slipped out of the booth and out to her car. She
didn’t need to see him again.
Derek, assuming she would try to run, threw a
fifty on the table and went after her. He caught up with her before
she could close the door to her car.
“Hey, running away so fast? I thought we
could take a stroll on the beach together,” he asked.
“I don’t think so, Derek,” Amber replied.
“Oh, come on. We’re both on vacation, why not
do something crazy,” he cajoled.
Amber’s heart flipped just looking into those
eyes and knowing what he was insinuating. “Look, I can’t. People
get hurt when they get to close to me. You need to go away
now.”
“What do you mean get to close,” Derek asked.
Finally, maybe a small piece of the puzzle.
“I mean someone is stalking me and he doesn’t
like me talking to men or anybody really. Please go away before you
get yourself killed or something,” Amber pleaded.
Derek could tell Amber was serious and she
was truly concerned for his safety.
“Look, I’m a big boy and I can take care of
myself. Let’s talk about this and let me see if I can help you,”
Derek replied.
Amber looked into his eyes and wanted to say
yes. She needed a friend. She needed someone to pour this whole
story out to. Making a hasty decision and giving into her need for
adult company, Amber nodded.
“Okay. I’ll meet you back at the hotel,” she
said.
Derek jogged to his car and followed Amber
back to the hotel. Soon he would get a full picture of what had
been happening in Amber Curtis’ life since she left her hometown
four years earlier.
Amber couldn’t resist Derek when she was
looking into his eyes but as she drove back to the hotel she began
having second thoughts. What if her stalker was here? What if Derek
got hurt because of her? She shook her head. She would take this
one night and see where it led, then in the morning, she would
leave again.
Resolve firmly in place, Amber waited for
Derek to park then allowed him to follow her up to her room. Once
there, she grabbed a couple of beers out of the mini fridge and
handed one to him. She pulled a folder out of her bag and motioned
for Derek to follow her out to the balcony.
Amber and Derek chatted for a few minutes
before Amber began her story. She told about growing up in her
hometown and about the accident that stole her parents from her at
the beginning of her freshman year of college. She talked about
Olivia and how they had met and remained friends all this time.
Amber told Derek about the notes she started
getting from her stalker. They talked about all of the accidents
her friends were having and the one that nearly cost Olivia her
life. Amber gave the notes she had been keeping all these years to
Derek.
Finally, all out of words and physically
spent from reliving the horror of the last four years, Amber began
sobbing. Derek pulled her into his lap and held her as she cried
out her anger and frustration. Emotionally drained as well, Derek
stroked Amber’s hair.
He waited for her sobbing to end, then he
stood up and carried her to her bed. He continued to stroke her
hair until she fell asleep. He needed to hit something hard. He
took her room key, went down to the hotel’s gym, and got on the
weights. Usually a good work out would calm him, but an hour in and
Derek was still angry.
Finishing with the weights, Derek went out
onto the beach and began to run. As he ran he thought about what
Amber had told him. She had no one to turn to. The police had told
her they couldn’t help her and then the maniac had nearly killed
her best friend. The descriptions he had gotten of her personality
from previous coworkers all made sense now.
Derek continued to run until the rage was
gone and then he slowly walked back down the beach. He went to his
own room, took a shower, and then let himself back into Amber’s
room. He would protect her. He would find this coward and make him
pay for what he had put her through for the last four
didn’t need to see him again.
Derek, assuming she would try to run, threw a
fifty on the table and went after her. He caught up with her before
she could close the door to her car.
“Hey, running away so fast? I thought we
could take a stroll on the beach together,” he asked.
“I don’t think so, Derek,” Amber replied.
“Oh, come on. We’re both on vacation, why not
do something crazy,” he cajoled.
Amber’s heart flipped just looking into those
eyes and knowing what he was insinuating. “Look, I can’t. People
get hurt when they get to close to me. You need to go away
now.”
“What do you mean get to close,” Derek asked.
Finally, maybe a small piece of the puzzle.
“I mean someone is stalking me and he doesn’t
like me talking to men or anybody really. Please go away before you
get yourself killed or something,” Amber pleaded.
Derek could tell Amber was serious and she
was truly concerned for his safety.
“Look, I’m a big boy and I can take care of
myself. Let’s talk about this and let me see if I can help you,”
Derek replied.
Amber looked into his eyes and wanted to say
yes. She needed a friend. She needed someone to pour this whole
story out to. Making a hasty decision and giving into her need for
adult company, Amber nodded.
“Okay. I’ll meet you back at the hotel,” she
said.
Derek jogged to his car and followed Amber
back to the hotel. Soon he would get a full picture of what had
been happening in Amber Curtis’ life since she left her hometown
four years earlier.
Amber couldn’t resist Derek when she was
looking into his eyes but as she drove back to the hotel she began
having second thoughts. What if her stalker was here? What if Derek
got hurt because of her? She shook her head. She would take this
one night and see where it led, then in the morning, she would
leave again.
Resolve firmly in place, Amber waited for
Derek to park then allowed him to follow her up to her room. Once
there, she grabbed a couple of beers out of the mini fridge and
handed one to him. She pulled a folder out of her bag and motioned
for Derek to follow her out to the balcony.
Amber and Derek chatted for a few minutes
before Amber began her story. She told about growing up in her
hometown and about the accident that stole her parents from her at
the beginning of her freshman year of college. She talked about
Olivia and how they had met and remained friends all this time.
Amber told Derek about the notes she started
getting from her stalker. They talked about all of the accidents
her friends were having and the one that nearly cost Olivia her
life. Amber gave the notes she had been keeping all these years to
Derek.
Finally, all out of words and physically
spent from reliving the horror of the last four years, Amber began
sobbing. Derek pulled her into his lap and held her as she cried
out her anger and frustration. Emotionally drained as well, Derek
stroked Amber’s hair.
He waited for her sobbing to end, then he
stood up and carried her to her bed. He continued to stroke her
hair until she fell asleep. He needed to hit something hard. He
took her room key, went down to the hotel’s gym, and got on the
weights. Usually a good work out would calm him, but an hour in and
Derek was still angry.
Finishing with the weights, Derek went out
onto the beach and began to run. As he ran he thought about what
Amber had told him. She had no one to turn to. The police had told
her they couldn’t help her and then the maniac had nearly killed
her best friend. The descriptions he had gotten of her personality
from previous coworkers all made sense now.
Derek continued to run until the rage was
gone and then he slowly walked back down the beach. He went to his
own room, took a shower, and then let himself back into Amber’s
room. He would protect her. He would find this coward and make him
pay for what he had put her through for the last four
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