Follow Me Back (complete first draft of the published book)

Chapter 33: Worst Nightmare

Chapter 33: Worst Nightmare

Eric gazed out into the darkness, eyes fixed on the shadowy figure at the edge of the lot. He couldn't see much from this distance. Just an outline of a human form, medium height, with the long, spindly arms and legs of a spider or a praying mantis. There was something odd about him. Something about the shape of the head. No hair? Eric leaned forward into the wind and squinted to see better. No neck either, at second glance. Maybe the guy just had a hood up over his head. A hoodie sweatshirt?

The figure moved slightly, and Eric saw now that he had something sitting next to him on the ground. A bulky-looking bag. Eric watched him pick it up and sling it over his shoulder.

Where had that guy come from? There hadn't been a car passing in either direction for 15 minutes now. Could he have come on that bus that rolled by a few minutes ago? An out-of-towner, then? A fan who'd somehow gotten word of the show tonight and took a bus to get here? He must be a big fan.

Or was it a she?

Taylor couldn't help but smirk at his mental miscalculation. In the darkness, he could barely even tell that the figure was human, much less male or female. His brain had automatically filled in man because he couldn't see the hair. But it was almost certainly a girl, right? When was the last time any male members of the species had attended an Eric Thorn concert?

Anyway, what was she doing out there? Eric was pretty sure now that she had her back to him, facing away from the concert venue and out toward the road. Maybe she was meeting up with friends? She must not have caught sight of him standing here. Not yet, anyway. It was only a matter of time. Eric winced to himself, just imagining the moment when she recognized him. He knew how it would go. She'd slowly turn around,and then the peaceful silence would be broken by the sound of a blood-curdling scream.

Well, so what if she did scream? One lone screaming fan girl? He could handle that. He listened to thousands upon thousands of them every night on tour. Maybe he should just get it over with. Go jog across the parking lot right now and tap her on the shoulder. Offer to take a selfie with her. Hell, at least it might take his mind off the face-numbing cold.

There was no way it could be Tessa, right?

The thought flitted through his mind, but he dismissed it. No. Definitely not. Tessa wouldn't be standing out there all alone. She was supposed to be with Nev and Max. And when she did show up, she wouldn't be on foot. She'd told him this morning that Nev would be driving a silver SUV.

So where the hell were they?

The fan had started moving again now, but she still hadn't turned to face the club. Eric's forehead furrowed as he watched. What the hell was she doing out there? She'd just made her way over to the far corner of the lot, and now she'd started walking down the shoulder of the road.

A tingle of alarm made its way down Eric's spine as he watched her go. It couldn't be safe. She'd be nearly invisible to any passing cars, dressed as she was in dark clothing. What was she doing? Did she need some kind of help? Should he call out to her?

Eric hesitated but didn't move, unsure what to do. He merely watched the figure's slow progress with his eyes until the last shadow disappeared around a bend in the road.

Not a fan after all, apparently. Eric's face twisted into a scowl. His audience of one had just evaporated before his eyes. Back down to an audience of zero.

He jammed his hands into his pockets and kicked his foot at a loosened stone, sending it skittering out across the pavement of the parking lot.

The empty parking lot. . . .