48 - MORNING STALKER

PRESENT

SHAWN’S POV

I followed her, I mean I had to follow her. It was the only way to curb the chaos in my head after I had called Sam and she neither sounded drunk nor did it sound like she was at a bar but she was weirdly insisting that Aria was with her. I knew something was up and I knew Aria was lying to me. From the guilty glint in her eyes to her hushed tones and it cut deep across my chest that I couldn’t sit still.

Immediately, I picked my car keys off the dining table where our dinner still laid untouched and I went out into the driveway and followed her cab. It wasn’t a really long distance from the house to the bar where she entered. My heart thumped in chest hoping it was actually Sam she was going to meet. I parked a few meters away, far enough so she couldn’t recognize the car, but close enough to see everything. I watched her go inside the bar in a sort of panic and I waited – and waited until she cam out still, but she was alone.

My forehead creased in frustration, what was going on? What was she up to? What am I even doing here? What kind of person has she turned me to? But still, I didn’t want to leave, I wanted to confirm it for myself that she wasn’t here for him and I was actually being crazy. It was difficult to watch her prance around the parking lot, I wasn’t sure what she was searching for and I was eager to find out to ease my anxieties.

I waited – and waited – and even waited a bit more because I was desperate and suddenly, a few moments later – I saw her and a slice of hurt cut across my chest when she emerged with a battered looking Kyle leaning on her. Her face contorted with worry and if I looked close enough, I would see the tears streaming down her face.

Fuck!

It was hard to comprehend, it was even harder to watch her get into his fancy little car and drive off. That one hurt, that one was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Aria never drove, she had never driven a car since her father died and what now? For him, she’s suddenly Vin Diesel? My blood boiled, beads of perspiration lined my forehead because of the heat that was emanating within me. I gripped hard on the steering wheel to contain my anger but I was determined to know more – I had to follow them and I did.

I knew where she was going, it was such an obvious destination and I should have turned around and went home but for some reasons I wanted to see for myself, I wanted to feel the agonizing pain in my chest, I wanted it to consume me whole to the point I was shaking from anger. It was painful to watch them go into the house together, and in that moment I realized I couldn’t watch anymore. I had to go home and lick my wounds.

It wasn’t until a few hours later before she slid past the door and I was seated at my work table pretending to be busy with work and she froze when she saw me, I could see the guilt flash across her face but it didn’t register.

“I thought you’ll be asleep” she said first. I could barely look at her but I managed. I wanted to see the look on her face when she lied to me.

“Still had some work to do” I said back “So how’s Sam? Did you find her?”

She hesitated, her gaze shifting from mine to anywhere but mine. “Yea, she’s great. I took her home and cleaned her up, she’ll be good by morning”

It was a lie, a bold faced lie and there wasn’t a stutter in those words. Then she returned her gaze back to me “I’m starving, I just realized I didn’t eat dinner and I have had the longest day”

“Dinner is in the oven” I sounded back to her and she nodded. She was well ahead into the kitchen before she stopped and turned back to me.

“Are you okay, you seem off?”

“I’m fine” what else could I say?

“Are you still mad about earlier? Because I’m sorry, it was a terrible mistake” she sounded genuine but I wasn’t sure if she was actually genuine. I didn’t know what could have happened between both of them inside the house, as much as the curiosity was killing me, I knew finding out would break me.

“It’s fine” I stood up from where I sat, I wonder if she could sense the anger that was brewing within me. I wondered if she could tell that I knew she was lying, but she only nodded, pulling her eyes away from and pulling out the cold pasta from the oven.

“I’ll just quickly heat this up and join you soon” she said and I nodded walking away.
***
The next morning, I woke up earlier than I usually would. Aria still lay beside me, deep in slumber with the duvet half way across on her torso, I could see the slight goosebumps develop on her skin from the air con and I pulled the sheets over her, drawing her close while she stirred in her sleep and I gave her a kiss on her cheek. I stared at her for as long as my eyes would allow and I could only think one thing – I couldn’t afford to lose her.

I dressed up quickly and slipped out of the house into the car and I went back to Kyle’s house. It was creepy, I was very much aware of that but it was the only way. I needed to see for myself the kind of person he was, and why she was so goddamn attracted to him after so many years – after he hurt her so bad and after everything he did to her. So, I waited a few blocks away before the sun was up, dressed casually in a black t – shirt and black sweatpants with a black baseball cap which was the national uniform for creepy behavior and I was wearing it with pride.

I was patient, so I waited. I didn’t care how long it’ll take but I was going to wait till he came out of his house and eventually he did – dressed in a sports gear, a blue shirt and black shorts so he was either going for a run or going to the gym. Turned out it was the former when he raced past me unexpectedly and I dunked down.

I watched him from my rearview mirror and when he had raced far enough, I got down from the car and raced after him, keeping a safe distance to avoid suspicion. I kept him in my vision, while I jogged slowly behind because I was running out of breath. I wasn’t sporty, had never engaged in any sporting activity but now I was stuck with it because I had taken the terrible decision of stalking my fiancee’s ex – it was pathetic, I know.
I raced along, the cold wind blowing my face as well as other joggers sprinting past me with a slow nod of the head and I was forced to acknowledge them when suddenly a young lady stopped me.

“Hey, I haven’t seen you around here before?” her eyes were flinty and she looked pretty much in shape while I was fighting to catch my breath.

“First time jogging?” she asked me, her morning breath filling my nose. I turned around to see if Kyle was still within my line of vision but he had disappeared and I cursed silently. I looked at the lady, with her long hair tied up in a visor and I couldn’t help but notice her crooked nose, which wasn’t so bad but it was hard to miss.

“I’m sorry I gotta go” I moved away, picking up momentum to see if I could find Kyle’s blue shirt sprinting ahead but the streets was empty save for some other irrelevant joggers. I stopped, in a bid to catch my breath and my eyes searching around but there was no sight of him like he had disappeared.

“Fuck!” I cursed again and suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder, when I turned around – it was him, looking at me with suspicions in his eyes.

“How long are you going to keep following me?” he said


*AUTHOR'S NOTE
I'm sorry for my late update, stuck with a sever case of writer's block but we're back on track. Thank you for your patience.