Henley

How to buy cars, I decided, should have been something they taught in high school. Or maybe I should have researched it beforehand. Fortunately, I'd brought Brandon with me, and while he didn't exactly know either because we'd never been able to buy cars from a dealership before, his attitude kept the sales rep from pressuring me into buying something I didn't want. Maybe I could have gotten a better deal if I knew better, but the most important thing was getting a new car.

Eventually, I walked out with the keys to my new car, while Brandon took my keys to my old beater. Brandon had said we'd get more for scrapping it than what the dealership offered and I wasn't ready to say goodbye to it yet, anyway. I got attached to inanimate objects too easily.

"You know, you could have afforded a better car than this," Brandon said as we came to a stop in front of my new Toyota Camry.

"I like this car," I said. "And it's not like it was cheap. I never imagined spending this much on a car in my life."

"How come you didn't pay it all in cash?"

"I'm trying to build up my credit," I said. "Although the interest rate on the loan is really high because I barely have any..."

Brandon frowned. "Do you really need to build up your credit?"

"What if I want to buy a house one day?"

"Bennett has a house. A nice house. And I'm sure if you wanted to live somewhere else, he'd happily buy one for the two of you.

I rubbed my neck. That was probably true. "I like Bennett's house and where he lives is fine, but I also want to be able to buy my own house if I have to one day. I don't want the anxiety of living in an apartment."

Brandon considered this. "I guess you're right. There's a chance you two could break up one day. But if things go sour with Bennett, I'll still be there to support you."

"Oh, will you?"

"You supported me when I was in need. It's only right for me to do the same," Brandon said, straightening his posture. "You can count on your big bro."

I tapped my chin. "Hmm. Well, I'll keep that in mind."

"I even got a second job, remember?"

"You still liking it?" I asked, opening the door to my new car. I had to admit— it was kind of exciting to have a new car after driving around my beater for so long. This one had red interior, Apple car play, and a backup camera. I was in a whole new world.

"Yeah, it's nice. I get a lot of tips and Wilson is a great boss," Brandon said, putting his hands on the top of my open door. "I like it better than working at the hotel."

"Do you work with Trav a lot?"

"Yeah, we're training together basically every night. And speaking of, I have to go or I'll be late to my shift. You good from here?" Brandon asked, releasing my door.

I nodded. "Yep. Thanks. Just park the car all the way up in the driveway for now. I'll figure out what to do with it later."

"You're not going home?"

I sat in the driver's seat, looking up at Brandon. "No. I'm going out for a bit. I'll probably be home before you are, though, anyway. You've been working really late."

"Well the pub doesn't even close until 2 AM and then we still have to clean up. I don't mind too much." He grinned. "Unless you're mentioning that because you're scared to be home alone...?"

I flushed. "No. I lived by myself already for a while, remember? I'm fine."

"Alright, I believe you. I'm leaving. See ya, Henley."

"Bye Brandon," I said, closing my door as he walked away. I turned my new car on, surprised at the lack of clunking or rattling or noises. It was so quiet. I pushed the button again, just to make sure it was actually on.

I switched on the heat, shocked when it came out warm. "This is amazing," I said out loud, wrapping my hands around the steering wheel that had no cuts in the leather. "Why didn't I buy a new car sooner?"

I was starting to understand Bennett a little better, too. No wonder he got so excited about his car. It was even fancier than this one.

I plugged my phone in and fiddled with the car play until I figured out how to use it. Then, I drove off the lot, both hands on the wheel, glancing around cautiously. It wasn't that I was driving carelessly before, but I wouldn't have cared if something happened to my old car. This one was expensive. I needed to protect it.

I headed toward the Poughkeepsie galleria, where I was meeting Trav. It wasn't a long drive, but I decided to give Bennett a call so I could try out the car's features. As I waited for him to pick up, I belatedly realized he could be busy, even though it was a Saturday. He'd had to stay longer than he'd originally thought and work the weekend. And with the time difference, it was still early afternoon in California.

"Henley," he greeted me.

"Guess what?"

"You're calling from your new car?"

I stared at the display screen in shock. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," he said, sounding amused. "So? How do you like it so far?"

"I would dare to say it drives smoother than your car."

"Not possible."

"I don't know. I can barely feel any bumps. Sometimes I feel carsick in your car," I said just to tease him.

"You do—" He paused. "You're not driving right now, are you?"

"I am, why?"

"I'll hang up, then."

"Hold on, wait!" I said quickly. "It's fine. I'm using the car play thing. Hands-free. Not breaking any laws here."

"You're still distracted."

"You talk to me all the time when you're driving," I complained. "What's the difference?"

He hesitated. "It doesn't make you anxious to talk to me while I'm driving?"

"No, why? You do it all the time."

"But now I see the perspective from the perspective of the person not driving," he responded. "I'm worried you'll be so distracted by me you'll crash."

"I'm not driving that fast."

He stayed silent for a moment and I imagined he was pouting. "Still."

I smiled. "Alright, when you put it like that, I understand. I'll hang up. But you better not call me when you're driving anymore, either."

"You never have a problem before," he said.

"Now you've put the thought in my head."

"I'll call you later. From my hotel room," he clarified and I grinned. "I might have to stay until Wednesday now. I'll know for sure later."

"What? Lame. I really wanted to see you," I said, sighing.

"Don't sound too disappointed. I just might ditch work and come back home, anyway."

I pulled up to a red light, impressed with how well the brakes worked. "Don't do that. Then you might have to go back again."

"We need to hire a manager here and then I won't ever have to come back, but..." He trailed off, turning quiet for a moment. "We're becoming shorthanded everywhere. I'll have to figure it out later. I have to go to a meeting now. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. I'm meeting up with Trav now, but we probably won't be out that long."

"Oh, right. You're meeting with him today. Keep me updated."

I smiled a little. "Updated on what?"

"Um. Where you are. Or whatever you'd like to tell me."

"Sure," I responded, laughing. "We're just getting dinner. I'll text you a picture of my food. Love you."

"I love you, too," Bennett said and then hung up.

"Still never says bye," I mused, returning the display screen to my music. "I wonder how the bass in here is."

Bennett had been worried about being the one to distract me while driving, but the real threat was the technology. How could anyone focus on driving where there was so much going on with the display screen? I ultimately decided to figure it out later when I was safe in my driveway.

I parked at the shopping center and texted Trav to tell him that I'd wait for him by the side entrance. The parking lot was empty, but it typically was at this place. It took me an extra second to figure out how to shut my car off and then I grabbed my purse, heading toward the entrance. I pulled my jacket tighter around myself, the March air chilly as the sun set. I stepped up to a brick alcove, trying to hide from the wind, not wanting to head inside in case Trav was about to show up.

The sound of footsteps on the pavement behind me made me glance back toward the parking lot, but no one was there.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to stave off the cold, eyebrows furrowed. I'd sworn I heard something. I turned back, looking at the lights inside the mall. I couldn't believe how dead it was. It wasn't even nice out. Nobody wanted to shop?

I heard another sound from behind me and whipped back around, my breath catching in my throat, but again, nothing was there. I walked out of the alcove a bit, peering around, trying to ignore the way goosebumps were crossing my skin.

"Maybe I'll go inside," I said to myself, the wind rustling my hair as it blew.

A snap came from my left and I jumped, twisting in that direction. My eyes scanned the shadows of the alcove and the side of the building for any sign of moment, but there was nothing.

I'm paranoid, I decided.

All of a sudden my phone went off, scaring the shit out of me. "Hello?" I said, my heart in my throat as I pressed it to my ear.

"Henley!"

I relaxed a little. It was Trav. "Hey, where are you? How come you didn't call on your cell phone?

"Huh? Sorry, it's a bit hard to hear you," he responded and I heard the sound of glasses being clinked together in the background along with loud laughter. "I'm at McKellan's right now. Wilson said it's not busy and told me I could go home. Do you want to meet up today?"

"...What? This is your cell phone number?"

"Yeah, why?"

My hand fell to my side, my phone still in my hand. If this was Trav's number, then who had I been texting?

Who was here to meet me?

I immediately twisted on my heel, ready to run to my car, but the dark parking lot stopped me. Not even half the lights in the parking lot were working. Swallowing, I decided getting in a public, brightly lit place was the best option.

There was no doubt who I was texting. That person must have gotten a new phone number. I automatically, idiotically, assumed it was Trav texting me without confirming it. What were the odds this person texted me the same time Trav was supposed to? That Trav would forget to text me so I never realized his number was different?

I gripped my phone tight in my hand, ready to use it as a weapon. Maybe this person was just messing with me. There's no way they'd follow me out here, right?

No sooner than I thought that a hand grabbed my arm, making me drop my phone. I immediately threw my elbow out, only making it easier for whoever grabbed me to wrap their arms around me, a gloved hand going over my mouth as I tried to shout.

This was a public place. What was happening? I struggled to break free, but couldn't even get an arm free. I suddenly remembered how easily Bennett had lifted me the night when we were drinking.

"Why did you give away my roses?"

Fear seized me. This wasn't happening. I didn't move, forgetting how to breathe for a moment as I felt warm breath on my neck, the arms around me tightening, fingers digging into my jaw. The voice was deep and masculine. From the way they held me, I knew he had at least a foot of height on me, but a slender body. Just like the person in black I'd been seeing.

This had to be the same person. He even asked about the roses.

"That wasn't very nice. They were for you."

I'm sorry, I tried to say, but it came out muffled.

"Shh, I won't hurt you. Stop moving. I just wanted to tell you something, but you're never alone these days."

I obeyed, deciding it was the best thing to do at the moment. Any second someone could walk through the doors and see us here. Then I could get away.

"Are you going to listen?"

I nodded.

The hand came off my mouth and I sucked in a deep breath of air, not daring to yell. I had to stay calm. And make my escape at the best moment.

"Good girl."

Nausea began to creep up my throat but obeying proved to be the best choice because he released me. I didn't know why. I wouldn't find out why. I formed a fist and turned and swung it blindly at what I hoped was his face, or at least his neck, putting all my strength into it. My knuckles met bone in a painful way but I didn't hesitate, taking off toward the shopping center doors, yanking them open, and sprinting inside.

I didn't stop there. Was this the one Saturday no one was around? I nearly stumbled in my haste to get to the Express or Auntie Anne's, or whatever shop was around the corner, it didn't matter. Somewhere where there were people.

Express was the closest. I almost threw myself through the entrance, moving behind a well-dressed mannequin to hide. I held onto the blazer on the mannequin, trying not to breathe, my eyes scanning for the man from the hotel through the safety of the store glass.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I shouted, twisting around, ready to fight.

Tala threw her hands up, brown eyes wide. "Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!"

"T-Tala?"

"I thought that was you!" She beamed at me. "What a coincidence." Her eyebrows knitted together as she took in my appearance. "Are you okay?"

I grabbed her hand, dragging her further into the store, glancing behind me. "I think I'm being followed."

Her eyes narrowed, also turning to look behind us. "Huh? By who?"

"I don't know."

Tala came to a stop, trying to march back toward the entrance. "Who is it? I'll tell them the back the hell off."

"Wait," I said, grabbing her arm. "Don't."

She didn't resist me as I tugged her to the way back, where a couple of employees stood folding pants. Not the number of people I wanted, but it was better than zero. I let Tala go and she bit her lip. "What's wrong, Henley?"

I kept my gaze focused on the front of the store, prepared to run again if I had to. "I'll explain in a minute. Just... just don't go anywhere."

Tala waited patiently as the minutes passed, idly browsing through a rack of shirts as the employees began to send looks our way. I reached for my phone, momentarily forgetting I'd dropped it outside. I groaned, putting my face into my hands. Damn it. It was probably gone by now.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead, not realizing how hot I actually felt. The store was beginning to feel stuffy. Had enough time passed? Was that man still waiting outside for me? I tried to get myself to move, but my muscles tensed.

Snap out of it, I told myself. You have to look for your phone.

I turned to Tala. "I dropped my phone outside."

"What? Let's go look for it. It might still be there. It's kind of dead here today," Tala replied, abandoning the clothing rack, and heading toward the front of the store.

"Um, wait." I clenched my hands into my fists, feeling heat spread across my face. "Maybe it's not a big deal after all."

She looked at me like I was crazy. "It's your phone! How are you not more panicked?"

"I have insurance. I think."

She stared at me a moment more before folding her arms over her chest. "You don't want to go out there because of the man who was following you, right? I'll go. Where did you drop it?"

"You can't," I said immediately.

"I'll be fine, Henley. I'd like a man to try something with me. I took karate for ten years."

I paused. "Wait. Really?"

Tala nodded seriously, flexing her arm. Pure muscle. "I can protect myself."

"Then... maybe we can go check if my phone is out there or not," I said hesitantly. I didn't really want to leave my phone behind because of the pictures of Bennett and I on it, but it didn't seem worth risking another encounter with the man following me.

I followed closely behind Tala as we exited the store, heading back to the shopping center side entrance. The area was completely empty. My pulse began to pick up as we walked back through the doors and outside.

I wasn't really surprised to see no one there, but my guard didn't let up.

"I'll call it. Where did you drop it?"

I pointed toward the brick wall I was leaning against. "Over there."

Tala put her phone to her ear and we both listened and looked for any sign of my phone, but nothing came up. She turned on her flashlight and we checked along the wall and the area, but my phone was gone.

"Let's see if anyone turned it into the security office," Tala suggested. "Do you have find my phone turned on?"

I shook my head. "No. I didn't know that was a thing."

"Damn."

We headed back into the shopping center and headed for the security office. I stared down at my feet, my palms sweaty. Was it possible that man had stolen my phone? I tried to think. How difficult was my passcode? How much information about me was on my phone? Pictures of my house, of my new car, of my family, of my friends...

I ran a hand through my hair, gripping my roots. Why did I let his happen? Why didn't I fight back more? Why did I leave my phone behind? What if that man somehow got past my passcode? What would he use that information for?

Unsurprisingly, security didn't turn up anything. A heaviness weighed on me as Tala and I made our way to the food court. She bought me something to drink and sat me at one of the tables. "Okay, you have to explain things to me. Someone was following you? Did you lose your phone because of it?"

"Yes."

"Do you know this person?"

I debated for a moment before telling Tala everything that was going on at the hotel. Maybe it would be beneficial to discuss this with someone I didn't have to see every day. It was hard enough to tell Lee.

Tala scowled as I finished. "So, this creep is stalking you?"

I shot up, alert, my hands cupped around my drink. "What? No. No one's..." I trailed off. Stalking me. I couldn't even bring myself to say the words.

Tala leaned back, scrutinizing me with a hard look. "You look terrified right now, Henley. He's terrorizing you."

I shook my head. "No, it's not that bad. I'm okay. I mean, it's just roses. This was just..." What was this? A step further than the roses. Even I had to admit that.

"If someone is stalking you this is serious."

"It's not like that."

"Henley."

"Stalking is a bit— I don't know what this guy is doing," I admitted. "But I can't accuse someone of stalking me. I don't have any proof. That's a huge accusation."

Tala slammed her hand down on the table, startling me. "And following someone without their permission is a huge crime!"

"It could have just been a coincidence," I mumbled. "I don't want to make this into a big deal."

What if he finds out? I wanted to ask. What if this guy found out I accused him of stalking? What would he do then? Wasn't it better just to keep this to myself?

"Listen, Henley, I don't want to scare you, but people die because they don't think things like this are a big deal," Tala said. "Especially women. Actually, it's not even that they don't think it's a big deal. They realize that it is. But they think people won't believe them, or society has convinced them that it's somehow their fault they're being stalked, and to not make a big deal out of it."

I avoided her gaze. "It's not that bad."

"It's not your fault if someone is stalking you, Henley. That sick creep is doing something gross and illegal. If he's approaching you like this, I'm worried something bad will happen."

"I'll just be more careful from now on," I said. "I should have confirmed it was Trav texting me in the first place."

"If you don't want to go to the police, then at least let the people around you know. Does Bennett know?"

"Not yet," I admitted. "But I told Lee and my brother."

"You need to tell Bennett."

I shrunk in on myself. "I know."

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Henley. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Still." I lowered my voice. "Everyone already has so much going on. I can't add to it. I'm letting this happen to me—"

"You're not," Tala said sharply. "You're not letting this happen to you. You didn't ask for this. You're suffering from it. If anyone tells you that you're letting this happen, fuck them. If you're thinking that because you've stayed quiet about this, that's not true either. No one would understand unless they're in your position why you've stayed quiet about it. It's not that easy to say."

I shifted in my seat, not sure what to say.

"Would you still say that if I told you I had a stalker and wanted your help?" Tala asked.

"No!" I said immediately.

Tala reached across the table and touched my hand, giving me a small smile. "See? You'd want to help me, right? Bennett will feel the same way. He'll want to protect, you, too."

I knew Tala was right. I knew Lee and Brandon were right in telling me to tell Bennett, too. I knew that. But when I thought about facing him and telling him, shame burned in me. Shame that some other man was acting like this toward me. But Tala was right. It wasn't my fault. I had to get out of that mindset.

"I could be there if you want when you tell him," Tala offered.

I smiled at her, feeling a little of my tension melt away. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll be okay. You're right. I'll tell him. This isn't my fault. I don't need to be ashamed. I guess I've been kind of feeling that way."

She nodded her head vigorously. "Right! You don't need to feel like that. That asshole stalker should be the one ashamed. Do you want to borrow my phone to call Bennett?"

"No, I'll tell Bennett when he gets home from his trip. If I tell him now he'll abandon his work and leave immediately. I'll be okay until he gets back. Brandon will be around."

"Do you want to stop by the store and get a new phone?"

"I'll do that tomorrow. Try to figure out if I have insurance first." I doubted I would be getting my phone back. It made my skin crawl. "I kind of just want to go home."

"I'll walk you back to your car," Tala offered, standing from the table.

I stood up as well, realizing Tala didn't even have any bags with her. "Did I interrupt your shopping?"

"Nah, I was just killing some time. Cara's away, too. So I'm bored."

I remembered that Brandon was bartending at McKellan's and wouldn't be home until late. Which meant I'd be by myself. "You don't happen to want to come over to my house, do you?"

Tala pushed her hair behind her ear, looking at me brightly. "Can I?"

"Brandon's not going to be home until later. I could use the company."

"That sounds fun! Did you eat dinner yet? Should we pick something up from here?"

I found myself smiling at her enthusiasm. "I haven't eaten yet. Let's figure out what to get. And, um. Thanks. For talking with me."

She grinned, laying her arm over my shoulder. "Don't thank me. That's what friends are for. I am also always down to kick a creep's ass. Do you know how many men I have to scare away from Cara? That girl is too damn beautiful for her own good."

"You're pretty, too," I pointed out.

"Thanks, but you've seen Cara. She's a goddess."

"Your goddess," I said, nudging Tala in the side.

Tala smirked at me. "You're right. My goddess."

"It's cute that your names match."

"I know, right? It was like fate." Tala sighed longingly. "I'll marry that woman one day."

After deciding where to eat and waiting around for the to-go order, we headed back to the parking lot. My nerves returned, but not as bad as before. I walked confidently with Tala to my car. "I'll follow you back," she said to me, shining her flashlight into my back seat to check it. "All good. Get in and lock your doors."

I did as she ordered and then started my car, following her slowly in it until we reached her own car. I felt more at ease after talking to Tala and knowing she'd be accompanying me back to my house.

I would have to borrow her phone to call Bennett later and at least tell him that I lost my phone. For now. When he came home, I'd finally tell him everything that was going on.

Author's Note: 

Sorry guys, I gotta get it together. I am slacking...