Far Love (Book 1)

9 | The ex

August 25th, 2023

I stare at Jason wide-eyed—the only real guy I thought I loved—, and he smirks down at me.

"What are you doing here in California still?" His voice makes my skin crawl.

"Uhm. I am visiting my aunt," I lie. I have to, I hate it, but he will probably come to my home if I don't.

I tap my watch's face and silently notify my friends from it. They both have the same one for if we are in a dangerous situation. We all knew if one of us has used it—which we never do—it means one of us is in deep shit.

"Well, why don't you come over to my place? We can pick up where we left off," he says in that voice that I always hated.

"I actually have to get back to my aunt's we are making lunch soon and I'd like to not miss it."

I try to push my cart around him, but he grabs my arm and says, "You're going to come with me, I don't care if you want to."

I am so scared I almost nod, just to get his hand off of me. That's what always worked, just go along with it. But a man behind me shouts, "Hey, leave her alone." I turn around to see a man that looks to be in his mid-fifties, with an angry look on his face.

Jason smirks evilly at the man, "Are you going to stop me?" The man stammered, and Jason put his mouth down to my ear, "You're coming with me."

He starts to pull me away from my semi-savior when the man decks him in the jaw. I look at the guy as he pushes me behind his back so he's between I and Jason. All of a sudden Nina calls and I pick up, "Hey babe, what's up?" I ask, making it sound like I have a boyfriend, maybe that would make him back off.

Jason goes pale and wide-eyed. He walks up to me and tries to grab my phone, but the man pulls him aside and says, "I think you've done enough." He looks for a worker and yells, "Security! This man is harassing this young lady!"

A worker walks right up and takes care of Jason.

"What happened? I hear commotion, what's happening?" Nina sputters in my ear.

"Jason," I say, but my voice wavers and I know I'm crying.

I hear something fall on the other side of the line, "Is someone with you? Are you safe?"

I nod but remember she can't see me, "Yes, a man got between Jason and me," I say through my tears.

"Give him the phone, Rylie, I want to talk to him."

I mumble a slur of vowels and hand the man my phone, he looks surprised, but he takes it anyway.

"Hello?"

I hear Nina talking over the phone to the man and every once in a while I hear him say a, yes, or an okay.

Soon the phone is back in my hand and Nina is saying, "Henry is going to stay with you for a little bit, please don't leave his side, I'll be there in a little bit."

"Okay," I stifle a sob and hang up.

I start to push my cart toward the automatic doors and sit down on the side of a concrete planter connected to the ground. Henry sits down next to me.

I cry the whole time, and can only think of how Jason almost got me to go with him.

Soon enough I see Nina's tan car pull up and I stand up. She gets out of the car and comes up to me, "I'll load in the groceries, you just sit in the car."

I nod and open the door and close it behind me when I'm sitting safely inside. Outside of the window, I see Nina talking to Henry, and I realize I hadn't said thank you. I just bring my knees to my chest and sob into them.