Chapter 16 #2
I nodded and tried to do just that. My legs were still noodles, but Hector was quickly at my side and steadying me.
He supported me as we followed one of the volunteers out of the maze.
We hadn’t even been that far from the exit, which pissed me off even more.
We were so close to figuring out the maze, and the stalker had to go and ruin it.
“Everything’s gonna be okay,” Hector murmured and rubbed my back. I realized I was shaking again. He probably thought I was still in shock, but I wasn’t. I was shaking from how pissed off I was.
“I’m fine,” I grumbled. The words came out harsher than I intended, especially when none of this was Hector’s fault. It wasn’t fair that I was directing my anger toward him. Softening, I stroked his scar and said, “Really. I’m okay. I’m just annoyed at that guy.”
Hector nodded and kissed my temple before leading us forward again. “Let’s get you home.”
There was a truck waiting for us when we arrived at the parking lot. Thank fuck, because we’d strolled here, and I didn’t think I could manage the walk back home right now.
Hector opened the back door and helped me climb into the back of the cab before sliding into the seat beside me.
Jones was in the driver’s seat and smiled at me in greeting.
I was thankful he didn’t try to make small talk or ask any questions during the short drive back to the diner.
He let soothing music fill the cab and calm my nerves.
“Thank you,” I told him when we’d arrived. I assumed he’d left his date with Ryan and the kids in order to drive us. It was very kind of him to do that, since he didn’t have to.
“Anytime,” he replied. “Let us know if you need anything. Anything at all.” He didn’t linger after that and drove off, probably returning to the fair to find his family.
“Let’s get you inside,” Hector said and unlocked the front door of the diner. My legs felt like lead climbing up the stairs to the apartment. The security system blared when Hector unlocked the apartment door, and the sound was a welcome reassurance that our home was safe. Nobody had snuck inside.
Hector disarmed the system, and I found my way to the couch. I flopped onto it, my entire body melting into the fluffy fabric. My head hung off the back of the couch, and I slung my arm over my eyes.
I wasn’t this tired even after a twelve-hour shift—though, that could also be because I actually liked what I did. But now, I felt like the stalker had literally drained all the energy from my body.
There was a soft thud in the space next to me.
It was too light for it to be Hector. I moved my arm to peek and was surprised to see Shadow sitting next to me.
He was watching me, sitting far enough away that there was a respectable amount of space between us, and in the perfect loaf formation.
The little guy never voluntarily came this close to me before, so I wondered if he could sense something was wrong and was trying to comfort me.
That was the last straw. I let the tears I’d tried so hard to push back fall now. Shadow’s eyes squinted as he kept watching me. He wasn’t offering me comfort, but he wasn’t leaving either.
“Hey, hey.”
Hector came from the kitchen with a steaming mug. He placed it on the coffee table and snuggled up to my other side.
As if sensing his dad had the situation under control now, Shadow slunk off to some quiet part of the apartment.
“You’re okay,” Hector murmured. He pulled me into his huge arms and let my tears soak into his shirt. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I nodded into his shoulder. “I know you won’t. And I’m okay. Not scared—okay, maybe a little scared—but I’m more pissed off than anything.”
“Did he say something to you?”
“He said a lot of things, but nothing of importance. At least for now,” I said with a sigh. I’d tell Hector everything. Later. “He ruined our first official date out in town.”
Hector’s eyes softened, and he pressed another kiss to my temple. “There’ll be more in the future, love.”
“Sure, but I was having so much fun. And you looked like you were having fun too!”
“I was.”
“Exactly!” I said with a frustrated hand in the air. There were more important things to worry about besides us having a good time, but this was important to me. “And he just had to go and ruin it by showing up with a gun.”
“Actually, Clay just texted me and said it was a fake. It’s a lighter made to look like a gun.”
I didn’t know why that made me laugh. The crying stopped, and I was laughing hysterically now. Hector looked mildly worried as he continued to hug me.
I wiped the last of my tears away. “At least there’s a silver lining,” I muttered. I really was glad that the lunatic hadn’t brought a real gun and put everyone in danger.
“Yes,” Hector agreed and rubbed a thumb over my lip. “Should we go on a trip?”
“That was random. Why do you suddenly want to go on a trip?”
Hector shrugged nonchalantly. “We could go visit Rhett. I’ve never seen a circus before. We can ask Becca if she can cat-sit Shadow.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “We’re not running away, Hector.”
“We can just get out of town until this blows over. The stalker will probably go into hiding tonight since we’re on the lookout for him. We can slip away and return once things settle down. We’ll think of it as a mini vacation.”
“No. Your diner—”
“It doesn’t matter, love.”
“It does to me!” I yelled. I didn’t know where the energy came from, considering I’d felt so drained moments ago. But this was my biggest fear. The entire reason I’d wanted to solve this problem by myself in the first place.
My hands were fisted at my sides. Hector gently placed his over mine. “You’re not a burden.” I peered at him past my frustration. “You’re not a burden,” he repeated, and it allowed me to finally take in a full breath of air.
“I believe you,” I told him. “I do. I just…I don’t want you having to make sacrifices for me.” He opened his mouth, but I held up a hand before he could speak. “Even if you’re willing to, I don’t want to be the reason that you have to.”
“Okay,” was all he said. He leaned in and pressed our foreheads together in a tender moment. “But anything I do for you isn’t a sacrifice, love. If it’ll keep you safe and happy, then it’s a pleasure.”
I huffed out a laugh. “You’re too good for me.”
He pulled back and gave me an incredulous look. “You’re the one who’s too good for me.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him back. My finger swiped over his scar before threading through his short hair. “Two negatives make a positive. I guess that just means we’re perfect for each other.”
Hector’s laugh was a sound that sang to my soul. It wrapped around me, reaffirming that I was safe here. Everything would be all right. It had to be.