All in his head

three

Tate

No. 

No fucking way is the man from last night here right now. 

Our eyes connect and we both freeze staring at one another as our friends rub their relationship in our faces. 

Savannah breaks me from the stare down and pulls me in front of her boyfriend. 

"Atlas this is Tate, my best friend. Tate, this is Atlas" She grins, I smile at the man and he nods in return. I feel his eyes on me as we walk to a place on the beach. 

We sit on opposite ends of our friends, but it isn't lost on me his eyes still remain on me. I try my best to avoid his stare and keep a smile on my face, adding on conversation a couple of times. 

The couple continues talking as I avert my attention the beautiful sunset over the water, wish I could be in the water watching it. Or in the safety of my apartment away from a dangerous looking man that held a gun to my head last night. 

Images of last night swirl in my head, the look of he had once his eyes connected with mine. The one where it almost seemed like he was about to help me but didn't. My chest suddenly becomes tight thinking about it. Savannah doesn't know of last nights events nor do I plan to tell her. How would I even explain it to her? I couldn't make sense of it to myself.

"I'm gonna go get drink, you guys want anything?" I ask, they both their head, and as I begin to get up the next words spoken make my heart drop, "I'll go with you" 

I ignore his deep voice and begin walking to the bar located on the boardwalk. 

He stands behind me in almost a protective stance as we order and wait. My eyes stay glued to floor, wanting to avoid his grey eyes at all costs.

"Once Atlas and Savannah go home, we have some things to talk about." He says suddenly, against my better judgement I look up at him. A sad smile lays on his lips as our eyes lock. 

"You deserve an explanation to what happened last night" He admits quietly breaking the eye contact and down to his hands. The still unnamed man looks back up at me with pleading eyes, like he truly wants to explain it. 

"What's your name?" I ask, he clearly knowns mine but I have no idea what his is. If Sav told me earlier it was when I was in a daze but his piercing gaze. A small smirk falls on his face as he visibly relaxes a little more, "Adrian"

I nod and look over to the bartender who has yet to make our drinks. With a sigh I decide to finally answer his request. 

"Under a couple of conditions" I give in, he straights out a little and leans against the counter. 

"No weapons of any kind, the minute I feel threatened in anyway I'm gone." I say, he nods quietly. "Don't try to bullshit me, if we are going to talk about what happened I expect nothing but the truth."

"Anything else, princess?" He asks with a smug smirk, "If someone ever holds a gun to me and again you just stand there instead of helping me, I will castrate you" I say with a smug look of my own grabbing one of the beers off the counter that was set in front of us and leaving. 

Adrian can pay the check after last night, I hear him follow after me we walk back onto the sand. But of course Sav is straddling Atlas in a heated make out. With a sigh I find a spot a few feet away from them and continue watching the sun disappear while drinking my beer. 

I feel him sit down next to me and look at me, "If you want explain, you better start" I say finally looking over at him. He nods and shifts in the sand.  

"Last night I was having a meeting with an associate when things got heated." He starts looking out to the water, but my eyes stare glued to his face. "You had passed us and I thought you looked familiar. He had sensed it and thought the best way to gain leverage was to threaten you. I don't know why he did it, but I want to apologize. And if you want protection or money, I can give that to you. But you can't go to the police" He says all within one breath still not looking at me.

"What if I already went to the police?" I ask quietly, he turns to me with a smirk on his face. "Then we would be having a very different conversation right now, Tate" 

I nod wordlessly and look down at my lap, this was weird. There was something off about Adrian, something besides last nights events that made me afraid of him. If only I could figure out that it was. 

Savannah sudden comes to my side and a swig of my beer, "Hey bitch, me and Atlas are going to leave don't get kidnapped please" and with that she kisses my cheek and skips over to Atlas who has a lovestruck grin on his face as he watches Sav. 

Then I'm left alone with him, on the beach as the sky grows darker.

"I'm gonna head home" I finally say getting up, Adrian quietly gets up as well and shoves his hands into his pockets. Shaking my head at his strange behavior and walking towards my car. But of course I feel him following, stopping in my tracks and turning around to meet his emotionless face. 

"What are you doing?" I ask annoyed, a smirk forms and he takes at step forward, bending his neck down to look at me. "Walking you to your car, wouldn't want a repeat of last night" 

"Seem more likely to happen with you here, don't you think" I respond, his jaw clenches tightly at my word. 

I got to him

He silently stares at me, with an eye roll I turn around and finally get to my car. Adrian watches me with an almost angry look as I drive way. 

Yeah, I'm going to stay far away from him.

***

Once at home, I find a comfy shirt and shorts for bed before going to brush my teeth and wash my face for bed. I find a random movie to put on when my phone buzzes. 

From Unknown: Please call me if you think someone is trying to hurt you

Of course he is texting me. Because why wouldn't the man who is clearly involve in so illegal actives not have my number without me knowing. 

Deciding not to respond, I plug it in and drift off to sleep.