Traces of Delilah

Eighteen

Day three and there was still no car or stalker. That should have been a good sign. But it was unsettling to me. The fear in my gut made me squeamish. I'd been paralyzed with the awful feeling every single night since the discovery.

I couldn't wrap my brain around a possible reason why my stalker hadn't tried again. Could I even consider them a stalker? I didn't know them but they obviously knew me. They could have been planning something bigger. Something more dangerous. Perhaps they wanted to catch me off guard when no one was around to save me this time.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Skylar poked my cheek, leaning back against the pole on the roundabout.

I'd lost count of how long we'd been sitting in the playground on this old thing. According to her, today was going to be a day about us. No boys, no third parties—which meant no Jason or Andrew either. She had driven us to one of those big, beautiful playgrounds Andrew told me about, on the Upper East side of town. When he said large, I hadn't known there'd be a maze, beside the huge jungle gym. It was fairly empty, considering most schools weren't out for the summer just yet.

"Do you remember that car I told you about? I can't stop thinking about it," I admitted.

When I told her about the car, she was livid. She hadn't known what to do. Knowing it was my fault that Skylar just might have felt unsafe in her house now, was another slap in the face. All of the issues arising was because of me. She hadn't had any of them before, until I arrived.

Skylar stroked the bottom of her chin. "Hmm, maybe if you file a report with the police, they can pull the footage from along our block. I don't know. It might show the license plate on the car or something. Or the time frame when it pulled up in front of the house," she suggested.

"That makes sense. I just might have to do that." I sighed.

"Hey, I won't let anyone hurt you in this damn town. If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable around anyone, you just make that call, and I'll be there. Got me? Well, after you call the cops . . . I'm sure I'll get there before them though." She stretched her pinky finger towards me.

I smiled and nodded, wrapping mine around it. "Got you."

"Atta girl." I laughed as she threw her arms around me. "Alright, I don't know about you but I could use a slushy. What do you say we head out now?"

"Sounds good to me," I said, shrugging.

When Skylar mentioned a slushy, I hadn't realized there was an ice cream place near us, off the side of the road that sold them. It was probably due to the playground's close by. Good business was made, and kids were kept happy. Those that were in the area, at least.

"Do you know her?" Skylar bit on the edge of her straw, eyes surveying Silvia's hand in Jeremy's.

"Uh, no. Not really." I shrugged.

There was more facial hair around his jaw than the last time I saw him. He probably hadn't shaven in over a week. I wasn't one to meddle in other people's relationships but, looking at them, they were an odd pair. Incompatible was probably the best word for them. If they hadn't been holding hands, I wouldn't have known they were together. Or if I hadn't been introduced to his and Silvia's relationship because of Delilah. Perhaps they hadn't always been this distant. Whatever happened between them could've caused a rift.

I continued to observe the two.

She'd been absorbed into her phone, while he spoke on his—loudly if I might add—and they stood at the window, I assumed, waiting for whatever they ordered. I noticed him slip his hand from hers suddenly. He shuffled across the concrete to one of the free, open, picnic tables in front of the shop. As she sat and joined him, they continued how they were before. Their eyes only met when they had a few words to say to each other.