Page 8 of Out of Nowhere

“Anything concrete?” Seo-jun asked, dark eyes intent.

Brand had stopped eating and was absently tearing his napkin into long strips. When he didn’t answer, Dex rested his hand on Brand’s arm.

“Hey. You okay?”

Meeting his eyes, Brand took a deep breath.

“He’s a scary guy.”

“Abusive?” Dex asked.

“Not physically, although, when he was really angry, he’d pull his fist back like he was going to hit me.”

Dex glanced at Seo-jun, who looked sympathetic. “But you don’t know for a fact he’s here,” Dex said to Brand.

“I’m pretty sure he is. Yesterday, right before I called your boss, I found this on the seat of my car.” Getting up from the table, he walked over to his desk and took something out of the drawer. When he returned, he placed it on the desk for Dex and Seo-jun to see.

It was a ticket to an up-coming Taylor Swift concert in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dex looked at Brand questioningly.

“She’s my favorite singer. I’m crazy about her.”

“Could anyone else have put the ticket there? Why was your car unlocked?”

“I’d run into the drug store for a minute. Matt knows me well enough to know I never lock the car doors when I do something like that.”

“That needs to change,” Seo-jun said. Then, “Could it have been someone else? Maybe someone interested in you?”

“I can’t think of anyone here who knows I love Taylor Swift. Matt really freaked me out. I don’t share much about myself these days.”

Dex and Seo-jun’s eyes met. It did seem likely that Matt had left the ticket as a chilling taunt. He knew where Brand was and he was watching him. Maybe he hoped Brand loved Taylor Swift so much he wouldn’t be able to keep from going to the concert.

“Did Matt have a gun when you lived with him?” Dex asked.

Brand shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“Anything else you can tell us?” Seo-jun asked.

Brand thought a moment before shrugging. “Just that our song was ‘Lover.’”

“Oh, I love that song!” Dex gushed before he could stop himself. Seo-jun’s mouth twitched.

“The concert is in three weeks,” Seo-jun said.

Brand shuddered. “Don’t worry. I’m not going. God, do you think Matt will be there, waiting for me?”

Dex didn’t answer. They all knew he probably would be.

Finished eating, they cleaned up their mess and went back into the gym.

“See you tomorrow,” Kaitlyn said as she unlocked the door to leave. Chet had already gone.

“Okay. Drive carefully.” The second shift arrived, and there were more introductions.

By four o’clock, the evening employees had arrived and several people were waiting outside the door when Brand unlocked it, Seo-jun by his side.

Dex was steadily busy for the next few hours, helping climbers. Brand stayed close by. By seven, the gym had thinned out considerably as people went home to dinner.

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