the door and stepped into the sunshine. “I’m fine now. Have a great day!”
Afraid to look left or right, she put her head down and barreled her way home.
The cooler air of the hallway leading to the courtyard greeted her. She released a breath and picked up the pace.
Bracing for the final sprint across the courtyard, she took a deep breath and stepped out. And ran right into Devon’s arms.
“Oh!” She made a quick grab for her bag of groceries.
He steadied her for a moment and then stepped back, his hands still grasping her elbows. “Sorry, I didn’t see you.” He bent to look her in the eye. “Jamie? Are you okay?”
She started to tell him she was fine, but the lie would not pass her lips. Instead, her lips began trembling uncontrollably. Tears blurred her vision.
He steered her into his open apartment door, closing her in his arms as soon as he shut the door.
She wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, but finally the tears ebbed and she sniffed, stepping back from his embrace. “I’m sorry. I got your shirt all wet.” She brushed at the dark spots decorating the shoulder and front of his light yellow T-shirt. Sniff. “I’m okay now. Really.”
“But you weren’t okay. What happened?”
“Fred.” She drew a shuddering breath.
“Your ex-boyfriend?” He took her sack of groceries and set it by the door then led her to the sofa and sat down next to her, holding her trembling hands. “What happened? Did he do something?”
“No.” She hopped up. “You know, it probably was just my overactive imagination. I’m fine now. I’ll just take my groceries and get out of your way—”
She picked up her bag and almost dropped it. The trembling set in again, and she held the plastic sack in a death grip.
He eased the sack from her fingers. “Tell you what, let’s put this in my fridge and go take a walk. If we see Fred, we’ll call the cops.” He returned from the kitchen to find her standing in the same spot, still shaking. “Jamie, sweetheart,” he crooned, pulling her into his arms. “It’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll be right there beside you.”
Nestled in his warmth, it was easy to believe him. But if they walked outside and Fred saw them, she could be putting Devon in danger, too. The hard ridge of his fly pressed against her abdomen. Being so close to her had an obvious effect on him. Maybe they should just stay in and finish what they started last night….
“C’mon, let’s go.” Devon stepped back, grabbing her hand and tugging her
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