Play No More (Player Next Door sequel) ✓

74 | Home run

He can freeze.

Luke handed her back the mug and she waved at us, taking her time to filter through her letterbox, before heading back inside. Luke turned his attention to me and slid his hands into the pockets of my jacket, tugging me closer to him.

"You made a friend?" I guessed, glancing at the kind neighbor.

His lips curled into a smirk, "She felt so bad that I was left waiting in the cold..."

"A cute thing like you?" I mocked him.

His lips kissed my cold cheek and lowered to my lips, "Who could be so cold hearted?"

**

Our date began with an hour at the police station.

I guess this is Luke's idea of romantic.

We both gave statements and they pulled up my old file from when I first came to report the blackmailer's letters.

I had little hope of finding the blackmailer. The police had sent the blood on the record for DNA testing, but it would take a few days for the results. They warned us that it would be low chance of a match.

"This feels like a very personal attack," the police officer said, "Often times, the perpetrator of a crime of passion is someone from the victim's life with no criminal background. First time offender, we call them. Be careful and keep an eye out to those around you. You need to call us, if you get suspicious."

I squeezed Luke's hand and he looked at me questioningly.

"He called me a victim," I whispered.

**

After our date at the police station, we got in Luke's car and there wasn't much to say between us. We were both lost in our own worlds, wondering how our worlds had collided and resulted in such a bang.

Raccoon, car, laptops. That's the how.

"It's my fault," Luke said quietly as he stared at the road ahead.

"It's not your-"

"What did the letters say?" Luke asked me as the car drove at an increasing speed, "They said to stay away from me. Someone is out to get you because of me."

"It's not your fault," I repeated.

He drove onto the high street and we parked in one of the few parking spots left. People were hurrying about their day, shopping, lunching and running errands.

"What are we doing here?" I asked him.

I didn't come to the high street often. There wasn't much reason to, since I don't have many friends to meet and I don't have money to spend.

"I wanted to correct what went wrong the other night," he answered, slipping his car keys into his pocket.

What does that even mean?

We turned towards a small store with a creaky front door. Luke opened it for me, and I stepped inside.

It was an old vinyl store, with rows of records on display.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"You don't have much in your room, Minnie, except for your vinyl collection. I know you broke one the other night," Luke said.

"You wanted to fix what was broken," I understood.

The store had a few customers inside, perusing through the old vinyls and the candy store it was connected to.