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Mariella
ChapterOne
His footsteps behind me speed up as I quicken my pace, and my heart races as I eye my apartment building up ahead. He’s been following me for two blocks. At first I thought it was a coincidence, but after catching a glimpse of his face in the reflection of a storefront window, I know he’s laser-focused on me. He’s not casually looking around or glancing at his phone. He only has eyes for me, and it’s anything but flattering.
Only half a block to go until I’m at my apartment building, but if I go in there, he’ll know where I live. My eyes dart around, looking for an alternative.
I remove my phone from my back pocket and call my roommate. Autumn picks up on the second ring.
“Hey. You almost here?”
“Hey! I can’t wait to see you. Are you guys still meeting me?”
“What?” she asks, sounding confused. “What’re you talking about?”
I clear my throat and stop at a streetlight, casually glancing around to see what the man behind me is doing. He also came to a stop, but he turns his head in another direction and puts his hands in his pockets, appearing as though he’s simply waiting for the light to turn so we can cross the street.
“I’m over here by Sweetpea,” I say, looking at the pastry store across the way.
“What’s wrong, Mariella?”
“Yeah. I’ll just wait for you guys to show up.”
Shuffling on the other end lets me know she’s moving around. “I’m coming. You said Sweetpea?”
“Yeah, just across the street now. So, you’re close?”
“I’m gonna grab Noah and we’ll be there. Stay on the phone.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to see Noah!” I say, forcing myself to squeal with excitement.
I hear Autumn knock on the door and say, “Come on. We gotta go.”
Noah doesn’t question her. All I hear is another door close and then their footsteps as they walk through the hall and down the steps.
“Is it the same asshole you said was following you last week?” Autumn asks.
“She needs to get a gun,” Noah says.
The light turns and a group of us begin crossing the street. “I’m not sure,” I answer Autumn, remaining vague. “I didn’t get a good look last time.”
“We’re almost there. I see you.”
When I get to the other side of the road, I turn and search for them. I raise my hand to wave, and the man who was behind me passes by, his shoulder brushing mine. He’s wearing dark sunglasses, a ball cap, blue jeans, and a black T-shirt.
I don’t let my eyes linger long, but when I see Noah and Autumn crossing the street, I turn my head and try to find the man, but he’s gone.
“Was that him? The one with the hat?” Autumn asks, her natural red hair appearing orange under the glare of the sun.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll be back,” Noah says, heading in the direction the man went.
“Noah, be careful,” I plead.
Autumn pulls me in for a hug. “You have to tell the police. You said you’ve noticed someone watching you on multiple occasions. What is this? The fourth time?”
“The first time I was drunk and probably just blowing things out of proportion. It was likely just a guy who wanted to talk to me.”
