I Have an Invisible Stalker (Guardians #1)

Chapter 29

Samuel's POV

"Brooke and Weston are dating," I say, still smiling from my usual stool at the café.

"What?" Olivia whirls her head to the front door, where Brooke has disappeared a moment ago. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, saw them texting." This means that Weston is no longer someone I need to worry about. "Sorry about the bad news."

"Bad news?" The disappointment I expect to see written on Olivia's expression is replaced by an honest smile. "It's good news. I'm happy for them."

"You're happy your crush is dating your childhood friend?" I can't believe her. Does she ever do anything that is expected of her?

"He's just a crush. Besides, I already have someone else I like now."

A bolt of anger sweeps through my body, but when I see the blush that covers her cheeks and the way she averts her eyes, I stop. Does she mean—

I don't have an opportunity to find out because the annoying bell goes off again. For what feels like the hundredth time today someone familiar enters the café. This time, however, it's two familiar faces.

Anya, the friend of Olivia's mother, enters with her Guardian, Lucien, a step behind her. While the human makes her way to us, Lucien stops. He focuses his eyes right on me and clenches his jaw.

I know the two of us have already met once in front of Olivia's house, but right now another sense of familiarity washes over me. Just like with the boy Hugo, I feel like I know this Guardian. And not just from my time as a Guardian.

"Hello, Anya." Olivia greets the woman, who sits onto the stool beside me. "What brings you here?"

"I'm under a closetful of stress. I'm now almost a hundred percent sure that I'll finally be promoted, but you know how it is. One little mistake and everything comes crashing down. Anyway, I thought I'd drop by before I go back to work. Your mother said she's worried about you."

"Of course, she is. You can assure her that I'm..."

Despite Olivia not moving anywhere, her voice grows quieter until it completely disappears. By then the surrounding café vanishes and I find myself standing in the middle of an unfamiliar shore. In front of me stands a younger-looking Lucien, who like in my memory of Hugo, is wearing clothes that have been outdated for at least a hundred years.

"I cannot do this anymore," I say. "We ought to tell them the truth."

"We cannot." Lucien shakes his head from where he's standing with his hands behind his back.

"We must. They ought to know the truth. I... I need to tell them."

I'm about to turn away from him, but Lucien reaches forward and grabs my forearm. I open my mouth to ask him what he's doing when he pulls his other hand from behind his back.

"You made the wrong choice, my friend."

I have just enough time to catch a fist-sized stone in his hand before he swings it at me. I try to jump away, but I'm too slow. The stone smashes against the right side of my forehead and my knees buckle.

Suddenly I'm back inside the café. Lucien is standing behind the stool on Anya's left side, looking at me through narrowed eyes. Though, all I can think about is the fresh memory burning through my brain. The way the stone hit me on the spot where I still have a deep scar hidden underneath my hair—the scar I know was the cause of my death. This can only mean one thing. Lucien is the one who killed me.

Without another thought, I lunge at the Guardian and bump into Anya in the process. She goes falling off her stool, but I don't care. All I see is the determined look in Lucien's eyes as he swings the stone at me.