9. Raven

9

RAVEN

"I had to leave."

"But you just got back," Nolan said, his anger shining through in his words. I'd never seen Nolan get angry. He was about the most docile man I'd ever seen. But I knew how he felt about me. I should have ended this sooner.

"Someone followed me to your place. It was safer if I left."

"You're just making excuses. You're running away."

I was, but not for the reasons he thought. "Nolan, it doesn't matter if I stay. Things aren't going to change between us. You need to realize that."

"You never gave us a chance."

"I did. We both know there was nothing between us."

"Then why did you keep coming back?"

"Because I thought we were friends." That was partially true. I wasn't lying to him. I did enjoy his company. I just didn't want anything else from him.

"Fine, leave. Run away. You know you'll be back."

"Nolan—"

"I have to go."

He hung up without allowing me to say anything else. I didn't want to leave things like that with him, but I wouldn't change my mind. We would never be more than friends. And somehow, I knew just from my visit from the handsome man that there was a spark of something there. Maybe he followed me for other reasons, but I had a feeling he was hunting me out of some desperate need. I saw it in his eyes.

I got out of my car and headed into the diner, taking a seat by the window. As I ordered my coffee and some lunch, I took the time to organize the condiments just the way I liked. Then I unrolled my silverware and aligned it on the table, starting with my fork and then my knife just to the left of me. I laid the napkin on my lap, making sure the points went out in a diamond formation on my lap.

I watched for any sign of my mystery man and I wasn't disappointed. Just ten minutes later, tires screeched, then the car jerked to a stop. Disrupting the flow of traffic in this small town, the car pulled into the parking lot, parking right beside my car. I grinned to myself as the man stepped out and headed straight for the diner.

I finally had a chance to take him in. He was tall, probably about six foot two. His frame was muscular, but on the lean side. His clothes did nothing to hide the sheer power in his body. Dark hair hung just around his ears in a shaggy, slicked-back style. And the scruff that dusted his jaw hid his angular jaw, lending an air of danger to him. But the leather jacket he donned finished off the look.

I didn't bother taking my eyes off him as he entered the diner and sat in the booth directly in front of mine. He slid in, facing me, his eyes never leaving mine. I lifted my cup, taking a sip. He wouldn't intimidate me with his watchful gaze.

"Here you go," my waitress said, sliding a plate in front of me.

"Can I have a water also?"

"Sure. I'll be right back."

Without taking my eyes off the man's brown eyes, I picked up my BLT and took a bite. Mayonnaise squeezed out from between the slices, leaving a trail out of the corner of my mouth. My tongue darted out, licking the remnants from my lip. His eyes grew darker as he watched me. A slight smirk tilted the corner of his mouth.

"There you go. Is there anything else?" The woman asked.

"No, thank you," I smiled, still not taking my eyes off him.

The waitress hurried over to the man. "What can I get for you?"

"Same as her."

His eyebrow lifted in some sort of challenge. He knew who I was, yet he wasn't coming any closer. I wasn't sure what his game was yet, but I wouldn't be the first to back down.

"BLT? What to drink?"

"Coke."

The waitress didn't say anything, and I glanced out of the corner of my eye at her. She was watching him watch me, and the look on her face said it all. She could feel the heat sizzling between us. She bent over and kept her voice low, but I could hear her. "Are you sure you don't want to sit with her?"

"I'm good," he grinned.

As the waitress walked away, I continued to eat, taking extra care as breadcrumbs fell on my lap. I brushed them off, then rearranged my napkin, but it was all wrinkled now, messing up the formation of it. I crumpled it up and tossed it on the table. Looking around, I searched for silverware on any of the other tables, but there was none. I was about to flag down the waitress when the man walked over to me, holding his roll of silverware out.

I slowly looked up into his eyes, wondering what he was playing at. When he didn't make a move to leave, I took the silverware, unrolling it from the napkin. Very carefully, I unfolded the napkin and laid it out again. When I looked up, he was back in his seat, watching me carefully.

I nodded my head in thanks, then continued to eat. I felt like I was under the microscope as I finished my meal. He was served not too much later, eating much faster than I had. He also didn't have a napkin to wipe his face. There was a small drop of mayonnaise at the corner of his mouth. I wondered briefly if he left it there just to annoy me, but that was just ridiculous.

When the check came, I paid but didn't leave. It only seemed right since he was obviously here for me. When he was finished, I slid from the booth and headed to my car. I didn't really have a plan in mind for where I was going. My only thought was to get him away from Nolan's house.

I pulled out a map when I got in my car, finding my next mark. I was a good fourteen hours away and would have to stop overnight. There was no way I'd make the drive through the night. I folded it up and stuffed it in the glove box, then slipped my sunglasses on.

As I got back on the highway, I noted the car following me. Was he going to follow me everywhere I went? Our little dance at the restaurant was cute, but I couldn't handle him following me for the whole drive. It was just weird.

I hit the gas, speeding down the highway until I reached the interstate. I didn't use my blinker, just turned at the last minute onto the ramp. But it wasn't enough. He followed easily, never letting up his pace. Now that I was on the open road, I really sped up, passing the few cars that remained on the road. I was getting further ahead of him, and when I saw the exit for the small town, I got off, taking a quick right and cutting off the semi that was barreling toward me.

The semi's tires squealed as the driver swerved to avoid hitting me. I grinned as it blocked the off-ramp, making it easy for me to speed off down the road and lose my tail. I took the backroads, going in all directions in case he caught up to me. But by the time an hour passed, there was still no sign of his car in sight.

I got back on the road and didn't stop until I pulled into a motel later that night. The bed was threadbare and the bathroom wasn't the nicest I'd ever stayed in, but it was off the grid and I could finally relax without thinking about where this new adversary was.

I slid off the watch that belonged to my father and placed it on the nightstand. My mother's pendant stayed around my neck. I couldn't sleep with a watch on, but I would never willingly remove the ruby that laid perfectly hidden between my breasts. With a tired flop onto the bed, I closed my eyes and was asleep in minutes.