In the Shadows

Chapter 20

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   The scent of peppermint invades my nostrils. I'm frozen and I can't seem to move my legs. I already know who it might be with the touch of his firm chest. His arm wraps around my waist to keep me from falling. I look up and see those blue eyes blazing at me.

  "Why do you not answer your phone?" He says in a whisper. And for a second, I thought he was going to shout at me, which I'm thankful he didn't; that would have caused a massive scene and only made things worse for me at my work because then everyone will know something was going on with me and Chris. Actually, there's nothing going on between us, but with him shouting, people would get the wrong idea. I keep my fingers crossed he keeps his voice down.

  "What made you think you can add yourself to my phone?" I ask, ignoring his question.

  Honestly, I haven't looked at my phone until just a few minutes ago, and besides, if I did look at it, then I would not want to talk to him, not after what he did to me. But he's just so pushy and now he's here looking at me with angry blue eyes and with his arm wrapped around me. 

   "We're studying together and I figured it would be helpful if we had each other's phone numbers. Friends do exchange numbers," he says like it's no big deal.

   I push him off of me in an attempt to get away from him, but he grabs hold of my elbow; not letting go of me. "Don't touch me." I jerk my arm off his grasp. "We're not studying anymore and we're not friends." I bark.

   He sighs. "Sussianna, I didn't mean to hurt you. You have to forgive me-"

  "Forgive you? After you humiliated me." I snap.

  "Look..." He grinds his teeth. "I'm sorry for what I did to you. I don't know how many times I have to say I'm sorry. Just come with me."

   How dare he come here to my work and just demand that I go with him? I can't believe him, he's just the most irrational man that I've ever met.

 "Come with you? Where?" I question.

  I don't want to go anywhere with him. I also promise myself I would never ride with him in a car again, not after when he was almost going to kill us; I thought he was going to wreck us, yesterday.

  "To the Auto shop. Did you forget? We made a deal and I never break my deals." He stares at me and my eyes stare back toward him with anger. Oh, this asshole.

  "Hey, is everything okay over here?" Camille says as she appears wherever she was at. And for once, I'm thankful to see her so she can help me get rid of Chris.

  "I was going to take Sussianna to the Auto shop. She told me she loves to work on vehicles," Chris says.

  "Yes, she does. Well, that's very nice of you..." Camille looks at him and then at me and says, "Sussianna, your shift is almost over. Why don't you go? I will cover for you."

  What? I turn to Camille glaring at her to help-me-I-don't-want-to-go-with-him, but she just smiles. Is she drunk or high right now? This is not like her to be this nice, especially to Chris.

  "Don't you need my help with the supplies?" I ask so she can get the hint.

  "No. Go on, Sussianna."

  "Thanks, Camille," Chris says politely and has a satisfying smug on his face.

   What the hell? They're buddy-buddy, now. I thought they hated each other. Are they getting along? Are they friends? And if so, why are they being nice to one another all of a sudden? So many questions bottled up inside me that just want to get the answers.