Page 21 of Between the Lines

“Shit, I think I just got spotted,” she said, pulling my attention back to present. She was already getting up to leave, but not fast enough to avoid being approached.

It was a quick interaction—they just wanted pictures they could put on social media. Ellie took her glasses off just long enough for her pretty face to be seen then popped them right back on to hurry out, with the rest of her fries in hand.

“So that was pretty painless,” she mused, presumably heading to her car. “I really should let you go though. So both of us aren’t a mess tomorrow.”

Right after she said that, I frowned. “Hey, who is that?” I asked, peering at the screen. She wasn’t actually looking at the camera—she was looking down, probably digging for her keys.

“Who is who?” she asked.

“Behind you. Ellie, get to your car!”

She didn’t even look back, she justlistened.

She took off running, and I hopped up too, stressed at what was unfolding on the other end of the line. Somebody had been lurking just a few feet behind her—followingher. If I hadn’t noticed it in her camera…

“Get the fuck off of me!” she screamed, clearly struggling.

I already had my keys in my hand.

It was the only thing I could think to do, especially with chaos being the only thing showing on the screen, just an occasional flash of a picture, accompanied by Ellie’s screams, the man’s yells.

And thenhisscreams.

“Ellie, what’s happening?!”

She didn’t answer.

I heard the chime of her door opening, the slam of it closing, the mechanical sound of her locks engaging.

Quick thinking that maybe saved her life, ‘cause the next thing I heard was another scream from her, then somebody banging at the window.

“Ellie, pull off. Now,” I urged, still staring at the screen, waiting on it to show me something other than the roof of hercar. I heard the motor fire up, muffling the sound of the man outside her window yelling her name.

She still didn’t say anything, but shedidpull off.

It was quiet as fuck.

Ihatedhow quiet it was.

“Hey. Say something. Let me know you’re okay.”

It took another few moments, but after a bit there was activity on the phone screen again, and then she must’ve put the phone on her dash mount.

Her glasses and hat were both gone, and what I could assume had been a neat bun underneath was all over the place. She met my gaze in the camera with red-rimmed eyes and toldthemost obvious lie.

“I’m fine.”

Chapter Six

SHAW

Those words were barely outof her mouth before she completely broke down, which made my stomach feel like it was flipping inside out.

“Hey, just pull over—I’m coming to you,” I said. “You shouldn’t be driving in that state.”

“No, you don’t have to do that,” she managed to choke out between sobs, clearly not understanding howunconvincing she sounded. At the next the traffic light, she used that stretch of seconds where it was red to catch her breath.

“Ellie. Pull over. Where are you?”

---