Chapter 74
I could barely breathe, my heart racing with the memory of John’s voice. His presence was like a shadow I couldn’t shake off, and the sudden encounter had thrown me into a panic I couldn’t control.
Macy was quick to catch on, her face turning serious as she squeezed my hand. “Scarlett, what happened? Who did you see?”
I could barely form the words as I choked out, “John Stovall. I saw him here, in the mall.” My voice trembled, and I hated how vulnerable I sounded.
Macy’s face went pale. She clearly knew the weight of that name. John Stovall was not someone you wanted to cross paths with, and I’d done just that years ago. I thought I’d left him behind in J City, but here he was, showing up in A City as if he’d been waiting for the right moment to re-enter my life.
“John?” Macy whispered, her mind likely racing through everything that had happened in the past. “We have to go back to J City, now.” Her voice was resolute.
Nick, who had been looking between us in confusion, still held onto my hand, his brow furrowed. “Wait, what’s going on? Who’s John Stovall?”
Macy turned to him, her tone urgent but controlled. “He’s someone from Scarlett’s past, someone we need to avoid at all costs. If she saw him, we need to get out of here—now.”
Nick seemed to sense the gravity of the situation, his confused expression turning into one of concern. “Alright, alright, let’s go. We’ll head back to J City right away.” He stood up and pulled me gently toward the exit, not questioning anything further but sensing the urgency in the air.
As we walked briskly toward the car, my mind raced. I couldn’t believe John had found me. The last time we’d crossed paths, I had thought I’d escaped his grasp. But his voice—the way it echoed in my mind—made me feel like I was trapped again, just like before.
Macy kept glancing at me, her worry etched on her face. “Scarlett, are you okay?” she asked quietly.
I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I was lying to her or to myself. “I will be. Just get me back to J City. I’ll feel better there.”
Nick was already arranging for a car to take us back, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. John had always been one step ahead, and I couldn’t shake the dread that he was planning something—something big.
As we climbed into the car, the air felt heavy, almost suffocating. It was as though A City, with all its bright lights and bustling streets, had become a trap—one I didn’t know how to escape.
The drive felt long, the tension thick between us. Macy didn’t ask me any more questions; she just sat there, looking at me with concern. Nick, meanwhile, kept glancing at me from time to time, though I could tell he was trying not to push me to talk.
All I could think about was John. How had he found me? Why now? And most importantly, what was he planning?
I couldn’t afford to let him control my life again. But deep down, I knew that the worst part of the story was yet to come.