AllFreeNovel
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A group of people is coming towards us, and I urge Lily to get back inside.
“Let’s go back inside your apartment…”
We follow the same path, three stories up without an elevator, slow and steady in the dark. As we get close to the apartment, the smell of fresh coffee brewed the old-fashioned way enters my nostrils and soothes my pain.
“Brody got my purse and phone back!” Lily beams at Sandra, who’s surrounded by candles and savoring a cup of coffee.
“That’s a coincidence!” Sandra says.
“Or not,” I cut in. “Do you lock your phone, Lily?”
Lily sits at the couch and shines her light at her own face, looking eerie. “No…”
“And do you have your home address saved in your ride share app?” I ask again, stern.
“Ugh…” Lily collapses in between the cushions. “I’m a dumbass, aren’t I?”
“Brody is here to teach you how to take better care of yourself,” Sandra says, and despite that not being exactly the truth, I nod.
I have a nagging feeling the phone in the perp’s hand was hers and he had been looking at it to confirm her address, but I didn’t want to say anything more to scare Lily.
“As soon as the cell service come back, we’re calling the police,” I say, heading for the kitchen area and pulling a stool close to the window. “And I want to set a stakeout here starting tomorrow night, just to be sure no one is coming back.”
They both look at me in shock, particularly Lily, who doesn’t seem that willing to have her privacy invaded by a bunch of strangers hanging out at her place.
But maybe we can find a way around that.
Chapter Five
LILY
Itookanapon the couch, and when I woke up, he was still there, watching over us. Sandra and I send him home, her with a cup of coffee, and I with my best wishes.
The truth is I miss his presence already. This strongman is growing on me. I feel so much safer and protected with him around.
It’s early morning, and the day is bright. The lights have come back, so I decide to turn on the TV and discover the news about last night.
“Man, so much looting…” I say to Sandra, who’s serving herself yet another cup of coffee.
“Any stores we know?” She sits on the couch by my side.
“Yeah, a bunch of our favorites on Broadway,” I say forlornly.
“Goodness,” Sandra shakes her head, lamenting the tragedy. “Are you scared?”
I blink, not understanding what she means. “Of the looting? This happens every time there’s a protest or a blackout. Why would I be scared?”
“Of your stalker.” She asks, collected. “And then that whole thing happening with your purse and phone being stolen and then the dude ends up right outside your place. What if it’s another stalker?”
Widening my eyes, I feel a horrible chill go straight through my body, only to realize that I’m really in trouble.
“What if it’s the same person?” I grit my teeth.
“It could be,” Sandra says and her expression turns even darker in the flick of a switch. “This is beyond worrisome, Lily! You are my first client to go through something like this. And plus, I consider you my best friend, and I’m terrified for you.”
She puts an arm around my shoulders and, smiling, I bury my face in the curve of her neck. I have no idea how we get along so well, considering she’s thirty and I just recently turned twenty-three, but somehow, we clicked. I not only consider her my best friend, but she is also like an older sister to me.
“And what am I supposed to do?” I ask her, feeling tears forming behind my eyes.
