Chapter 4: Chapter Four
*Brielle’s POV*
This was taking longer than expected. There was absolutely no way I was failing at ditching my unwanted shadow this hard, right? Was I really so predictable? I definitely pegged myself for being one of the more unpredictable, spontaneous members of my family. Then again, it did not help that this monstrosity of a man used to know me inside and out – literally.
Since that conversation with my father and the conversation immediately following that one with Jonathan Taggart, my stupid ex-boyfriend from high school, it had been two excruciatingly long weeks.
Two weeks of trying to get around without Jonathan following me.
Two weeks of me calculating and slipping out of the house for a moment of privacy only to realize Jonathan was right on my heels.
I started with the simple tricks first. I would excuse myself to go to the bathroom, retreat to my bedroom, climb down the emergency fire ladder I had stowed in my room, and then head off to the garden or the loft above the garage.
Five steps in, I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Instinctually, I turned to see him striding down the garden pathway. He even dared to have a flower in his hands as he remained a safe distance away.
My next attempt after that was, naturally, saying that I was going to go visit a friend of mine, Tayllor. I wasn’t lying when I said that Tayllor and I were going to hang out at her house and watch some chick flicks, but I didn’t specify what day I was actually going over to see her. I got into my car, making sure that immense creep was not hiding in the backseat of the car or, Heaven forbid, in the trunk.
It wasn’t until I sped away toward her house that I glanced in my rearview mirror to see a motorcycle following my every lane change. Like some kind of high-speed car chase, I tried losing him in the Thursday evening traffic, but that was a pipe dream. He found me, and there was no shaking him. No matter how I tried to cut him off and no matter what lane I shifted into, Jonathan was following behind.
I thought for a moment about calling the cops and telling them there was some weirdo following me, but I was certain that my father would hear about it and then both Jonathan and I would be in trouble – me definitely more than him. Plus, it would draw unnecessary attention to the family, so I decided against that method.
I even tried to intimidate him during one of my private lessons with my mixed martial arts instructors, showing how I could flip, twist, and fold anyone in my grasp into submission by applying the right pressure in the right places. Sadly, it seemed to have the opposite affect for what I was going for. If anything, it made Jonathan stand just a little closer to me.
No matter what I tried, he was always right there lurking behind a door or in the next room. Rarely was I ever out of sight of this man.
It was an intangible infuriation that had absolutely no cure. Couldn’t he see that I didn’t want him anymore? He had an easy out and wasn’t taking it! He could literally walk away with my father’s paycheck and a little something extra from me if he would just turn his head and get out of my personal space for the afternoon.
Every time I passed him, I would make sure to check his shoulder with mine. Every time, I would see that smirk. He thought he was so dashing, didn’t he? It was the smirk that really made my blood boil because it used to be the smirk that made me fall for him all over again; but not anymore.
Finally, one day, I came up with the ultimate plan that was going to liberate me for five minutes from this unwanted behemoth bodyguard. It was fool proof. There was no way it was going to fail. Every detail was accounted for. It was perfect.
I wake up late, spend time meditating and browsing the internet, and then get ready for the day. I put on just a hint of blush and a sweet little outfit before heading out of my room. The moment I exit, I see Jonathan standing there beside my door at attention.
“Good morning, Ms. Costello,” he says politely as I whisk myself past him. I feel his eyes on me as I walk.
“I need to pick up a few things at the store today. I’m assuming you will be tagging along?” I say, spinning on my heel just long enough to make eye-contact with him before marching down the main staircase toward the garage.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my Saturday afternoon,” he replies, obviously tossing in a little jab at how late I decided to stay in bed. I flash a sarcastic smile but keep up my stride all the way into the garage. I snag my keys off of the hook right by the door and slide into the front seat. Jonathan walks over to his motorcycle and preps it for the ride of his life.
Time for phase one.
I unroll the window and smile.
“Want to ride with me?” I ask. “Might as well, right?” Jonathan, currently tugging on his reinforced leather gloves, stares at me suspiciously. His fingers curl, making the leather squeak.
“What’s gotten into you?” he asks. I shrug and try to play it off.
“I can’t seem to lose you. Might as well try to strand you without a ride, right? Haven’t tried that method yet,” I say. For a moment, I see Jonathan’s wheels turning with the very real possibility that I could drive off without him and he would be stranded.
Good.
Regardless of whichever way he decides to travel, he’s still going to be left on his own. Still, I know he won’t be able to resist the chance of proving his skill at being my personal shadow. Sure enough, he placed his motorcycle helmet back onto his bike, dismounts, and walks over to my car.
“There we go,” I grin. “Good boy.”
“I live to please,” he replies. I hear the undertones of snark, and I bite back a quip of my own while mentally screaming at him to shut up. The engine roars to life and tires squeal as we peal out of the garage and onto the main road. There are a few turns I take way too fast just to watch the way his body tenses.
We are almost there. I can see our final destination up ahead, but I see something else at the same time. One of those pesky traffic lights turn yellow and, just as a final jab, I speed through it, the tires of the car squealing as I make the turn.
I zip into the parking lot and stare up at my salvation – the mall.
Personally, shopping isn’t my forte. If I’m going to get something, I’m going to the good stores. This place, however, is big and packed from head to toe with people. The chances of me losing my shadow for the rest of the day are so high right now that I can’t stifle my smile. I sling my purse over my shoulder and step out of the car.
“The mall? A bit pedestrian for you, don’t you think?” asks Jonathan as he walked beside me, matching my pace.
“What? I have a few things to pick up and a few things I want to drop off,” I say, keeping my chin high as I stride up to the door. My so called “bodyguard” has the audacity to open the door for me, which I purposefully gain satisfaction in ignoring as I open my own door and enter.
The white noise of indistinct voices speaking echo against the tile floors. There’s the smell of buffet style food that has been under the warmer way too long lingering in the air mixed with a couple of generic surface cleaners.
A moment passes as I remember spending time here in high school with my friends and, unfortunately this idiot behemoth beside me. If I were being honest with myself, those were actually good times; if I were being honest that is.
This was no time for reminiscing. Time to put my plan into action.
I make a bee line toward the escalators with a crowd of people around me. I don’t need to turn around to know Jonathan is hot on my heels, but he has to maintain a low profile and avoid pushing past people. I ride the elevator up, glancing over my shoulder and catching Jonathan’s eyes staring at me.
I can’t let him see though me just yet though, so I wait politely at the top of the escalator for him to ride the rest of the way up.
“Having a hard time keeping up?” I ask, not giving him the chance to respond as I turn on my heel and walk into the first store that catches my eye. It’s crowded and the outfit styles aren’t terrible, but I’ve seen better. My eyes trace over the outfits, the whole time keeping the Jonathan in my peripheral vision.
I have to admit, he’s doing a good job not being right under my feet at all moments of the day. He’s a safe distance away, hovering nearly two racks from me, and there’s a group of girls getting ready to leave the store.
I decide to act.
Sorry Jonathan.
Nothing personal.
I venture off a little further calmly, as though something by one of the displays caught my eye. I bend over and pretend to check out one of the folded tops before pivoting off of the mannequin and slipping behind a different rack of clothes. The group of girls pass me, and I keep to their left, blending in stride as I walk beside them all the way out of the store.
I take an immediate left, darting into a gaming store where I go stand by the posters and unfold some of them, using them as cover to block my face. Jonathan exits the store next to the one I’m in and scans the crowd, obviously picking up on my plan now. My heart pounds dangerously fast as he takes a few steps to the left and looks into the store before breezing past.
I wait. Not yet. He’s probably no more than a dozen steps away from the storefront. Thirty seconds pass and, as if on cue, Jonathan walks back to the right at a brisk pace.
Now!
I roll up the poster, place it back on the shelf, and speed walk out of the store and into another shop across the way. It’s not safe to try and leave now. If I knew Jonathan, and I was fairly certain I did, he would canvas the floor I was on and then stalk the escalators for me, which was far from my plan.
Instead, I spend the next twenty minutes in a store I find and methodically make my way to the side staircase, keeping close to any large group of people I come across. Walking alone was like firing a flare to announce my presence, even if it was less efficient.
While I’m alone, I pull out my phone and dial up one of the car ordering services and order a taxi to come pick me up by the east entrance of the store. A text two minutes later says my taxi will be there in a minute.
Perfect.
Heart pounding excitedly, I leave the store and negotiate my body around a group of college-age boys – yes, boys – practically flying down the stairs, feet barely touching each individual step before I’m off to the next one.
When I reach the bottom, I weave through the crowd to the side door. I shove the door open and see my taxi pulling up.
It’s perfect. It’s all so perfect.
“Want me to get the door for you, ma’am?”
My blood boils as I stop mid-step, recognizing that voice in an instant.
I spin on my heel and see none other than Jonathan Taggart striding calmly up to the taxi and opening the door.
“You!” I growl, shaking in frustration. I storm over and point at him accusingly. “You absolutely insufferable, egotistical scum of the earth.” I stare up into his smug face, wanting nothing more than to nail him across the face with a solid right hook.
“Are you displeased with my services?” he asks calmly. “Come on, Breezy. You had to know I’d see this coming.”
“What is it going to take?” I demand.
“Um… excuse me miss. Are you still in need of a taxi?”
“No, thank you. Here,” I say, grabbing a handful of bills and tossing them inside the cab before slamming the door. I direct my attention back to Jonathan. “Name your price. Consider this my second and final offer. What is it going to take to get you off my back?”
“Sorry, but that’s not going to happen. As you just saw, I’m good at my job, and I intend to keep it,” he retorts. “Now, if you’re done shopping, I think you have a dinner tonight that you need to prepare for, right?”
Frustrated beyond words, I storm down the sidewalk back to my car, Jonathan walking calmly behind me. I vow silently that I will see the end of this man if it is the last thing I do.