Chapter Twenty-Eight
C HLOE WAS AT Aldi, pushing along a heavy trolley full of shopping. She had decided she was going to be more proactive about making sure they always had a full fridge and freezer and they planned their meals. Now Gwen was working too, they could start sharing the food expenses.
She was comparing brands of washing powder when she sensed someone watching her. Unnerved, Chloe glanced up to see a man walking towards her down the aisle. She recognised him at once. It was Jason, Julie’s brother.
Having no desire to speak to him, Chloe threw a random box of washing powder into her trolley and made to wheel it away.
‘Excuse me.’
Chloe knew he was talking to her; there was no one else on this aisle.
‘Excuse me,’ he said more loudly, following her with heavy steps.
Chloe sighed and turned around, using the trolley as a barrier between them. ‘Yes, Jason? Can I help you?’
Jason looked taken aback, clearly surprised that Chloe knew his name. ‘I was just wondering if you’d thought any more about what I said. About Harry.’
Chloe glared at him. Up close, Jason wasn’t really that intimidating, but she still didn’t want to be alone with him. Not even in the bright artificial lights of a supermarket aisle. Had he just seen her here by coincidence and decided to chat, or had he followed her here?
‘Are you going to stay away from him?’ Jason pressed.
‘It’s none of your business,’ Chloe snapped back. She considered abandoning the trolley and making a run for it, but instead she said, ‘Can’t you just try and move on?’
Jason scowled. ‘Harry gets to live on, while my sister . . .’ He let out a shuddering breath, and Chloe almost felt sorry for him. ‘Why should he get to be happy?’
Chloe didn’t have the time nor the energy for this. She turned with her trolley and walked off, hoping Jason would give up. She found more shoppers, feeling safer around other people, but still Jason pestered her, his trainers squeaking on the floor as he followed her trolley.
‘Just promise me you’ll stay away from him,’ he said. ‘He only looks out for himself.’
‘I don’t have to promise you anything.’ Sweat poured down her back now; there was a long line of people waiting in the check out queue.
Finally, she half-jogged down an aisle of cereal brands, where a male member of staff was coming along with a pallet of goods to put on shelves, and headed for the toilets.
Jason was loitering at the other end of the aisle, probably aware of how uncomfortable he was making her but still not going away. Chloe felt breathless and anxious; she didn’t want him near her. Would the staff member take her seriously if she said anything?
The staff member passed her, not noticing anything was amiss. Sighing, Chloe put her trolley beside a nearby shelf and went into the bathroom.
She wondered if it would be melodramatic to call the police. Jason hadn’t touched her, just followed her. But you could never be too careful.
She pulled out her phone, but instead of ringing the police, she found herself calling Harry.
She double-checked that the toilet door was locked and leaned against it, her breathing heavy and fast as she wondered if Jason was still out there, waiting for her.
Didn’t he know it was rude and intimidating to do that to someone?
How long had he been following her? He could be harmless, but she didn’t want to take that chance.
Harry picked up the phone. ‘Hello? Chloe?’
‘Hi, Harry.’ She might sound paranoid, but she said it anyway. ‘Um, Jason is here. I think he followed me into Aldi.’
A pause. ‘What?’
‘Jason. You know, Julie’s brother.’ Her pulse raced as she felt guilty for disturbing Harry when he was probably at work. ‘I don’t know what to do. Should I call the police, or . . .?’
‘Has he touched you? Hurt you?’ She had never heard Harry’s voice go dark and dangerous like this before.
‘N-no. He just kept asking me if I was going to break things off with you. I tried walking away, but he followed me. I’m in the bathroom.’
‘Right. In Aldi, you said?’ There was a rustling noise on the phone. ‘I’m on my way. Do you think you can alert a member of staff? I don’t know if the police will do anything. Absolutely call them, though, if things get worse.’
Chloe opened the toilet door, holding the phone to her ear. If Jason came near her, she decided, she would scream. But she couldn’t see him anywhere. ‘I think he’s gone.’
‘Well, stay near the tills anyway. I’ll be there in ten minutes, all right? Are you okay?’
‘I’m okay. See you.’
When she put the phone down, Chloe retrieved her trolley – it was where she had left it, and nothing appeared to be missing.
A few more shoppers were milling around now.
A woman with a toddler, a man and his daughter, a couple.
Her heartbeat slowing, Chloe felt almost silly for her racing heart and sweating palms, but she hadn’t liked Jason coming up to her like that.
She loitered, scrutinising the faces of any man she saw who was alone. She was finishing up her shopping when Harry arrived, striding towards her. He’d thrown his coat over a knitted jumper and jogging pants. Chloe felt much safer now he was here, and she managed a smile.
‘You all right?’ he asked, putting a warm hand on her back. He helped her pack her things onto the conveyer belt at the checkout as she told him the rest of what had happened.
‘Jason’s harmless, as far as I know, but . . .’ Harry’s face was grim. ‘Shall I take you home?’
She reassured him she had come by car, but he walked her to her vehicle anyway, pushing the trolley for her and loading the bags into the boot. ‘Would you like me to come home with you?’
‘I’ll be all right.’ She couldn’t help glancing around the car park, half expecting to see Jason hanging around in the trolley area or behind a lamppost, but she couldn’t see him. ‘Thanks for coming out. Were you working?’
‘Hm? Oh, no. I was actually taking a nap. Late night at the office.’ He gave her a lopsided grin as she looked at him in dismay.
‘I woke you up? I’m sorry!’
‘Hey, don’t be.’ He opened his arms and she leaned into him, not realising until now how much she needed a hug. ‘I’d have come no matter what I was doing. Even fighting a dragon.’
‘That would’ve been hard to get away from,’ Chloe mumbled into his chest.
‘I’d have asked the dragon to reschedule while I went to help my girlfriend.’
The word ‘girlfriend’ gave Chloe a bubbly, happy feeling, and she chuckled as she pulled away from his warmth. ‘Thank you for this.’ She kissed his cheek.
‘I’ll follow you home, if you like. Make sure you’re safe.’
The thought was appealing, but Gwen might be around.
‘I’ll be okay.’ She waved and turned away before he could protest too much.
At home, Gwen was getting ready to work her shift at the Pride even Joe wasn’t in his garden.
It was reassuring that at least Harry knew Jason personally.
He didn’t have a criminal record or anything like that.
Maybe she was being jumpy, but she hated the idea of Jason hanging around outside their house.
‘Let me take the evening off work,’ said Gwen.
Chloe wanted to tell her not to, but Gwen had already picked up her phone to ring the pub.
Since they were both home, they spent the evening watching movies from their childhood, ones they both liked.
Later, they checked and double-checked all the doors were locked before going to bed.
Even with her sister there, Chloe tossed and turned that night, falling into bad dreams about Jason trying to break in. Eventually she knocked on Gwen’s door, and her sister answered with her hair in a mess.
‘Can I sleep with you?’ Chloe asked, her voice small.
Gwen made a sympathetic noise and hugged her. They cuddled up together in Gwen’s bed, and Chloe, comforted by her scent and her warmth, soon fell asleep.
The next day was a Sunday, and the library was closed.
Chloe decided to visit the Brew House, feeling bad she hadn’t seen Hannah since she’d found out about Liam being Lily’s father.
With everything else going on, Chloe couldn’t bring herself to be upset or annoyed about it.
The bell jangled above her head and she gave Hannah the brightest smile she could.
Hannah’s face lit up, and it wasn’t long before Chloe was sitting at a table with a caramel latte and a croissant.
On the next table was Lily, who waved at Chloe before continuing with her colouring.
Chloe noticed with amusement that the picture she was colouring was the purple monkey from the storybook Eric had read that day.
As it was mid-morning on a Sunday, the café was pretty busy. A middle-aged man was working in the café too, occasionally coming in from the back to replenish the sweet treats and help serving customers. Hannah introduced him as her uncle, the owner of the Brew House.
‘Ah! You must be Chloe.’ Her uncle threw a tea towel over his shoulder to shake her hand. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’ He stopped to ruffle Lily’s hair then disappeared in the back.
Chloe had walked here this morning, not wanting to scare herself more by refusing to leave the house on her day off.
Gwen had left, too, deciding to help out at the Pride & Pint during the lunch rush to make up for not going in the previous evening.
Chloe had not seen Jason on her way here, thankfully.
She wondered what Harry was up to. Did he work on Sundays? She texted him, asking if he was around and would like a coffee date.
I’m at the Brew House.
I’ve heard of that place. Good caramel lattes, my girlfriend told me.
Chloe giggled. Lily looked at her, a question in her eyes. Now Chloe knew that Liam was her dad, she couldn’t help seeing the resemblance.
Chloe was on her second latte when Harry walked in, the room brightening as he did. He ordered a black coffee and came to sit with Chloe, giving her a smile.
She stared back. ‘What happened to your face?’
‘Is it bad?’ he asked, looking concerned as he touched his cheek. All around his left eye was the purpling of a fresh bruise.
‘It looks horrible. Who hit you?’ Chloe had a feeling she knew the answer before Harry told her.
‘I went to have a chat with Jason about stalking you in the supermarket.’ Hannah brought over Harry’s coffee just then, and she raised her eyebrows at his black eye. ‘He wasn’t happy to see me. But he won’t be bothering you any more.’
They sipped in silence. She wondered if she should mention how scared she had felt last night, not able to sleep at home in case Jason was lurking outside. In the end she decided it was best she didn’t.