Page 39 of A Touch of Magic at the Comfort Food Café
‘I think… No. I’m being silly.’
‘You’re not being silly. Come on. Trust your instincts.’
I look around some more, and then spot a single red rose, the stem tucked beneath my windscreen wipers. It would be pretty if not for the fact that it is desiccated and dead. I suck in a hiss of breath. He’s been here. He knew I was at the party and he knew I’d stay in the flat, and he knew I’d come down to the garage. What he didn’t know, of course, was that I’d have company.
I wonder if he’s still here? Is he lurking, watching, waiting to enjoy the sick satisfaction of seeing me react? Does he want to witness me falling to pieces, see my face go pale, smirk at my fear? I think the answer to all of that is yes. I’ve always had that strange feeling when I’ve felt him nearby, a kind of tingling sensation. Previously I’ve always talked myself out of it, but Aidan is right. I need to trust my instincts.
‘You think he’s here?’ Aidan asks, following my gaze from the rose to the places he could be. The stairwell, the door to the emergency exits, the ramp that leads out to the road. The other parked cars. I know there’s a black spot in the CCTV in the corner to the side of the stairs, where the cameras are focused on the door instead. I made it my business to ask a few questions once it all happened. If I know that, then there is a chance that he could know that.
I nod at Aidan and his face changes. It’s subtle, but his lips clamp together, his eyes darken, and he looks around us in the way that an animal would look for its prey. I remember what he said about wanting to beat the crap out of the guy who messed with his sister, and see how protective he is. I could learn to lovethat about him, but right now I think I need to learn how to protect myself. I am sick of this. Sick of living my life sneaking around, always anxious, always second-guessing myself. Sick of being scared of shadows. Sick of freezing when I should be fighting. Sick ofhim.
I place my hand on Aidan’s chest, over his thudding heart, and smile up at him. ‘Stay here, okay? I know you’ve got my back, but I don’t want you dragged into this. Satisfying as it might be to see his smug face smushed in by my big strong hero, that’s not the right way to go.’
I see him struggle with the idea, but eventually respect my wishes and nod. ‘All right. For now. But I’d feel better if you didn’t leave my sight, and just shout if you want me to come and smush him for you.’
I stand on tiptoes and kiss him lightly on the cheek. ‘That’s very sweet, but I know you’re just after those man points.’
‘Damn right. I’m almost there for the lawn mower.’
Our eyes meet, and for a moment the rest of the world and all its bullshit simply fade away. That moment gives me the strength to move.
I stride confidently and quickly towards the dark corner beside the stairs, realising that I’m going to look like an absolute idiot if there’s nobody there. I am scared, but I’m also fizzing with anger. Something about this whole scenario has suddenly changed for me. Maybe it’s Aidan. Maybe it’s Budbury. But for some reason, I find that I can move, I can push past the paralysis.
‘Scott Jones!’ I say loudly. ‘I know you’re there, you creepy little man! Come out and face me!’
I know Aidan is a matter of metres away, leaning against my car, alert and ready to intervene. That is reassuring, but somehow, I don’t think it will come to that. Scott Jonesisa creepy little man. Everything about him was a lie, and he getshis kicks from messing with women’s minds. That makes him a failure and so much weaker than I’ve ever realised. How sad must he be to live like this? He has a wife, children, a job, but he needs to do this to feel good about himself? It’s pathetic, but for some reason I’ve never seen it like that before.
He takes a step from the shadows, and for a moment as I see his face, shielded beneath a baseball cap, the fear threatens to overwhelm me. The snarl on his lips, the cruelty in his eyes– it all makes me remember that day in the coffee shop when I finished it, and the way he grabbed my arm so viciously.
No, I tell myself sternly. You will not freeze and you will not flee. This time, you will fight.
I throw the dead rose in his face, and he swerves to dodge it. ‘No more,’ I say firmly. ‘This ends now.’
‘Or what?’ he asks, taking a stride towards me. ‘You’ll get your pretty toy boy to rough me up? I’d love to get that on film. When did you start cradle-snatching anyway?’
‘Since the men my own age turned out to be spineless arseholes who can’t take no for an answer. I’m not here to debate with you, Scott, and I don’t think you’re in a position to lecture me on my relationships. I just wanted to tell you, face to face, that this is over. I’m taking everything to the police. I have records of it all, and as we speak, my friend in the Met is logging a case file.’
None of this is true, but it could be. It should be.
‘I’ve done nothing illegal,’ he says, looking infuriatingly smug. I really would quite like to smush him myself, but perhaps Aidan’s dad had the more sensible idea. There is more than one way to skin a Scott.
‘That’s debatable. But it’s for them to sort out. I’m told there’s at least enough for a restraining order and for the police to visit you at home. Plus, you know, given my profile and all, a court case might attract some media attention. That would beembarrassing for me, but I’d survive. For you, I suspect it might be a lot worse. Do you really want your daughters to know what kind of man you are? Your boss? You might even lose your job…’
‘Are you threatening me?’ he hisses. He’s trying to look tough, but I can see him pale slightly. He’s not used to this version of me. Neither am I.
‘Yes, I am,’ I reply simply. ‘Now I’m going to leave, and I’m never going to see you or hear from you ever again. Goodbye, Scott.’
I turn and walk away, shaking inside but maintaining the illusion of strength. Bloody hell, that felt both terrifying and awesomely good. And actually, now I think about it all, I will speak to the police, or at least to my investigator’s contact there. Even if it doesn’t result in legal action, they need to know about it. They need to know so they can keep an eye on him. I might not be the first woman he’s done this to, but I’d love it if I was the last.
I reach Aidan and his eyes flicker over me, like he’s inspecting me for damage. Adrenalin is zinging through my body, and I suddenly feel light-headed. I’ve just faced up to something that usually breaks me, and I have lived to tell the tale.
I nod at him, and say: ‘I’m fine. All good. But can you drive? I might need to throw up sometime very soon…’
He hugs me and kisses the top of my head. ‘Sure thing,’ he says softly. ‘Anything you need, warrior princess.’
Warrior princess. I like the sound of that.
Chapter Fifteen
