Page 3 of Nowhere to Run

The gallery was quiet now, near closing. I sat on the stool at the register, crossing and uncrossing my legs. I burned, the desire radiating outward, creeping up from between my legs to my core. My hand hovered at the waistband of my pants before I caught myself.

Fuck.

It wasn’t just his rare vulnerability that had me unraveling.

It was his power. His control. The way he pushed me.

I was counting down the hours until I could go home, close my bedroom door and finally be alone.

My vibrator was waiting for me.

That sick, twisted part of me wanted to relive it—though my brain screamed at me to forget him. Somehow I’d managed before. Years ago, when the letters stopped. Hadn’t I? I stopped thinking about him every goddamn day. I buried the memories, pushed him out of my mind, forced myself to move on. I could do it again. I had to.

I couldn’t see him again.

Because next time… I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to walk away.

* * *

The next morning, I burst into the coffee shop, the bell chiming as I pushed the door open. The scent of freshly ground coffee wrapped around me, grounding me for a moment. The warmth of the shop felt like a sanctuary, instantly soothing me a little.

Across the room, Emma’s wide smile greeted me.

“Emma!” I hurried toward her.

She flipped her sandy blonde hair over her shoulder, her green eyes gleaming with questions.

“Got exactly what you like,” she said, sliding a latte across the table.

The rich aroma of oat milk and espresso curled into the air, warm and familiar. My lips twitched slightly—a small comfort I didn’t realize I needed. She cared. She knew me that well.

“Now, tell me–what the hell is going on? You willingly spent time alone withAdrian?Yourex-stalker?”Emma’s jaw was practically on the floor, her eyes wide with disbelief.

I wrapped my hands around the mug, letting the heat seep into my trembling fingers. The warmth should have steadied me, but my pulse still thudded, my thoughts still tangled. After a long sip, I took a slow, deliberate breath.

“Well,” I started, my gaze flickering around the shop. The words felt impossible to say. After her warning. After I had cried to her in high school about how much he scared me, her arms wrapped tightly around me, her voice a steady force against my fear.

“I’ll never let him hurt you,” she had whispered. “You and me, we’re like sisters.”

I exhaled, gathering my nerve.

“I ran into Adrian at the gym. He was… pushy. I felt like I had no choice.”

Emma’s brow furrowed. “No choice? Scarlett, I know he’s intimidating. Scary, even. And after everything—the bullying, those awful letters. But he can’tmakeyou do anything.”

Adrian’s voice echoed in my head.

“I don’t take no for an answer. If I want something–I get it.”

I swallowed hard, pulse quickening.

Icouldhave stayed home. But then what? Risked him coming to find me? Showing up at my door? Would he have?

I should have ignored him. Should have turned around and bolted for the changing rooms the second I saw him.

But I didn’t.

That lingering morbid curiosity…

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