21. Presley #2
I try to pull away.
He loosens his grip, ensuring I have my balance before fully letting go.
That surprises me enough that I stop and stare up at him.
Footsteps echo behind us.
His head turns.
So does mine.
Caleb enters the alley.
He stops. His gaze moves from me to the masked man.
The masked man steps in front of me, completely blocking me from Caleb’s view.
My breath catches.
He doesn't say anything. Doesn't threaten Caleb. Nor does he move toward him.
He simply stands there.
Tall. Broad. Silent. Terrifying.
Caleb pales. “Dude, I—”
The masked man's head tilts.
Caleb takes a step backward, holding his hands up in surrender. “I wasn't doing anything.”
Silence.
Caleb takes another step, then turns and practically runs from the alley.
I stare after him.
For several seconds, the only sound is my breathing.
Then the masked man turns toward me.
I back against the brick wall.
My heart is still racing, but something has changed.
I'm scared. Absolutely.
Yet the fear isn't the same as it was last night.
He just protected me.
“Why?”
He turns around and looks at me.
The silence grows heavy.
“Why are you following me?”
His mask gives nothing away.
“Were you outside my house last night?”
More silence.
I swallow. “Was that you?”
He doesn't answer.
My hands shake. “Who are you?”
Nothing.
“You know the whole creepy silent thing isn't making this less terrifying, right?”
His head tilts slightly.
My stomach flips. I’ve seen that movement before. Last night. At the window.
“Oh my God.” My back presses against the brick. “It was you.”
He steps closer.
I tense.
He stops immediately.
Several feet remain between us.
Then that distorted voice comes through whatever he's using beneath the mask. “You're safe.”
The words hit me strangely.
Not because of what they mean, but because they feel familiar. Safe.
My mind flashes to Hades holding me inside The Crooked Spine.
I've got you.
I shake the thought away.
No.
This is a different man.
A very different man.
“I don't feel safe.”
His head tilts again. “I won't let anyone hurt you.”
A nervous laugh escapes me. “You realize you're currently the scariest person in this alley, right?”
Nothing.
“Great conversation.”
He gestures toward the opening behind him. “You want me to go?”
I stare at him.
And then I open my mouth and can’t believe the words that come out. “Are you coming with me?”
He stares.
Apparently, that's my answer.
“It’s okay.” I take a cautious step forward. “Don’t worry about me.”
Then another.
“Presley.”
I freeze.
He knows my name.
“I’m walking with you.”
I want to ask him so many questions. But I know he won’t answer.
Instead, I start walking.
He falls in step beside me.
Every nerve in my body remains alert. But strangely, I don't feel the urge to run from him.
Maybe because I watched Caleb flee.
Maybe because this man could've hurt me already if that's what he wanted.
Maybe because I'm an idiot.
Probably the last one.
“What’s your name?”
Silence.
I keep glancing at him. He never looks away for long.
“You're really not going to tell me your name?”
Nothing.
“Do you have a name?”
His head turns slightly toward me.
“Okay. Stupid question.”
We reach the end of the alley.
Warm light from storefronts spills across the sidewalk.
People are still around here. Not as many, but enough. Bramble & Bean glows half a block away.
I stop.
So does he.
“Why me?” The question comes out quieter than I intended.
He doesn't move.
“Why are you watching me?”
Silence.
My pulse jumps for an entirely different reason. I hate that.
“Were you the one who fixed my ghost on the porch?”
His body goes completely still.
My stomach drops. “Oh my God.”
No answer.
But he doesn't need to give me one. Something in that stillness feels like confirmation.
“That was you.” I stare at him. “You were on my porch.”
He takes one slow step backward.
“No. Don't—”
I stop myself.
What the hell am I doing telling my stalker not to leave?
Apparently grief really did destroy my survival instincts.
He nods toward Bramble & Bean.
“Go,” he rasps out.
I swallow. “Thank you.”
His head tilts.
“For tonight,” I clarify quickly. “Not the stalking. I'm not thanking you for that.”
For the briefest second, I swear his shoulders move, almost like he's laughing.
My eyes narrow. “Did you just laugh at me?”
He doesn’t say a word.
But his shoulders move again.
“Asshole.”
That earns another tiny movement.
Oh my God. My masked stalker has a sense of humor.
Wonderful.
I start toward the coffee shop.
Halfway there, I turn around.
He's still standing beneath the edge of the streetlight, watching me.
I continue walking, feeling far safer than I should.
When I reach Bramble & Bean, my hand closes around the door handle.
I look back.
The sidewalk is empty.
I stare at the place where he stood.
Relief moves through me. Followed closely by something else.
Something I refuse to identify.
The bell jingles as I open the door and step into the warmth of the coffee shop.
Penny's excited bark erupts from inside.
Before the door closes, I look outside one last time.
Nothing.
For the first time since I saw that mask outside my bedroom window, a terrifying thought settles into my mind.
I'm afraid of him.
But I don't think I want him to disappear.