Haven Bound

18. Chelsea

18

Chelsea

The phone only rings twice before Hailey’s voice answers and filters through my car’s speakers.

“Pleeeease tell me that you’re on your way! I swear that massage table is calling my name already,” Hailey chimes. I can already picture her twirling in circles in her chair at her desk.

“Hey, Hails. Uh, yeah… I’m on my way. I just got a little held up at the bakery. I’m running home to throw an overnight bag together now.” I do my best to keep the anxiety out of my voice, grappling with the thought that the rose was likely a gift from Jason.

“Why do you sound weird? What happened?” Of course she would notice the gravelly tone of my voice. When you’ve been best friends with someone for as long as we have, it’s no surprise that she can pick up on my tells and tics even when I try to hide them.

“Jason came into Buttersweet again,” I say quietly as I pull up to a red light, anxiously chewing at the inside of my bottom lip.

“What! Are you okay? What did he do?” Her anger and worry for me are evident in her tone. I can hear what sounds like paper shuffling in the background. The job title of Event Coordinator sounds fancy, but every single event comes with a monumental pile of paperwork that has to be completed and tasks to be done, leaving Hailey to sometimes feel more like an office assistant than the epic event planner that she is.

“He didn’t really do anything… Quinn left early for an appointment, so I was there alone, and when I was locking up I found a single rose with a black ribbon tied around the stem sitting on the counter. I didn’t see him but, who else would have done that?” In my haste to get out of there, I completely forgot to even check the security cameras to confirm that it was him. But there’s not a single doubt in my mind that it was.

As far as I know, he’s the only one twisted enough to derive pleasure from my fear. It’s part of the sick power that he likes to hold over me.

“Where are you now?” Hailey asks as the light I’m sitting at finally turns green. I’m only about ten minutes from home, but something about going to the house by myself has me feeling insanely uneasy. I find myself pausing for a moment at the green light, not immediately accelerating.

“I’m almost to the house, but—” My eyes catch on a familiar gray sedan in my rearview mirror. It’s trailing behind me, a few cars tucked in between us. “I think someone’s following me,” I murmur, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my fingers ache from the pressure.

“Why do you think that?” she asks, her voice lowering.

“There was this car parked outside of Buttersweet all day. And now…” I take a second to look in my rearview mirror again to get another glimpse of the vehicle. “I swear the same car is behind me right now. There’s a few cars between us, but it looks like the same one from earlier."

Something in Hailey’s voice changes, taking on a darker more steady calm tone as she says, “Don’t go home. Turn around and come to the Elysian instead. ”

The hotel is farther away, at least twenty minutes from where I am, but I know that it would be the safer option. If I’m being followed, I don’t want to lead them to my house where I’d be alone without a way to defend myself if it came to that.

I mean, I don’t think it’s going to come to that. I sure as heck hope not. My body and mind both freeze during stressful situations. With as much trauma as I’ve experienced in my life, anytime I’m faced with something potentially dangerous, it’s like all of the skills that I possess completely go out the window and I’m left defenseless. I’m probably safer staying in the car and continuing to drive. Even if it’s in circles around the city. If I go to the hotel, I’d only be bringing this to Hailey and Austin’s doorstep.

But then again, this person would have to be truly insane to try anything in such a public place. Wouldn’t they?

Driving through the light, I pick up my speed a little bit knowing that there’s a pretty big shopping center just up ahead that I could use to turn around. If the car follows me into the parking lot, I’ll know they’re for sure tailing me.

“I can drive around and see if they’re—”

“No. Chelsea, drive to the hotel. Trust me.” I don’t think Hailey’s ever talked to me in such a stern voice. Almost like a parent scolding a child when they reach for the hot pan on the stove, and you tell them "no" before smacking their hand away in fear of them getting hurt.

“Okay, Hails.” I know this situation is potentially dangerous. I just can’t imagine that anybody would truly bother with giving me this kind of attention.

The sound of an engine revving has me glancing in my mirrors again. Only one car now separates me from the vehicle in question.

I’m about to tell Hailey that I’m going to turn around as soon as I can when my phone vibrates with another call coming through. Austin’s name appears on the screen. Despite the fear I’m currently battling, I can’t fight how much I want to answer his call just to hear his voice.

“Why is Austin calling me?” I ask, swiping my finger over the ignore button to keep Hailey on the line.

“Because I texted him and told him what’s going on. Answer his call.” The line disconnects and almost immediately begins ringing again, Austin’s name once again displayed across the screen.

I heave a sigh and will enough strength into my body to pretend that everything is completely fine. I swipe my finger across the screen to answer the call.

“Where are you?” His deep voice rumbles through my car speakers as I pull into a shopping center, carefully weaving through the parking lot and towards the exit at the opposite end that will put me back on the street headed to the Elysian.

“I’m pulling up to the light at Boardwalk Drive,” I say quietly as if the vehicle following me could possibly hear what I’m saying.

“I’m heading your way. Get on Harbor Avenue. I’ll meet you,” Austin says, his voice cold. A shiver runs down my back causing goosebumps to cover my skin.

“Stay on the phone with me. Don’t hang up, Sunflower.”