29. Chapter 29
Chapter twenty-nine
Aspen
R yan: My toothbrush is missing its friend. I apologized to him this morning. Told him I’d buy a spare just so he doesn’t have to feel so lonely, but he wasn’t having any of it.
Shivering against the cold, I clutch my coat tighter, hurrying to my car.
“Aspen, wait up,” Jordy calls out, hurrying towards me.
I sigh, waiting for him to reach me. Exhaustion tugs at every single bone in my body, but at least it’s Saturday, so I can sleep in.
“What’s up?”
“Do you recognize that car?”
Narrowing my eyes, I peer towards where he’s pointing. The parking lot is almost empty; the only cars dotting it are the ones of the few remaining employees. But on the far edge, where the lights don’t quite reach, is a lone car. It’s too dark to make out the color or make.
“I don’t think so. Why?”
“I’ve been seeing it a lot,” he mutters, his gravelly voice a few octaves lower than normal. “It always leaves when you leave.”
A shiver that has nothing to do with the cold creeps through me, making my hair stand on end.
“Stay here,” he says, then he’s striding towards the car at a fast clip. I want to call him back, fear of what might happen to him strangling my heart, but the words die in my throat when the engine turns on and the car screeches out of the parking lot.
He stares at it, his hands on his hips while its headlights fade into the distance, before striding back to me. Digging in his pocket, he pulls out his phone. “From now on, you don’t walk to your car without me. What’s your number?”
I rattle off my number, and a moment later, my phone rings. “Now you have my number. Save it, and if anything happens on your drive home, call me. Get it?”
I nod, my insides feeling numb. Maybe it’s time for me to think about quitting.
“Thank you, Jordy,” I choke out, getting in my car and slamming the door closed.
Pulling into the road, my hands are shaky as I grip the steering wheel, my eyes jumping to the rearview mirror every three seconds.
I’ve never gone skydiving, but I can imagine what it feels like when you first jump out of that plane. That feeling where your stomach tries to launch itself out of your mouth at velocity speeds. That’s what I feel when I spot headlights approaching behind me, the car accelerating then slowing down when it gets behind me.
My heart thuds as I speed up, bile rising in my throat as the car speeds up as well, keeping its following distance. It’s dark, and the headlights are blinding, so I can’t make out a damn thing. I speed up again.
Wrenching my hand from the steering wheel, I grab my phone, thinking now might be a good time to call Jordy, but before I can, it chirps in my hand, giving me such a fright that I almost drop it. Fumbling, I light up the screen, sparing it a glance.
Ryan: It’s me. Slow down. You’re going to kill yourself.
Yanking the steering wheel, I veer off the road and slam on the brakes. I don’t care that it’s the middle of the night. I don’t care that I’m in the middle of nowhere. Pure adrenalin has taken over the driving seat.
Bolting out of my car, I round it, my chest heaving with the force of my breaths while watching him come to a stop.
“What the fuck, Ryan?” My screech echoes down the empty road, setting off a flapping of wings in a tree somewhere.
“I’m sorry.” He doesn’t bother closing his door, approaching me with his hands held out.
Desperately casting around, I find a stone and lob it at him. And then promptly fall on my ass and start crying.
“Aspen,” he whispers, dropping to his knees in front of me. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
He wraps his arms around me, and for a moment, I sink into the comfort they provide, before remembering he’s the reason I’m sitting on this godforsaken stretch of road bawling my eyes out. Slapping at his chest, I push him away.
“Why? Why would you do this to me?” Hiccuping, my shoulders heave with the force of my sobs. “I thought you were some deranged person trying to hurt me.”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Don’t you ever do that to me again,” I shout through my tears, and if I had any strength left in my arms, I’d punch that concern right off of his face.
“How long?” I ask once I’m capable of coherent thought, the drained adrenaline leaving me shaky.
“Since that night.”
He doesn’t need to clarify which night. How was I so blind that I never noticed? A cold shiver travels down my spine. I need to be more careful.
“So, what? Every time I have a shift, you hang around and follow me home? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?” I continue at his nod.
He shrugs, helplessness painted in broad strokes over his body. “Not to me. I told you. I’m worried about your safety.”
“And I told you to stop worrying about me.”
“I can’t, and please don’t ask me to stop. I physically can’t.”
My legs are shaky as I get up, ignoring his outstretched hand. Slapping the dirt from my ass, I look around, taking in the surrounding desolation. I need to get in my car and go home. This is not the time, and sure as hell not the place to be having any kind of conversation.
“Wait? How do you even know when I’m working?”
He bites his lip. “You’re going to be mad.”
“Like I’m not mad already,” I mutter, glaring at him. “Spill Ryan. Now is not the time for more secrets.”
“First it was Carter and then you moved, so he put me in touch with Alice.”
“Fucking traitors,” I spit, marching to my car. And my shit list just keeps getting longer.
“It’s not their fault. I can be very persuasive,” he says, dogging my heels. He’s so close, I feel the heat of his breath when he mutters, “Except when it matters.” He jerks back when I spin on him, narrowly avoiding bumping my head against his chin.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure you get to your car safely.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, there’s only us,” I say, gesturing towards the empty road. “Unless you’re worried about a stray bear mauling me, or a herd of moose trampling me?”
Well, shit. Suddenly paranoid, I glance around nervously. We are next to a forested area, and there are occasional sightings of bears. And moose. Spinning on my heels, I hurry to my car.
“Moose don’t tend to travel in herds.”
“Whatever,” I mutter, practically diving into my car. “Just go home, Ryan. And don’t follow me.”
I slam my door, but wait until he’s in his car before driving, Ryan following me all the way home.
Ryan
As usual, after my late night tailing of Aspen, I’m tiptoeing down the hallway, trying not to wake Mom and Dad. I’m sneaking like a teenager trying not to get busted, and I hate it—it’s humiliating—but it’s better than answering the questions I know they’ll have.
“Son.”
Not gonna lie; I shriek like a little girl at the disembodied voice coming from the drawing room. My heart hammers as I clutch my chest, trying to catch my breath. I’m never watching a horror movie again. Ever. Shit, if this is half of what Aspen felt, I deserve to be taken out to the backyard and shot.
What an epic shit show tonight was. When that huge boulder-like dude came charging toward my car, it was obvious the jig was up. Pulse pounding like a runaway horse, I hightailed it out of there, cursing myself for being an idiot. I knew I was in serious trouble and had to come clean. I’d rather have Aspen more mad at me than she already was than let her think she had a stalker.
A light clicks on, and I trudge into the drawing room muttering a sheepish hello. Falling into the chair, I blow out a huge breath, trying to rid myself of the events of the night. Fuck, I didn’t mean to make Aspen cry.
“Why are you up?”
“I thought it was time for a talk.”
“About?”
“I’m not sure what you’re doing, but whatever it is, you can’t keep doing it, son. You’re wearing yourself out. Don’t think your sneaking has gone unnoticed, or the dark circles under your eyes. Look,” he says, leaning forward. “You’re a grown man and far be it from us to tell you what you can and cannot do. But your mom is worried about you, and if she’s worried, I’m worried.”
“You don’t need to worry,” I mutter, not sure how I’m going to keep an eye on Aspen now that she knows what I’m doing.
Suddenly worried about the extent of Aspen’s wrath, I shoot up straight. “Can a person be arrested for stalking?”
Dad’s face folds into alarm, and I hurry to reassure him. “Well, not stalking exactly. More like following. Occasionally.”
“Ryan.” I cringe because he’s using his courtroom voice. “What the hell have you been up to? Where were you tonight?”
“Silver Stiletto,” I mutter, looking down.
“You’ve been going to that…that…establishment?” My head whips to Mom’s high-pitched squeak from the doorway. “I thought we raised you better than that.”
“Damnit, Renee. I told you to stay in bed and that I’ll handle it.”
Defensiveness, not only for me but for Aspen, tightens my shoulders.
“There’s nothing wrong with that establishment ,” I grate. “Besides, I don’t go inside. I stay in my car.”
“Whatever for?” Mom says, ignoring Dad’s frown and blinking in confusion. “Surely they don’t offer drive-through services?” She turns to Dad. “Do they?”
He sighs in exasperation. “How would I know, woman? I’ve never been there.”
“Look. I didn’t tell you, but after we broke up, Aspen had to get a second job. She waitresses there and her shifts run really late. I don’t like that she has to make the drive back home by herself. It’s not safe, and I’m the reason she’s doing it. It’s only right that I follow her to make sure she gets home okay.”
“That poor girl,” Mom says, scrunching up her nightgown over her chest.
“And that’s part of the reason you’re giving her the money from your sale?”
I shoot Mom a look of betrayal. I told her that in confidence.
“You should know by now there are no secrets between your mom and me.”
“As it should be,” Mom said primly. “And it’s a lesson I think you’ve learned the hard way, right?”
All I can do is nod because fuck me. Nobody enjoys being lectured like they’re five years old.
“Son, stalking is considered a serious crime under both state and federal laws. I know your motive for following her is…altruistic, but she might not see it that way. I would strongly suggest you stop.”
My head’s shaking before he’s done talking. “I can’t, Dad. As long as she keeps working there, I’ll keep doing it.”