His place looked and already felt empty as I pulled into his driveway. Still, I got out of my car, walked to his front door, and pressed the bell.
I wanted to show him I could be mature, especially after last night, so I waited for another thirty seconds before pressing the doorbell again.
He’s gone.
I worried my lower lip with my teeth. Sure, we talked last night. And he confessed some intense feelings he had for me. And I kissed him.
But there were no promises.
Calm the hell down. Holy crap, girl. You’re not even a couple yet and one time he doesn’t reply to your text and you’re freaking out? If I were him, I’d hide from you too. Man, you’re wacko.
Right, right. I was overreacting. He was just probably in the bathroom, pooping.
Suddenly, I felt a prickle at the back of my neck. I felt edgy, as if someone was watching me. I turned around.
And saw the black Ferrari parked two houses away.
It was idling. It was already dark outside. Coupled with the dark-tinted windows, I couldn’t see who it was behind the wheel.
Watching me.
My body felt cold, numb, an instinctive response when there was danger in the vicinity. I felt…scared. And when I felt scared, I got angry. And when I got angry, I fought.
I forced myself to walk down the driveway, ready to confront whoever the hell was hiding behind that tinted windshield. And then the car moved. Slowly, quietly, as if it were telling me that it wasn’t intimidated or worried about me approaching it.
It stopped for a second or two in front of me, as if sending me a message.
I’ve seen your face, and I know who you are now. Be very careful.
And then it accelerated. I watched as it disappeared around the corner.
The hair on my arms stood up. Who the hell was that?
I jumped as I heard a banging noise across the street, my heart in my throat. I let out a relieved breath when I saw Dingle Dick throw me a glare as he dumped his trash in the recycling.
Wrong bin, genius.
“Hey!” I called out, striding across to his driveway.
He eyed me suspiciously. He looked like a giant, grumpy cockroach.
“What’s up, psycho?” He leered at me. “What are you doing at my neighbor’s house?”
“You know him?”
“Of course I know him. Why? You here to suck his soul out? He said he already paid his bill. I already paid my bill, so stay off my property, will you?”
What bill?
“He said he paid his bill?”
“Well, yeah. That morning right after you left, he came here to tell me what you did to get your money back, so I better pay my bill if I don’t want the same thing happening to me. Wack job,” he muttered under his breath.
I wanted to kick his micro baby maker, but I needed information from him. I tried a sweet smile. “How did he even know you owed me money?”
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“He was right there behind you all the time. What’s wrong with you?”