Buy My Time ✓

Part 3: A Chase Race

Yolarie.

I have to get to her. I had to get to her before he could get to me. I have to.
I can't have anyone else dying because of me.

I wanted to look back so badly as I ran, but I was afraid of how close he could possibly be.

•••

As I entered the party room of the club, I was finding myself squeezing through strippers and drunk men.

There she was. Sitting on a man's lap who damned well didn't deserve her attention.

"Yoyo!" I shouted.

As I approached her worriedly, she laughed, "Sorry, I'm sooo gassy."

Not now. She was supposed to be better than me at this.

She looked at me, "Oh, hey pumpkin," she pinched my cheek and I slapped her hand away. She rose an eyebrow, "Um, miss girl-"

"We gotta go."

"But aren't you trying to forget Je-"

"Don't say his name. Look, we really have t-...have to..."

I looked to my side to see that man again. Leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed and hood on, staring straight at me with those bright blue eyes.

I almost convinced my mind on staying, but what good are witnesses if they're drunk? Even the bodyguards drank until they believed they were off duty.

Who's in charge of this building?

I felt so stuck, and then I noticed a smirk appear on his face.

He slid a hand into a pocket of his coat, the other hand rose, showing five fingers as he cocked his head to the entrance.

I truly hoped he meant five minutes, because if it was five seconds, I wouldn't make it.

He started walking towards me through all the people and he pulled his hood more over his forehead. It made him practically faceless.

"Zyla.."

There was no time to talk now. I grabbed Yolarie's wrist and started running.

"Zyla! Stop! What's going on?!"

"Black people are too smart for horror movies, remember? That's why they'll aim to kill us first."

She mouthed, "Oh. Code red?"

•••

We both ran out of the club and headed towards my car.

"Zyla...we shouldn't trust ourselves driving. We just dran-"

"Girl shut up, do you want to di-"

A knife went straight through the windshield of my car and I felt my legs go numb.

"Zyla..."

"Go," I sighed, "you call the cops and you get out of here. Do you hear me?"

"No. I'm not leavi-"

I threw the keys at her chest, "Please go Yoyo," my voice cracked.

I could tell she wanted to argue. I was fairly sure she could catch hands and throw them back, but I just wasn't taking any chances with this man.

Better one of us than both of us gone.

If I entered the car, I could sense he'd end us both. I couldn't have that. It's me he wants and me alone.

"I promise I'll come back for you. Do you hear me?" She cried but it was all in anger at herself. She didn't want to leave me.

"I hear you."

People always make such empty promises without knowing the truth. I often guiltily did.

If only they knew how much of a weight they really did carry. Cause even broken promises gave people hope for a little time.

I thought back to James.

'Please come back' I prayed silently.

She hugged me quickly and when she pulled out of the driveway, I turned my back.

There he was, leaned against the wall of the building with his hands in his pockets as if he was just passing by.

He looked up from the ground to meet my eyes and he held up two fingers with a knife in hand.

I took off my heels and brushed a loose curl out of my face.

Here goes everything.