Page 19 of Tinsel Time Treasure
I just had to hope that Frederick wasn’t looking out from inside my apartment when I made my way around the building.
I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath, then another. Every instinct I had insisted that I run. My safe space had been compromised and terror curled through me.
But I had to be strong. I wasn’t going to let him win.
I craned around in my seat, trying to see if any of the cars around me were occupied. However the farther a car was, the harder it was to tell.
Several quick breaths to psych myself up, and I opened the car door. I bolted to the side of the building, then edged towards the corner. I peered around until I could see my apartment windows, luckily freshly cleaned of Kaleb’s paintings.
The blinds were all closed, and, while I couldn’t be sure, it didn’t appear that anybody was trying to shift them to peer out.
Deciding that it was as clear as it could be, I darted around and ducked onto the first porch, crouching behind the small wall.
I took a moment to settle my racing heart, then I peeked over the top of the wall. It appeared quiet.
Except for the fact that my lights were on.
I wiped away a few more tears, whether from anger, frustration, or fear, I couldn’t tell. Probably a mix of all three.
I pulled my phone from my pocket, checked the call log to find out when I’d called for the police, then noted the time. They were probably still several minutes away.
I ducked down again and rested my forehead against the wall.
Breathe, I told myself.Don’t be crying when the police arrive. Don’t give that asshole the satisfaction if he’s there.
One deep breath, then another. I held it for several seconds before taking a third.
My heart slowed its incessant pounding.
Frederick wasn’t going to win. It didn’t matter what he tried, I wasn’t going to give in. I wouldn’t let him terrorize me, and I wasn’t going to be his.
“Um, can I help you?”
I yelped in a mix of surprise and terror, jumping away from the sound and landing on my ass.
Chapter 8 - Max
Chill air bit my skin as I turned into the apartment complex lot, and I was ready to get inside.
The afternoon had been beautiful, and with only so many good days remaining before bad weather arrived, I’d decided to take advantage and go for a longer ride. Unfortunately I hadn’t taken into account how quickly the temperature dropped in November, and I’d spent the last few miles getting increasingly cold.
I coasted through the parking lot, knowing exactly when to stop pedaling in order to reach my apartment and not have to use the brake.
I slowed to a stop and hopped off, then pushed my bike up the walkway to my patio.
I was reaching for my keys when I noticed a strange shape behind the half-wall. I slowed, peered around, and saw a man crouched behind it.
“Um, can I help you?”
He yelped and jumped aside at the same time, landing on his ass in the corner and looking at me in what could only be described as an expression of terror.
Then I realized that I recognized him. He was the onega who lived across from me in the other building. I held my hands up and took a step back, trying not to shock him further.
“Hey,” I said softly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
His chest rose and fell in spurts as he tried to catch his breath, and I started to understand that there was more going on than him just being there. He’d been hiding, but from what?
Or who?I wondered as I recalled the strange way he’d acted while getting groceries from his car several days earlier.
