Page 5 of Shadowing Charlotte
I moved on autopilot, tiptoeing through the hallway and into the kitchen. The house was wrapped in a cloak of silence, but some part of me questioned whether I was truly alone. The sliding glass door that led to the backyard was still cracked open; a second rose lay on the floor just inside the threshold with another card.
You should really remember to lock your doors, Princess.
I should have been horrified. I should have locked the door and called the police. Instead, I stared at the card, grinning, and dug through my unpacked boxes to find a vase for the roses.
When the flowers had been put into water, I returned to the bedroom and tucked the cards into the drawer of my bedside table. What kind of lunatic kept mementos from their stalker? Me, apparently.
Feeling energized after the full night's sleep, I dressed in leggings and a sports bra, tying my running shoes and pulling my hair up into a ponytail. My credit card and ID slid into my phone case, and I tucked it into the pocket of my leggings. Adjusting my headphones over my ears, I opened my workout playlist and set the automatic lock as I closed the door.
Running was one of the things I did whenever I felt out of control. It helped to clear my mind and give me something simple to focus on. Breathe in, breathe out, don't think, just keep moving. Drinking had been my vice before, but I'd cut back on that since the night of the quarry, when I'd found my way home in the stranger's car. I'd been luckier than most. I could have been kidnapped or killed. Instead, I'd been saved from being taken advantage of and driven home. A stalker and a gentleman, who would have thought?
My thoughts focused on him as I ran, remembering all the times I felt his eyes on me. He'd been there for so long; he'd become a part of my life. When my friend Becca had stopped speaking to me, apologizing for her drunken antics and then blocking my number, I knew he was somehow responsible. Some kind of creepy, guardian angel.
I ran until my lungs felt like they might burst, pausing at the intersection that led to the main street. Across the road was a juice shop, where I suddenly decided to get a smoothie for breakfast. I wasn't a breakfast person; never had been, but it was almost noon, and I needed to putsomethingin my stomach.
The sound met my ears before I saw it, that low, familiar rumble. At first, I thought I was being paranoid, but then I caught sight of the black Camaro.A coincidence…I reasoned with myself. But the sticker was still on the back window. The stupid sticker I'd gotten for Daddy for his birthday that said, "I'm her favorite."
The car sped past, and I wracked my brain and trying to remember if I'd caught the buyer's name that day. It had been more than two years since then. Fuck, he might have even sold it in that time. Still, it didn't feel like a coincidence, it felt more like a twist of fate.
I was still dwelling on the idea when I entered the smoothie shop, ordering a "peachy pie", whatever the fuck that was, and taking a seat. Watching out the window, I began to search for him, wondering if he'd parked around the back of the shop, or if my imagination was simply playing tricks on me.
When a shadow leaned against the wall outside, hood up, I knew it was him. There was no explanation, I just instinctively knew. I watched him light a cigarette and take a deep drag.Yuck.There was a reason everyone had switched to vapes in recent years. Cigaretteswere horrible for you. I smirked to myself, making a split-second decision, and made my way back to the counter. "Can I add something to my order?" I asked.
Chapter six
Alexander
Itried not to stiffen as she left the smoothie shop, carrying two cups in her dainty little hands. It had been so long since I'd been that close to her. She walked right by me, her cinnamon hair bouncing in her high ponytail. With a grimace, she wafted away the smoke I exhaled, never turning to look at me. Perhaps her instincts weren't as sharp as I'd always thought.
Where is she going? Who the fuck is she meeting with two smoothies?When she rounded the corner of the building, I couldn't help but follow, needing answers to my questions.
What I hadn't expected was to turn the corner and come face to face with her. Charlotte Emmerson was glaring up at me with her hands on her hips.Fuck…
"How did you get in?" she demanded hotly, her golden eyes staring up at me with a mixture of anger and expectation.
"What?"Idiot…Charlotte had caught me off guard. My mind went blank as she cocked an eyebrow at me, the same way she had the first time I laid eyes on her.
"Your second mistake was coming this close," she informed me, crossing her arms over her chest, the action pushing her breasts up beneath that scrap she called a top. "Your first mistake was following me around in the same fucking car you bought from my dad." I stared at her, stunned to silence as she reached out and plucked the cigarette from my fingers.
Her pretty pink lips wrapped around the end, and she took a drag, grimacing as she exhaled the smoke and dropped it on the ground, crushing it beneath her foot. It would be a lie to say the image didn't make my heart race.
"You should switch to vapes. They're healthier," she scolded, as if she was simply advising a friend.
"They haven't done enough studies to confirm that..." I replied, the words coming out before I could think them through. She hummed in thought, pursing her lips at me.
"So, what? Do you get off on following me around?" she asked bluntly, appraising me with those honey eyes of hers that made me feel like ice cream melting beneath a hot sun.
"I certainly did yesterday," I blurted without a second thought. Her cheeks turned a cute shade of red, and I smirked. Charlotte let out a small huff of irritation, reaching down to pick up the smoothies she had set at her feet.
"You allergic to anything?" she asked. I shook my head, my eyebrows rising as she held the second cup out in offering. "It's peach." Charlotte informed me, shaking it slightly, waiting for me to take the smoothie from her. "Here's the deal. You're going to stop fucking stalking me. I'm grateful for that night at the quarry, but you and I both know this is wrong." I took a sip from the straw, not bothering to reply. We both knew this little game wasn't coming to an end any time soon; to say otherwise would be kidding ourselves.
"And if I don't?" I countered after a moment of tense silence.Fucking fuck. Where the hell did that come from?Now that she'd seen my face, the situation was dangerous. I was going to find myself in prison if I wasn't careful.
"Then I'll tell my boyfriend," she threatened. I couldn't restrain the feral grin that spread across my face.
"Are you going to tell your "boyfriend" that you let me watch you finger yourself last night?" I asked snidely. Her skin flushed and she glared at me. My words sparked her anger, but she wasn't afraid. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning, arousal stirring beneath my skin.
"I'll tell my father," she retorted, as if the threat could possibly deter me after all this time.
