Find Me

12 • Suspicious

He raises an eyebrow, but replies with an even voice, "I'm doing fine, how about you?"

I purse my lips together. "Fine. I'm doing fine."

His eyes narrow a little, but he doesn't question me further. I'm relieved, because I don't want to talk to a complete stranger—who doesn't even know who I am—about my problems.

We stand for a few minutes, just looking at each other with apprehensive expressions. Finally, he says, "What's your name?"

I almost say my real name, Melanie, but I catch myself just in time. "Mel--Skylar. Skylar Ann." I pause. "And you?"

The corner of his lip twitches, like he's deciding whether or not to smile. "Xavier Carson."

I nod. Xavier has always been a name that I liked. It definitely suits him too, with the dark hair and green eyes, and with that strong jaw and—he chuckles, causing me to groan loudly, knowing that I've been caught staring again. He must think I'm a total creep.

"Sorry," I mutter, looking down at my shoes, which had been coated in tiny dew drops. The silence is deafening to my ears. Why had I even come over to talk to him? It's not like I know him or anything. All I'm doing is embarrassing myself.

"I'm guessing you just moved here?" Xavier says. His eyes twinkle with amusement as I look back up at him, nodding slowly.

"Yeah, you could say that."

He nods slowly, "Are you planning on attending the high school soon?"

I bite my lip. "No."

Xavier frowns slightly. "You're homeschooled?"

I nod, even though it isn't true. "Yeah, I am." I have to keep my cover; otherwise things could get very ugly very quickly. If my stalker finds out I'm here...I don't know what he would do. And I don't think I want to know what he'd do.

Xavier sighs. "It's a shame."

"What?"

"Nothing," he shakes his head. "It's nothing."

Just as I'm about to reply, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I close my eyes, no longer caring if Xavier is around. My first thought is that the person who texted me is my stalker. Has he found me? Does he know where I am?

"Skylar?" Xavier's voice seems closer than before. My eyelids slide open when a hand touches my arm. I realize that I had been falling down before he had steadied me. "Are you alright?"

I nod slowly, grabbing my phone in the process. It vibrates again and I go into panic mode, sliding the arrow across the screen to open my messages. Xavier seems even more worried when he sees me with my phone out.