opens, and before I even look up, I can feel that it’s Carly. My stomach gives birth to butterflies, and an instant later, ugly guilt. This is wrong. She is not Anna, and I will not besmirch the love we had by chasing light from someone else. It’s a dishonor to her, to what we shared.
Struck by shame, I scrunch down in my chair, hoping that by some trick of magic, I can make my huge frame disappear ever so slightly.
She scans the room, her eyes narrowing dangerously when she spots me.
I’d expected her to be afraid of me after what she saw in that alley. Most people are scared of me just based on appearance, and adding in that she saw me choke Raul out, I’d think she’d startle and run. What I didn’t expect was for her stomp her way over like a pissed-off Chihuahua, teeth bared and fists clenched.
“Are you done yet?” she demands, seething with anger.
Carly
Need coffee. Now.
It’s been a long day. I did a scout trip over to one of the fountain areas to see if it might be a better draw for my performances and get me a little more bank for my time. It’d been an epic failure financially. Sure, I’d made several folks smile, and a whole school group on a field trip had stopped and watched me for almost ten minutes, which is a definite win because I love showing folks that dynamite can come in small packages.
But overall, I’d worked my ass off for almost three hours and only had twenty euros to show for it.
So now, instead of taking a much-needed early bedtime tonight, I’m headed over to my usual spot to work again. I’ve got another three hours of performance ahead of me, but I’ll make ten times the money, which is motivation enough.
Well, it will be after I get some coffee and a sandwich.
At Strega’s, I automatically look around to see if he’s here. The beast from the alley.
I’ve seen him at least twice since then, though he’s trying to hide. But he’s big enough that that’s not really possible. He sticks out like a sore thumb, so huge and brooding that people on the sidewalks give him wide berth, and in crowds, people tend to scoot away from him.
Or at least they did when he showed up to watch me perform.
I’m not stupid. I’d known it wasn’t a coincidence. At first, I’d thought he’d changed his mind and tracked me down to hurt or kill me as a way of ensuring I’d keep my mouth shut. But he’d stayed back and merely watched. I even caught a small laugh and a few claps, which maybe he’d only been doing to fit in, but I prefer to think they were genuine reactions to my show.
Now, when I see him sitting at Strega’s, at my café, like it’s no big deal, I’m done tiptoeing around this. If he’s going to hurt me, he can damn well try, and I’m going to make sure he has to earn it. If he’s not, then I’m through with his stalking around, both of us pretending I don’t see his big ass in a city where he towers over practically everyone.
I stand as tall as my 5’2” frame will let me and head over, making sure my face shows that I’m ready for whatever confrontation he wants to throw my way. I’m not stupid enough to think that my black belt means I can take on a behemoth like him and win, but I’m not some silly girl who screams and runs at every threat. I face shit head on and deal with it.
At least now I do.
I learned the hard way what letting things go will get you, and it’s nothing good, for damn sure.
“Are you done yet?” I bark out, trying to sound tough but somehow managing to sound more like a helium-huffing Miss Piggy.
His lips twitch and I think he’s trying to hold back a small laugh. And that makes me even angrier.
“I said, are you done following me around like a stalker? I told you I’d keep my mouth shut, and I will. Especially since I saw that guy you knocked out walking around the neighborhood, and he seemed fine enough. So if he’s not chasing you down, I’m not gonna worry about it. So are we done here?” It’s a verbal dump of information, rapid and clipped, as I challenge him, but I don’t care. I’m going