Page 17 of Once I Find You

In love? With me? I have to get her the hell out of here now.

I shake my head. “Little girl, you don’t know a damn thing about it. You don’t know the difference between gratitude and love. I’m too old for you, and I don’t do relationships. Not now, not ever. Now that we’ve established that, let’s get you out.” I move toward her, ready to push her out the back door. I grab her by the shoulders and easily move her, though her soft protests don’t relent.

“Wait! But I do! I need to see you again, I still⁠—”

“No means no. Listen when I speak. Hear the words coming out of my mouth, got it?” I hold her there, looking into those damn big eyes again. “You will get in your car. You will go home. You will never come looking for me again. This fantasy ends here. Do you hear me?”

“But—”

“No. I said, did you hear me?” I demand, interrupting her. She nods weakly again, wiping at her cheek. “Good girl. Now go on home.” I finish ushering her out the back door and close it behind her.

Why the fuck is nothing go as I plan? To top it off, my target isn’t here, and now I have to delay this for God knows how long.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. What if she gets angry that I rejected her and outs me somehow?

No. She’s smart, but not street smart. She won’t get one up on me. She’ll cry and move on, and I just need to learn to fucking adapt to avoid her and anyone else from ever finding my pattern again.

It’s fine, she’s fucking gone.

CHAPTER EIGHT

I Don’t Have to Hide a Body, Do I?

LAYLA

I didn’t even get his name! How will I ever find him again? I can’t believe this went like this. I round the side yard and walk back to the street, wiping my nose with my sleeve as I try to stop letting the tears fall.

What do I do now? Lose my only opportunity? I shake my head, sniffling as I look down the road.

Wait. The road! He drove here, right? So he parked somewhere? I pick up my pace, wanting to beat him in case he comes out before I can find his car. If I was him…what car would I have? Definitely not this Prius, not this van. “Hm…” I say as I wander down the block, turning the corner, and then I see it. It has to be his. There’s an old red truck that stands out like a sore thumb in a neighborhood like this.

I quickly pull my phone out, taking a picture of the license plate and then round the corner to make sure he doesn’t see me. I’m walking down the road, trying to find the bus stop I came here on, as I stare down at my phone screen. How do I even look someone up with a license plate? Is it legal?

I’m startled when my phone rings in my hands, almost dropping it as I quickly try to answer. “C-Crystal! Hey!”

“Um, where are you right now?”

“Huh?”

“Why are you in some neighborhood two towns over? I’ve been worried but now it’s late and I checked again and it looks like you’re just wandering around? What’s going on?” she asks, sounding concerned.

“Oh…um yeah I mean I totally just left Clark’s house!” I lie into the phone.

“Seriously? You’re saying he wouldn’t take you home?”

“Oh! I insisted! I have the bus card and⁠—”

“Layla, cut the crap. You’re lying. Please let me come get you, I don’t care if you don’t want to tell me what happened but I’m panicking seeing you out somewhere you don’t know so late,” she begs.

“Okay,” I reply easily, hearing my voice tremble as I feel the lingering disappointment rise to the surface again.

“Just…stay where you are, okay? I’m coming right now!” she says, and I can hear the keys in the background as she hangs up.

I stop and sit my ass right on the curb, anxious but thankful. I know she’s going to drag it out of me eventually. I lied so much, and there’s no way I can make it up to her. I’m a bad friend. All the while, she was diligently checking my location like usual, up late and worried. I should’ve just told her not to get me, or maybe I shouldn’t have even answered. I should’ve just…

“You should’ve kept your big mouth shut. Do you even understand what you’ve done? Spreading your bullshit, trying to ruin me? Don’t act like you’re so innocent, Layla. You’re the one who's been lying for years. You think anyone wants to listen to a brat who doesn’t know how to tell the truth? Huh?”

I shake my head, wiping my eyes as I look down at my feet, lost in my memory when I see headlights and hear a car door open. “Layla? Hey!” Crystal’s voice gets closer as I feel arms wrap around me, lifting me from where I sit. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”