Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven 

As I walked back across the sand, I suddenly felt uneasy. I looked around but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. I attempted to shrug it off, but couldn't. I looked around again, this time in a bit more panic than before. I could feel eyes on me but couldn’t work out where it was coming from. 

Was it Jason?! 

Was he watching me? Something wasn’t right! 

My breathing deepened and I started to struggle a little. I looked around for somewhere a little bit more private until I could calm down. Running off the beach, I tried but couldn’t find anywhere. My panic started to increase. 

Eventually, I just didn’t care what people thought about me and dropped to my knees right in the street, Putting my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes closed. Trying so desperately to calm myself down...

…but nothing was working. 

I began to feel overwhelmed which in turn, made me start to cry. I wanted to wipe the tears away but I couldn’t will myself to move an inch... Until I felt someone's arms wrap around me. I began freaking out more, and let out a loud scream. 

‘Violet, it's me, calm down. You’re safe!’. I instantly knew whose voice it was and wrapped my arms around him, holding him tight and just started balling against his chest. He held me and shushed me until I felt like I could stand. 

When I opened my eyes and looked around, people had stopped to stare at me. Some looked concerned, some looked annoyed, but I didn’t care what any of them thought. I looked up at Toby and he smiled down at me. 

‘Are you ok?’ I shook my head. ‘Come with me’. Stepping out of my hug, he took my hand and led me off somewhere a bit quieter, and away from the onlookers. I thanked him, he really helped… he always seems to really help…

We sat down on the floor of an alleyway, luckily, it was clean enough, and stayed silent. I didn’t want to talk, I didn’t even know what to say, but he didn’t talk either. Whether it was because he didn’t want to talk or because he knew I didn’t, I didn’t care. I was just grateful for it. 

When I felt I was ready, he walked me back to the hotel. 

‘Thank you, for everything today’. He smiled. 

‘You don’t need to thank me’. 

‘It seems like you’re always saving me or helping me’. This time, he chuckled and I joined him. 

‘Yeah, well, just call me your knight in shining armor’. 

‘You ARE my knight in shining armor. Speaking of which, how are your pups?’ He just looked at me, almost confused. 

‘My what?’ 

‘Your dogs?’ It took a second but almost as if he realized what I’d asked, he ‘’ohhhh’’ed loudly. 

‘Yeah, they’re good. They’re good’. 

‘Good’. By the time we reached the end of our conversation, We were at the elevator. 

‘Hey listen, If you’re ever bored or want to hang out or something, I’m always around, Just drop me a text’. I felt myself blush, but didn’t know why. 

‘I, um, don’t have your number’. Grinning, He asked for my phone. I gave it to him and he typed in what I assumed was his number. 

‘There you go, now you do’. I took the phone back, unable to hide the happiness on my face. 

‘Yeah, I guess I do’. We just stood there, grinning at each other, completely oblivious to the world around us, until someone coughed loudly next to us. I snapped out of it and moved out of the way, but the very angry-looking woman just glared at me. ‘Sorry’. I apologized. 

‘That's fine’. Her whole attitude didn’t seem like it was fine. ‘But do you mind if I have my boyfriend back?’ 

‘Oh… yeah sure’. I stepped away from Toby and called for the elevator again. She smiled, not friendly, and leaned up to kiss him, greeting him with a ‘’hello love’’. ‘Well, Thanks again. I’ll see you around’. I told Toby before stepping into the lift. He just remained silent as the doors closed and I let out a loud sigh I didn’t realize I had been keeping inside. 

Wow, so that was his girlfriend? How can someone so nice and sweet be with someone who so… wasn’t?...