The Girl Who Feared Men (SAMPLE)

Chapter 11: The Fury that Creates a Hurricane

Chase

I still can't believe I'm doing this.

I'm sitting at a round table, staring blankly at Ellie who is sipping from the straw of a milkshake she'd just bought for herself. I narrow my eyes at her. She somehow managed to annoy me into following her to the mall because a public place supposedly makes her feel more comfortable.

Unfortunately, Ellie has a condition that makes her believe the world revolves around her...

A sad disease called narcissism.

She just can't get it into her egocentric head that sometimes people do certain things and most of the time these actions have nothing to do with her. So, she—stubbornly—thanked me for stupid reasons and refused to listen to my explanations. After that, she told me she'd explain why she's in the lobby of my building, a promise she has yet to fulfill.

It better be one hell of an explanation because after the shit show of a week I've had, I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone. Especially not her.

"So, are you going to explain why you stalked me to my fucking building or should I just go?"

She takes another sip from her shake. "Funny story." She points the plastic cup towards me, "I actually live there too."

My eyelids spring wide open. "What?"

"Yeah, I had the same reaction," she says with a small laugh. "But we're not here to talk about that. I wanted to talk to you because..."

She pauses and I arch an eyebrow.

"Okay." She claps her palms together. "I realized that I've been doing everything wrong. I'm being forced to relive a day that isn't... great, so I've been taking out my anger on everyone around me. My sister, my friends, and... you. But I want to stop and go back to the person I was before. Believe it or not... I wasn't always a crazy bitch that went around attacking guys." She lets out a strained laugh and I continue to stare at her.

I don't exactly find the humor in being physically assaulted.

She clears her throat before she continues. "I put so much energy into the dumb 'war' between us because it distracted me from my phobia."

"Right..." I nod slowly. "And this involves me because...?"

She sets her milk shake down. "Because I've tried everything else and nothing's worked. So, at this point in my life... I'm willing to get creative with my therapeutic strategy." Her gaze hardens. "This is going to sound crazy but I think you're the only guy who can help me with this. When I'm around you I have moments when I'm so pissed off at you for being an asshole that I completely forget that you're a guy... Also, you're kind of the only guy—well, other than Cole—who I've really talked to since I got here. If I were to ask anyone to do something like this it would be weird."

It's still pretty weird. Like, uncomfortably weird. It's taking everything in me to not just get up and leave. In all honesty, I don't know why I haven't done so already.

I guess a part of me realizes that Ellie is a mystery. I don't know if it's a mystery worth solving but I know I'm curious about her. What makes her tick? Why did she suddenly stop me in the middle of the sidewalk and offer to help me get with Megan?

And now that it's on everybody's mind, how did she get her phobia?

So, I humor her idea.

"Why didn't you just blackmail Cole?" I ask.

"I asked him for help once before and he said he was busy with basketball and helping someone else out." She shrugs. "And I'm not blackmailing you. It's not like I have anything on you. I'm just asking you to help me and I know you'd never accept a request like that without knowing you'd get something in return."