Vicious Little Darling (Love So Cruel #3)

6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

EMBER

“ G lad you’re letting me get your lunch,” Josh says as we stand outside the food truck. “It’s the least I can do.”

I bite down on my lip, waiting on our order of street tacos. I usually offer to pay for my own, and then fight with him over it. Today, though, I’m spaced out, still trying to shake that stupid, creepy skeleton mask. Nothing can get it out of my head.

“Hey,” Josh nudges me, “Em?”

I jerk my head up. “Yeah, sorry? What?”

“Are you okay? You seem really off today.” His expression is one of concern as he studies my face.

“I just…” My voice trails off, and then I finally suck it up. “I think you’re right about me moving. Maybe I do need to live in a better part of town.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “Did something happen?”

I hesitate, tempted to tell him about the creep, but I know he’d overreact. “I’ve just been thinking about what you said and I think you’re right, Josh,” I lie. “I think I should pick up a second job so I can afford it. It’s not like I have anything else to do.”

He purses his lips. “I don’t see why you couldn’t just move in with me.”

I blow out an annoyed sigh. “I don’t want to mooch off you.”

“Good God, Em,” Josh grumbles, just as our order is ready. “I’m so tired of you always thinking you’re mooching off me. It sucks that you think of it that way.” He grabs the two baskets of tacos and hands me one, before guiding me to an outdoor table.

“I don’t want you to resent me,” I tell him as he takes a bite of his chicken taco. “And I want to make it on my own.”

“Okay, fine,” Josh swallows. “Then pick up an evening shift at the bar. Just, let me walk you home, okay? It makes me nervous.”

As much as I want to argue with him, I don’t. “Okay. I guess it will be really late.”

“Yeah, and I’ll never let you work alone at the bar. I’m planning on hiring a couple of guys, regardless. Once I vet whoever I hire and deem them trustworthy, I’ll let them be the ones who close up.”

“That’s not fair,” I reason, picking up one of my tacos. “I don’t want you to play favorites or anything.”

“I do it for all the women who work for me. I won’t treat you any differently, okay? Just please, let me have a little control for once.” He looks exasperated, and I find myself feeling guilty for giving him such a hard time.

“Okay,” I breathe out. “I’m sorry. I know I’m the biggest pain in the ass.”

“No, you’re not,” he chuckles. “You’re just you. I don’t think I’d know what to do if you were any different to what you are.”

“True,” I laugh, picking up my taco. As I lift it to my mouth, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. My stomach recoils at the feeling, and my gaze darts around, searching for the source of the feeling. I don’t see anything out of the ordinary, but my heart thumps obnoxiously in my chest, rattling my insides as I force myself to take a bite and then glance nonchalantly over my shoulder.

There’s not a single recognizable person in view.

It’s just in my head. I swear. I brush it off, and finish my lunch, letting Josh have the last taco. He devours it, and then mentions something about going to the gym. He knows I won’t set foot in there, preferring to work out in the comfort of my apartment.

“It’s not nearly as intimidating as you think,” he says as he tosses the cardboard baskets into the trash. “In fact, I could go with you. We could be like a power couple—well, friendship couple.”

“That’s not weird at all,” I burst into laughter, shaking my head as his face grows red. “We don’t really have that kind of vibe. I don’t wear enough athleisure clothing, either. Seriously, I’d stick out like sore thumb.”

“You wouldn’t stand out at all, but…” Josh shakes his head as he nudges me. “Fair enough. I don’t want you to change at all. I like you the way you are.”

I meet his gaze, noticing it softening as he looks at me. “I’m glad someone does. I doubt the blind date I have will. You know how those usually go for me.”

“Blind date, huh?” His expression shifts and he looks away from me. “That’s awkward.”

“Rich’s idea,” I tell him with a shrug. “He says that this guy’s my type.”

“And what is your type, Em?”

I look up at him, cracking a smile. “No freaking idea.”

Josh falls into silence for a few beats, the sounds of the city around us filling the gap. I fold my arms across my chest, and scan the faces of the people we pass. I don’t exactly feel as if I’m being watched anymore, but the fact that someone showed up at my apartment complex means I’m not letting my guard down.

It was probably nothing, I remind myself. I just need to get out of that part of town.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Josh’s voice cuts through the noise. “I’m not convinced that something else isn’t going on. You were completely against working for me at the bar and now, you’re determined to move—and you love your apartment.”

I shut my eyes for a split second. “It’s not like that. I mean, it is. I did change my mind. I just had to think about it.”

“Your mom will be relieved,” Josh says, giving me a smile. “She’s been wanting you out of that apartment since you moved in.”

“Yeah, well,” I scoff. “I’m pretty sure my parents would love for me to move out of the city and never look back. They don’t think any part is safe.”

“It’s a valid fear,” Josh shrugs. “If I had a daughter—or even a son, I would be worried, too. My parents always just threw money at me as a way of showing they care.”

I eye him, guilt tugging at me at his mention of them.

“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t complain.” I say.

Josh has never had a great relationship with his parents, and he’s not wrong. They don’t ever show up for him, they just send him a check. At least mine do try to be there for me, in all the normal ways, even though they live on the other side of the country. They just don’t have the money to do it as well or completely as they’d like.

Josh and I finish our walk at the bookstore, and we stop just outside. The sun beats down on my head, warming my scalp even with the brisk wind. We linger there, like always, though for some reason, I feel uneasy today.

“I’m worried about you,” Josh lowers his voice, extending a hand and brushing my arm. “Are you feeling okay? Maybe you should ask Rich for the rest of the day off.”

I shake my head, and my stomach lurches at the thought of going back to my apartment so early. “I’m fine, really. I’m just a little stressed and tired. That’s all. Like I said, it’s time for me to take you up on your offer to work at the bar.”

Josh narrows his eyes at me but then nods. “Okay… Okay. I won’t press any further. Just promise me that you’ll tell me if you’re in any sort of predicament. You know I have room at my place.”

“Of course.” I force a smile, and then jut my thumb toward the door of the bookstore. “But I really need to get back to work.”

“Right.” Josh runs his hands over his face. “Enjoy working with Rich. You know he has a crush on you, right?”

My brows skyrocket. “That makes no sense, considering he’s trying to set me up on a blind date. Seems counterintuitive.”

Josh frowns. “I don’t know. Maybe it is. I just don’t see how the whole world isn’t in love with you.” He lets out a chuckle, and then wraps me in a side hug. “Enjoy the rest of your day, Em. Let me know if you need anything.”

“You got it.” I pat his chest, breathing in the scent of his expensive cologne before stepping away and grabbing the door. “I’ll talk to you later.”

I pull open the door, and step inside the bookstore, breathing out a sigh of relief as soon as I’m inside once again. “I’m back,” I call out as I chuck my purse behind the counter.

“Oh hey,” Rich says, appearing from one of the aisles with a box of books in his hands. “You weren’t gone as long as usual.”

“Really?” I glance down at my watch, surprised to see he’s right. “I guess they were just faster with our food today.” I take a deep breath as he steps up to the counter, and sets the box down.

“Well, I guess it’s as good a time as any to get these put out,” Rich says, not commenting any further on my lunch. He pulls out stacks of new releases. “I swear, there’s a new release every single day, it seems.” He chuckles at his own thoughts, as he continues to empty the box.

I join him, picking through the titles. “Some of these look really good.”

“Sure,” he smiles. “Lots of romance. I know that’s your thing.” Rich eyes me with a grin, and I roll my eyes in response.

“I saw you with a few of them, too, you know.”

“I have to keep up with what the clients are buying.” He shrugs, and then we both burst out laughing. I grab up a few of them and head to the shelves at the front, the ones that are visible from the street. With my back to the window, I start adjusting the titles on the white shelving that’s adorned with fake ivy.

I glance down at the copies in my hands, opting for one of the romance novels first. I set the romcom on the top shelf next to a cover with a similar vibe. As I do, a strange feeling sweeps through my body, and I start breathing faster. My hands begin shaking slightly. Great, here we go again—I swear, if I turn around and see someone watching me, I’m officially giving myself the ‘Queen of Paranoia’ crown.

What is wrong with me? I shake my head, trying to ignore it all as I grow borderline annoyed with myself. However, the moment doesn’t last.

“Fucking creep!” Rich shouts and slams down his books on the counter. He takes off running toward the front doors. A surge of adrenaline hits and I spin around. My gaze lands on a black-haired man in a hideous skeleton mask... just as he ducks and disappears into the crowd on the street.

“What the hell is wrong with people?” Rich grunts as he steps back inside and closes the door. He looks over at me. “That guy had a lot of nerve.”

I nod, trying to keep my lunch down. “Yeah, he did.” I can’t find the words to say anything else. My head spins as I retreat from the window. Maybe it’s just a coincidence. But something inside me tells me how wrong that is, and how correct Rich is. The guy does have a lot of nerve…

And it’s fucking terrifying.