Page 85 of Shadowed Obsession

I hear threecoquíwhistles in the distance and shake my head. I don’t bother turning around so as to not encourage my shadow of a man. My provocations don’t drive him away, they only entice him. Scar is a prominent tail I can’t lose, and I’m not sure I want to.

Xavier walks to the left of me and is seemingly unfazed by the whistles. We just left a movie and are headed to dinner, as the restaurant is at the end of the street.

Tonight has gone smoothly so far. I enjoyed the movie, but the thing with movie dates is you don’t have to talk to each other.

I love that we’re heading to the dinner portion of the date, because his behavior will tell me everything I need to know about him. How he treats service workers, whether he tips, or closes his mouth when he chews. If he eats his vegetables, drinks water, or handles liquor well.

The list is endless.

My excitement for dinner dims when a large dark figure looms in the corner of my eye. I sigh in preparation for whatever he’s up to.

This motherfucker.

Scar approaches us, cosplaying as a mugger, and I stifle a laugh, hiding it in a cough. He’s dressed in black sweats and a hoodie, wearing that damn mask. Xavier shrieks when hefinallynotices him, nearly jumping out of his skin, and I pin him with a stare.

Now I know his lack of situational awareness will get us killed.

This can’t be my life.

“Gimme all your money,” Scar grunts with a finger gun in his pocket.

I’m convinced he has a wire in my brain, because he proves me wrong when I hear the unforgettable sound of the safety being switched off, but his hand remains in the front pocket of his hoodie.

Oh God.

“Please, I don’t have any money. I’d give it all to you if I did,” Xavier begs, and any plans I had of giving this man more of my time have flown away in the breeze.

My eyes bounce back and forth between them as this foolishness goes down.

“You don’t have any money, but you’re on a date? Withher?” Scar asks, staring incredulously at me. I know he’s grinning beneath that mask, and my blood is boiling.

Just because he’s supposed to keep tabs on me doesn’t mean he gets to scare off my dates.

Scar sizes him up. “Run me that watch, then,” he orders.

Xavier removes his watch with trembling hands to give to Scar and raises his hands in surrender.

Why me? I’d love to disappear right now.

“You know what? Never mind. I feel bad for you, man. Keep the watch,” he says, tossing the watch to Xavier, who catches it and stares in awe.

He hasn’t looked at me once since this occurred. It’s like I’m not even here.What if this was a real stick up? Would he even protect me?

“You’re shaking like a leaf, man. Get the hell out of here,” Scar jeers, shooing him away.

As if he remembers I exist, his fearful eyes finally meet mine, staring expectantly for me to join him.

He wants to proceed with this date? This is mortifying. I think the fuck not.

“Don’t worry about her. She’s better off without your broke ass. Bye,” he sounds jovial as he dismisses Xavier.

When he doesn’t turn away, Scar jolts toward him, and Xavier scurries down a nearby alley until he disappears from view.

I’m fuming. Bare. Vulnerable. Unprotected. I’m a deer in the headlights, and he resembles a lion admiring its prey, anticipating a vicious kill.

He corners me against the brick wall, enveloping me while his scent sends heat to my core. “Like I said, you can’t outrun me, Doe.”

“Now, what if he calls the fucking cops?” I ask, changing the subject.

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