Page 74 of King of Clubs

My hands visibly shaking, I reached for my dropped phone and tentatively turned to look at the few people scattered around at the nearby gravesites. The crowd was thinner than earlier and there was no longer anyone I recognised. Who knew how long I had been sitting here. Once I started talking, I could go on for hours if I wasn’t interrupted.

I ordered an Uber for right this damn second, and stood, placing a kiss on each of the stones with my trembling hands.

Why couldn’t he just leave me alone?

I hated that just as I was getting comfortable being out again I was thrust back into a life of fear. Always worrying, always cautious, my every move, thought and word carefully planned.

I took my house keys from my purse, holding one between my fingers, the universal female weapon when alone and scared in public. Realistically, it wasn’t going to do much damage, but it afforded me some sense of peace as my ride arrived just as I stepped up to the kerb.

I would most definitely be leaving a tip for his punctuality.

My eyes darted around one last time as I jumped into the car, briefly greeting the driver. When we drove out of the gates and the automatic locks of the car clicked into place, I sagged. Finally. Shooting Arna a message with a screenshot of the driver and my estimated arrival time I asked her to meet me in the lobby.

Arna

Sure thing. xo

Her instant reply was a welcome distraction from the other message taking up residence in my brain.

Travelling the last few blocks I focused on remaining calm, a sense of relief washing over me when I arrived to Arna waiting outside as promised. I practically ran to her and she barely had a second to look up from her phone before I barrelled into her.

“I’m happy to see you too,” she was laughing as she retracted herself from my grip, but paused as soon as she caught my face.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

I sighed, the weight of the day taking its toll. “Let’s go upstairs and I’ll fill you in,” I answered, linking our arms. We walked briskly and headed straight for the elevators. I could feel her sneaking furtive glances at me, ready to pounce on whatever or whoever had freaked me out.

“Your mate is so strange. He literally never speaks to me unless he is asking about you,” her whispered words held a light-hearted edge, her attempt to make me smile no doubt, but all it did was remind me how frustratingly fragile I still was. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself as I felt Adam’s eyes boring into my back. Why couldn’t people just leave me alone!

When the doors opened, I leapt inside and pressed the button for the penthouse repeatedly in the hopes the doors would close quicker.

“Jesus, you're shivering, what the fuck?” Her eyes were suddenly full of concern, any attempt at merriment gone.

“I’m so sick of being afraid,” I admitted throwing my hands up in frustration. She waited, letting me vent and withholding the questions I knew she was dying to ask.

When we were inside, with the door securely locked, I finally took a deep breath knowing this apartment was an impenetrable shield and had been since the day I moved in.

“I think we need a drink for this conversation,” I huffed, “I have a lot to catch you up on.”

“I’ll make margaritas. You sit and talk,” she replied, draping a blanket over my shoulders. I nodded, unlocking my phone and getting the messages ready to show her.

In between arriving home and now, Seb had messaged me telling me he missed me and despite my anguish, I smiled. I hadn’t even told Arna how serious we were and suddenly I wanted to purge everything I’d kept to myself.

“I can’t wait any longer. Spill it, sister, whose arse am I kicking?” She gestured towards the lounge and I followed, reaching for my drink and getting comfortable.

Her face moved through the spectrum of emotions as she listened to me recounting the events of my life including my strange run-ins with Adam, seeing Lori again, the fact I had a boyfriend and just how much I liked him. A boyfriend who showed me who was boss against the glass of his club before I told off his friend and some psycho employee. She squealed at this little story before her excitement turned to horror when I handed her my phone, open to the two messages I received. She paled, quickly looking up at me before reading them again.

“Okay. Firstly, I'm not happy I am hearing about all of this so long after it happened. I should be on speed dial with real-time updates regarding your life provided daily. In fact, just keep me on video call at all times. Secondly, Andy will sort the doorman out. Fucking creep. Thirdly, you should go to the police, this borderline stalker behaviour breaches his AVO. It’s not okay.” I went to interrupt, to remind her the AVO had expired but she held her finger up, clearly not done.

“Actually, before you reply to any of that, I want to know what Sebastian said? I bet he was unhinged.”

“Well, I haven’t actually told him,” I bit my nail already knowing she would be irritated – and rightfully so. Lucas was clearly lacking in the area of mental stability.

“What do you mean you haven’t told him! That is literally the best part of having a hot, scary, piece of man meat as aboyfriend. Well, almost the best. He will protect you,” she stared at me, her eyebrows raised as if I was a fool.

I smiled. “Arna, things are too new. I already come with enough baggage without scaring the poor bloke with this. Also, I don’t think the police are necessary. The AVO has expired. It’s Lucas being Lucas. He's trying to scare me because I left him and he knows I don’t have the legal protection anymore. But if Andy could speak to Adam, I would definitely appreciate that. His weirdness is the last thing I need right now.”

“Hmmm. I’m not sure how I feel about that,” she held the remote in my direction and I nodded, acknowledging it was okay to turn the game on. It would be the distraction I needed given I couldn’t have Seb. The coffee table was already lined with snacks and I shook my head smiling at how quick she was to organise a spread of food.

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