Killing Me Softly: A Thriller Romance Novel

Chapter 11

Theo's black Jeep Wrangler was there at the Black Gold Inn. My heart raced at the sight of it. Jamie had parked at the back of the parking lot, but we were close enough to see a flickering blue and white light from the closed blinds of his hotel room, number 107.

"Do you think he's okay in there all alone?" I asked, staring at Theo's window, wondering if I would see any other movement or not.

Jamie had his arm propped against the driver's side window with his fingers resting over his lips as he watched me. "You really do worry about him, don't you?"

"I do."

"Wow. That's amazing. And crazy!"

"Crazy?" I asked and looked at Jamie.

"Yeah! I mean, this guy has no fucking idea how much you care about him. How much you think about him. Worry about him. I mean, I don't know. It's just crazy. That's all."

"Do you think he ever...thinks about me?" I asked, hopeful that perhaps he might know something I don't.

"I don't know. I can't tell you one way or the other. All I know is that guy is a big, fucking mess right now."

"It is odd to me that he's staying here at the Black Gold Inn instead of with his family. Why is that? Do you know?"

Jamie was staring right at me without blinking. It was almost as if he froze in time, and it was up to me to hit Play again for him to speak to me. He eventually moved with thoughts heavy in his eyes, I could tell. Something had him distracted, and I wasn't sure if I should ask him about it or not.

"Oh, I have no idea. If I had to guess, perhaps his family doesn't agree with his drinking problem. Perhaps he became a little too much for them after Mary Jo passed? Or perhaps they know something about him we don't. Perhaps they know he did it," Jamie said and shrugged. "Who knows."

"Well, wouldn't detectives know? I mean, they probably interviewed his entire family, I would imagine."

"You would think," he said and then darted his eyes over to the side where headlights were coming into the parking lot. "Oh, looks like company."

The green Camry pulled in and parked next to Theo's black Jeep just outside his door.

"Huh. I wonder if they know him," I said, watching the vehicle. We watched it together.

A red-haired woman exited the car, and then a tall, dark man from the passenger side. The doors slammed shut and beeped before the couple walked away and entered the room to the left of Theo's.

"Oh. Neighbors," Jamie said and laughed under his breath.

I sighed. "Poor Theo. He's probably in there all alone. Just him alone with his thoughts."

Jamie sighed and looked over at me.

"You think he needs someone to talk to? Like, should I go and knock?" I asked, knowing damn good and well I wouldn't have the guts to do such a thing.

"No. What you need to do is stay out of this. Keep away from Theo as far as possible. Not that you could talk to him anyway."

I sighed. "I know. I'm pitiful, aren't I? Just a lovesick, desperate girl still desperately in love with a guy she could never and will never have."

"You know, you would think you'd get tired of being so lovesick over him. What has you so hung up on him anyway? Other than the fact that he's Theo, the most popular guy in school?" Jamie said in a cheerful, playful manner, teasing me.

"I don't know what it is. I've been infatuated with him for twenty-three years now. It's a shame, isn't it? I mean, I can't even look at another guy without comparing him to Theo. You know that? That's how fucked up I am about him."