I Have an Invisible Stalker (Guardians #1)

Chapter 44

Olivia's POV

After Samuel and I make sure that Hugo will fill in for my shift, we make our way along the side of the small park. While the left side of my brain knows that what I'm about to do is the right thing, the right side is still hesitant. Am I really ready to face Charlie?

As we depart from the park and step onto the sidewalk, Samuel turns in the direction of the nearest bus stop. I, however, stop. Almost automatically I turn my head to the right; toward the intersection from the accident. Since it's the middle of summer and already a little later in the morning, the four roads and the intersection in their middle are more or less deserted. This makes the urge to cross the street one more time too strong to ignore.

"Wait here," I call to Samuel, who only then notices that I'm not following him, and jog down the sidewalk.

When I reach the intersection, I stop at the edge of the sidewalk and take in a deep breath. Before I can step onto the road, however, Samuel grabs my arm and pulls me to the inner edge of the sidewalk.

"What are you doing?" With his hand still around my forearm he spins me around, so I'm forced to face him.

I point at the road, but keep my eyes on him. "I need to cross the road from the same direction I did on the night of the accident. Until now, I've been unknowingly trying to cross it from the opposite direction."

"You promised to count to three."

"What does that have to do with anything? Look at the road. There's not a single car here, so I'm not going to endanger anyone. This can be it. My chance to remember what the driver looks like."

Samuel remains tight-lipped for another heartbeat but then lets go off my arm. "Fine. But I'm coming with you. And if you stop even for a second, I'm pulling you off the road."

"Deal."

I wrap my hand around his and pull him behind me as we cross the road. For the first time since the accident, I don't hesitate before crossing the road, but I push the sensation to the back of my mind and focus on the approaching sidewalk instead.

No matter how reassuring it feels to have Samuel's hand in mine, I let go of him once we reach the other side of the road. I need to do this on my own. With a deep inhale to steady my racing heart, I spin around and turn to face the intersection from the same direction I did on the night of the accident. Then I take my first step onto the road.

Before I even reach the middle of the road, thick darkness and the sound of screeching tires replace the warm daylight and the mid-morning silence. Yet again I remember the car hitting me and then me flying through the air until I hit the road back first. This is followed by the sound of opening and slamming car doors and a female voice calling out to me.

Opposite to the previous occasions, however, this time my vision doesn't turn black just before the woman reaches my side. This time the approaching steps stop beside me and a familiar face appears above me.

"Are you okay?" the woman asks. "Can you hear me?"

She crouches beside me and prods my cheek with her index finger. I want to scream at her to help me, but my lips refuse to move.

"Shit." The woman runs her hands through her short hair and then snaps her head up. She looks around as if looking for someone and then jumps back to her feet.

All I can do is stare up to the night sky, while the woman disappears out of my vision. A moment later a loud bang of closing car doors slashes the silence and the bright headlights pull away from me.

"Help..." I rasp out, but it's already too late. The tires screech against the road and just like that the woman leaves me on my own.

"I knew this would happen."