have any qualms about it...and to tell you the truth, hand to hand - one on one, I firmly believe that you can take him too. But you’ve said it yourself a hundred times...that’s not how Jesse operates. Chloe just the fact that you stepped up on those stairs when you thought that he was there, scares me to death. You could have been hurt.”
“I’ve been hurt and now he’s hurting the people I care about. I just can’t run and hide anymore Jake.”
“Please Chloe; don’t do anything to put yourself in danger.”
“I won’t.”
“I’m serious. Imagine me having to tell my brother when he wakes up that something happened to you. Please don’t make me do that.”
“I won’t.” She was already trying to figure out in her head how to get enough time alone to lure him in.
This needed to end.
*******
T hey finished their business on the boat but they did it together, Jake didn’t leave her side. Then they walked down the dock until they got to the pier. They walked out almost to the end of it and they ordered a clam chowder bowl from one of the little food stands. They took them and sat on one of the benches about halfway out. Chloe was picking her bread bowl apart, tossing pieces out to the seagulls that gathered around them. After she hadn’t taken a single bite in fifteen minutes Jake said,
“You know, if you starve yourself your body starts burning muscle and all that work you’ve been doing will have been for nothing.”
She rolled her eyes at him and took a bite.
He laughed.
“What are you laughing at?” Chloe asked arching an eyebrow.
“You’re going to give my brother a run for his money.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re just something else,” he said, still being vague.
“Clarify,” she said.
“Let’s see...in the couple of weeks that I’ve known you I have found you to be stubborn, obstinate, easily aggravated, overly...”
“Thanks, I think I get it.” She stopped him bluntly by putting the palm of her hand up towards his face.
He laughed again. “For the record, I can also see what my brother sees in you. I meant what I said before, I’m proud to count you as family.”
Chloe chuckled. “Thanks.”
“Don’t let the psychopath rule your life, okay?”
“I don’t intend to,” she said.
Before Jake could say anything else they heard the voice.
“Well I’ll be damned! Is that Jake Stark?”
The voice came out of nowhere and Chloe jumped up off the bench like a shot. It was the first time she’d heard that taunting voice in over two years...but there was no doubt, it was Jesse.
Jake recognized it as well...either that, or Chloe’s face said it all. “Where are you, you cowardly little fuck?” Jake was looking down off the side of the pier. The beach was crowded and they were eight or nine feet off the ground.
“Is that any way to talk to an old friend?”
“He’s underneath us!” Chloe could see him standing underneath the pier smiling up at her. She wanted to jump up on the bench where he couldn’t see her. It freaked her out for him to be right below her. She didn’t want him to know she was scared though.
“Hey Jake, I’m real sorry to hear about your brother. That was a bad deal. I heard he was a vegetable?”
“You’re dead you little fuck!” Jake looked at Chloe.
She was already on her phone calling 911. He took off running towards the end of the pier. Chloe looked down as the voice on the line said, “911 operator, what is your emergency?”
“My ex-boyfriend is wanted for the assault and attempted murder of my best friend. He’s here on the beach.”
“What’s your name ma’am?”
“Chloe Green.”
“I have to run Kelly! It was good seeing you. I’ll see you again real soon okay, babe?”
“Fuck you!”
“Ma’am? Are you safe ma’am?”
By the time Jake got down to the sand, Jesse had disappeared into the crowd on the beach. He was just gone, without a trace. Chloe told the operator she was
“I’ve been hurt and now he’s hurting the people I care about. I just can’t run and hide anymore Jake.”
“Please Chloe; don’t do anything to put yourself in danger.”
“I won’t.”
“I’m serious. Imagine me having to tell my brother when he wakes up that something happened to you. Please don’t make me do that.”
“I won’t.” She was already trying to figure out in her head how to get enough time alone to lure him in.
This needed to end.
*******
T hey finished their business on the boat but they did it together, Jake didn’t leave her side. Then they walked down the dock until they got to the pier. They walked out almost to the end of it and they ordered a clam chowder bowl from one of the little food stands. They took them and sat on one of the benches about halfway out. Chloe was picking her bread bowl apart, tossing pieces out to the seagulls that gathered around them. After she hadn’t taken a single bite in fifteen minutes Jake said,
“You know, if you starve yourself your body starts burning muscle and all that work you’ve been doing will have been for nothing.”
She rolled her eyes at him and took a bite.
He laughed.
“What are you laughing at?” Chloe asked arching an eyebrow.
“You’re going to give my brother a run for his money.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re just something else,” he said, still being vague.
“Clarify,” she said.
“Let’s see...in the couple of weeks that I’ve known you I have found you to be stubborn, obstinate, easily aggravated, overly...”
“Thanks, I think I get it.” She stopped him bluntly by putting the palm of her hand up towards his face.
He laughed again. “For the record, I can also see what my brother sees in you. I meant what I said before, I’m proud to count you as family.”
Chloe chuckled. “Thanks.”
“Don’t let the psychopath rule your life, okay?”
“I don’t intend to,” she said.
Before Jake could say anything else they heard the voice.
“Well I’ll be damned! Is that Jake Stark?”
The voice came out of nowhere and Chloe jumped up off the bench like a shot. It was the first time she’d heard that taunting voice in over two years...but there was no doubt, it was Jesse.
Jake recognized it as well...either that, or Chloe’s face said it all. “Where are you, you cowardly little fuck?” Jake was looking down off the side of the pier. The beach was crowded and they were eight or nine feet off the ground.
“Is that any way to talk to an old friend?”
“He’s underneath us!” Chloe could see him standing underneath the pier smiling up at her. She wanted to jump up on the bench where he couldn’t see her. It freaked her out for him to be right below her. She didn’t want him to know she was scared though.
“Hey Jake, I’m real sorry to hear about your brother. That was a bad deal. I heard he was a vegetable?”
“You’re dead you little fuck!” Jake looked at Chloe.
She was already on her phone calling 911. He took off running towards the end of the pier. Chloe looked down as the voice on the line said, “911 operator, what is your emergency?”
“My ex-boyfriend is wanted for the assault and attempted murder of my best friend. He’s here on the beach.”
“What’s your name ma’am?”
“Chloe Green.”
“I have to run Kelly! It was good seeing you. I’ll see you again real soon okay, babe?”
“Fuck you!”
“Ma’am? Are you safe ma’am?”
By the time Jake got down to the sand, Jesse had disappeared into the crowd on the beach. He was just gone, without a trace. Chloe told the operator she was
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