Chapter 17: Sophie
It had been a week since Darius had dropped us off at the hotel in St. Petersburg. It was a few miles from the beach, but I could still smell the saltwater in the air. It was nice and relaxing. There had been no word from anyone about if they had caught the man or not. I didn't ask Darius about him. I didn't want to. It was nice to go a week without getting any random gifts, letters, or surprise visits from psychopaths.
"Sophie, your phone is ringing!" my mom shouted, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Coming!" I answered. I walked back into the hotel room. It was almost like a mini-apartment with how the room was paid out. It had a balcony, a kitchen, and even two separate bedrooms. Mom and I hadn't left the hotel since we'd gotten here. Darius said to keep leaving the room to a minimum, and it was driving me insane.
"Hello?" I said, answering my phone.
"Sophie?"
"Justin!"
"I leave for a few days for a basketball tournament, and when I come back, you're off in some disclosed location with your mom and no one is allowed to know where you are?"
I bit my lip nervously. "Well, Zoey knows where I am. But that's about it."
"And I can't?" he wondered. I could almost hear his lips curving into a smirk.
"I'm in St. Petersburg," I said. Darius told me to not reveal my location to anyone. The more people knew where I was, the higher the chance the man would find out. Darius said the FBI was no longer going to underestimate him.
"Text me the address."
"Why?"
"Why do you think, Sophie? You're probably going out of your damn mind with your mom. What've you been doing for the past week besides listening to her try to redecorate wherever you're staying?" he chuckled.
I laughed, which felt good. I hadn't laughed in a while. "You're right, unfortunately. But I'm not supposed to leave the hotel."
"Oh, so you're in a hotel?" he asked in a smug voice. "Fancy."
"Justin, I'm serious."
He sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to make you smile. I hate seeing what this man has done to you."
I didn't answer him. He was right- and I felt guilty about it. I was terrified that something bad was going to happen to me. Something in the back of my mind said he was going to find me eventually. Darius said I'd become his new obsession, and taking me away from him would most likely drive him mad. He didn't want me to be anywhere near Bradenton when that happened.
"Sophie, please let me see you. You'll be safe with me, and if we have to, an officer can be with us."
"How romantic," I snickered. My smile faded after a moment. "I'll text you the address."
"Awesome. I'll see you in a little bit."
He hung up and I pulled the phone away from my ear. I texted him the address of the hotel and my room number. I hit the off button and his picture faded to black on the screen. Naomi padded into the room and jumped up on the bed next to me. She licked my cheek and whimpered.
"I know, I know. We'll go out soon," I said to her, staring out the window. I wished I could see the beach from my room, but I guess smelling the salt in the air was the next best thing. The beach relaxed me, and I haven't been able to go this whole time we've been at the hotel. It was frustrating, but I understood why I couldn't.
It didn't take long for Justin to get to the hotel. When my mom and I were being driven here, it seemed like hours before we'd stopped the car. Darius said he would check up on us every few days, but I'd only seen him once since then.
"Hey," I said as Justin stepped through the door. He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into him.
"Hey there stranger." He leaned down and kissed me. I'd missed his lips, and almost protested when he broke the kiss and pulled away.
"Hello there Justin," my mom greeted, coming out of the tiny kitchen. "It's good to see you. How have you been?"
"Hello Mrs. Anderson," Justin said, hugging my mom. "I've been good. Just got back from Miami. Placed second in the State Championships."
"Oh congratulations!" my mom cheered.
"Thank you," he said bashfully, running his hand through his dirty blonde hair. "We were close to first, but that team from Tallahassee really proved to be as good as they said. The second-best in the state isn't bad when you think about it."
"Not at all!" she agreed with him.
I leaned over and hugged his arm, pulling myself closer to him. Naomi came out of my room and barked. Justin turned as she jumped up on him.
"Naomi!" my mom shrieked. My mom didn't like the idea of dogs jumping on people- she was old fashioned when it came to that. She was never home, so she didn't know how Naomi behaved on a normal basis. She was just excited to see Justin.
"Hey there Naomi!" Justin said, getting on one knee. "How ya doing girl?"
Naomi barked in response, then licked his cheek a few times. It made me smile seeing Naomi this happy. I felt like my drawn-back mood had affected her throughout the week.
"Is anyone hungry?" my mom said, retreating back to the kitchen. "I can start an early dinner!"
"Actually Mrs. Anderson, I was wondering if you'd be okay with me taking Sophie out to the beach for a little while, just to get her out of this hotel room."
My mom reappeared in the doorway to the kitchen. "I'm not sure if that's such a good idea."
My nerves wouldn't settle with the idea of leaving the hotel room, but I felt like I was being suffocated.
"There's an officer outside that followed me here. He said he would watch us while we went out for a bit," Justin said.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yeah. I went to leave my house and the cop that had been parked outside stopped me and asked me where I was going. I told him here and he said I needed an escort. I tried to tell him I'd be fine but he insisted."
"We'll be fine mom," I forced myself to say. I couldn't cower in a hotel room forever, and I needed to come to terms with that. "We're just going to the beach, maybe the pier. We aren't going far."
Doubt was plastered on her face, but she finally sighed and said, "Okay, but please keep in touch with me."
I promised her I would and hurried to get some flip flops on. Despite it being in the middle of December, Florida only truly had two seasons- hot and not-as-hot. Flip flops were acceptable during any time of the year in Florida.
I held Justin's hand until we stepped outside. Naomi followed close behind us. I held her leash wrapped up in my hand in case I needed it on the beach. She was usually good about staying near me, so I never used a leash with her.
Justin led me to where he parked his car. The cop car was parked in front of him, facing the opposite way so I couldn't see him. Justin lifted my hand and kissed it gently.
"I'm going to let him know we're going to the beach so he can follow us okay?"
I nodded, then walked around his car to get in the front seat. Justin walked to the side of the car, pointed in the direction of the beach, said a few things, nodded, and walked back to his car. He climbed inside and started it up.
"What'd he say?"
"He'll follow us there, but hang back. He's a weird guy. He looks familiar. I think he was the campus officer before Mr. Butler or something. I can't place where I know him from."
I smiled as Justin entwined his fingers with mine again. I was grateful he came and kept me company while that man was being hunted down. I felt safe with him.
It only took us a few minutes to get to the beach. Justin parked near a small pier that was right next to a restaurant. The officer parked a few spaces away, facing the beach. His windows were tinted, so I couldn't see inside. We got out of the car and I opened the back door so Naomi could jump out.
"Come on girl," I said, patting my leg for her to follow me. We all walked down the wooden walkway and on to the sand. Justin had a backpack over his shoulder that he pulled out of his car. "What's in that?"
He unzipped the backpack and pulled out a blanket and a few water bottles. I helped him spread the blanket out and lay it on the sand. I put the water bottles in the sand and sat on the blanket. Justin reached into his backpack again and pulled out a light-blue Frisbee. Naomi barked, and Justin threw it towards the water. Naomi wasted no time to race after it and dive into the ocean to retrieve it.
"You're giving her a bath later," I said, opening my water bottle.
Justin laughed and sat down next to me. The wind felt nice, and the sound of the waves was relaxing. The nearest person to us was about a half-mile away, so it was quiet. Justin and I leaned against each other, watching Naomi run and chase the seagulls that were searching for food on the sand.
"How are you?" Justin asked, breaking the silence between us.
"I'm okay," I answered. "Finally feeling relaxed. Detective White hasn't given me any news on that man who's been attacking me. So I'm assuming he's still out there. I have a little voice in the back of my mind that keeps saying I'm still not safe."
"Shhh," he whispered. "Why do you think that?"
"I just... I don't know why this is happening to me. It seems as if every time the FBI raises my protection, this man finds a way to break past it. I don't think taking me an hour away to some hotel on the beach is going to protect me any more than it would if I had my own bodyguard. I don't feel safe at all."
Justin pulled me against him so my head was resting on his shoulder. It was calming, but I was still on edge.
"I can't say I understand how you feel. But I promise nothing is going to happen to you. You have the hotel surrounded by undercover officers constantly watching the exits. He has no trace of where you were taken to. As far as I know, Zoey and I are the only two people that know, and you know we wouldn't tell anybody. I even looked behind me every other minute on the way here to make sure a black SUV wasn't anywhere in sight. You're safe here, Soph."
I gave him a small smile. He reassured me, which made me feel better. "I guess you're right," I sighed.
"Of course I'm right. I'm the man in this relationship."
I looked over at him and smirked. "Excuse me?"
He laughed, and I joined him. Naomi ran over to us, dropped the Frisbee, and shook off her soaking wet fur, managing to get as wet as she did so.
"Naomi!" we both shouted together. She barked at us and we laughed again. Justin picked up the Frisbee and threw it back into the ocean. Naomi darted after it again, kicking sand behind her.
"I've got a volleyball in my car if you want to do something," Justin suggested.
"That sounds fun," I said, hopping to my feet. "I can't mope forever. Let's play some volleyball."
Justin ran to his car and retrieved the volleyball. We bumped it back and forth over a line we drew in the sand. Naomi occasionally came over to one of us to throw the Frisbee for us again.
"Another point for me!" Justin shouted as I dove into the sand, narrowly missing the ball. "Give it up, Soph! This is just another basketball game between us!"
I brushed the sand off of my legs and picked up the volleyball. He was right; I don't know why I agreed to play sports with him when he kicked my ass every single time. My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn't eaten since the night before. Justin walked over to me and swung his arm around my shoulders.
"Hungry?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, I haven't been eating much."
"Let's go to that little restaurant up by the pier we saw. Shouldn't be that busy, either," he suggested.
I smiled at him. For once, the thought of food had me excited. "Yeah, let's go."
Justin ran back up the beach to let the officer know where we were going, then joined me and Naomi back at the wooden walkway. I put Naomi's leash on her and dried her off as much as I could with the blanket Justin had brought. We walked up the pier and into the tiny crab shack restaurant.
"Welcome to Wharf's!"
I looked around at all of the fake fish and nets plastered on the wooden walls. Pale tables were scattered around the floor with wooden benches as seats, and there was a bar stretched along the wall facing the beach. The windows to the bar opened, so it doubled as an outside bar. It was small, but it was a nice little restaurant.
"Table for two?" A petite waitress dressed in short shorts and a black t-shirt smiled at us as she pulled two menus out from behind the hostess stand. She eyed Naomi, then smiled again. "Three?"
"Yes, please," Justin answered. She motioned for us to follow her and we did. She sat us by one of the windows. Naomi laid down beside me, tired from all of her playing.
"What can I get you two to drink?" she asked, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen.
"Sweet tea," I said.
"Same."
The waitress nodded and walked away, slipping the pad of paper and pen back into her apron. I looked around. The restaurant wasn't too busy. A few older men dressed in overalls and fishing boots sat at the bar watching some football game, making small talk with one another. A family was seated a few tables away from us, and the kids seemed to be in some sort of food fight. The mother looked embarrassed and the father looked frustrated.
"So," Justin said, pulling my attention to him. "What are you doing for the rest of the day?"
"Sitting in my room, waiting to hear they caught the bastard already so I can go back to a normal life," I sighed. "I'm beginning to believe it's just wishful thinking though."
"Has your mom said anything to you about missing work?" he asked.
"She keeps getting calls from her boss. I feel bad; I don't want her to lose her job over me."
"She won't lose her job, Sophie," he said, trying to reassure me. "Besides, would you rather have her go off on another business trip while you're going through this? Imagine how horrible she'd feel if something happened to you and she wasn't here to protect you."
"I guess you're right," I sighed. I didn't think about it that way. I knew my mom cared about me. She's a mother, they have no choice but to care about their kids. But leaving me alone while some man is stalking me, and possibly wants to kill me? She was scared to death for me, and even if I told her she could go back to work, she would refuse me.
"Well, Zoey misses you in school."
"Glad to know someone does," I said, only half-joking.
The waitress came back to our table and set our drinks down. She retrieved her pad of paper and pen once more and flipped it to a new page. "Are we ready to order?"
"Yeah, I'll have the Crab Cake Deluxe," Justin said. The waitress scribbled it down and turned to me.
"The um, Jumbo Shrimp Platter, please," I answered, closing my menu. The waitress nodded and took our menus away.
"That should be right out for ya'll." She smiled as she walked away from us.
"Anyways," Justin said. "I miss you, too."
"I'm sure no one else does," I sneered. I tore the paper wrapping from my straw and stabbed it into my sweet tea angrily. "I'm sure there are more than enough rumors going around that I don't want to hear."
I glanced at Justin when he didn't reply, proving my assumption to be right. He looked guilty, so I knew he must've heard some wild rumors about me.
"They spread rumors about Kim, too, remember? Don't let them get to you," he said, reaching over to touch my hand. His touch calmed me so I didn't feel so angry. He always had that effect on me, even as we were kids.
About an hour later we were leaving the restaurant, full and satisfied. We walked down the wooden walkway back to Justin's car. When we approached the parking lot and saw that the cop car was nowhere in sight.
"Where'd he go?" I asked.
"I don't know. Maybe he got called back?" he wondered. He unlocked his car and I opened the back door for Naomi to jump inside. "I guess I should get you back to your mom in case anyone called about something."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
Justin drove me back to the hotel and parked in front of the entrance doors. I didn't want him to leave, but I knew he had to.
"Be safe okay?" he said, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. "They'll catch this guy, don't worry."
I flashed him a smile and squeezed his hand in return. "I know they will."
He leaned over and kissed me. It wasn't just any kiss though- he seemed desperate for this one. His fingers caressed my cheek and ran his fingers through my hair. I was taken aback but returned his need for the kiss. I would say it felt weird to kiss my best friend, but with all that's been going on, this was the most normal I've had in two weeks.
We broke apart and I bit my lip, inhaling deeply to catch my breath. I rested my forehead against his and closed my eyes.
"I'll see you later, okay?" he whispered, kissing my forehead. I nodded and unbuckled my seatbelt. Naomi whined behind me and scratched the window.
"Hang on, girl," I said, heaving myself out of Justin's car. I opened the back door and Naomi jumped out. Justin leaned over to the passenger side seat and smiled at me. I smiled back and gave him a small wave. "See you later."
I closed the door and watched as he drove out of the parking lot of the hotel. That lonely feeling came back and hung over me worse than before. And despite his comforting words, I didn't feel safe at all.