I stand in my old apartment staring at the haunting graffiti on my wall.
It's only three words, but they say so much.
"I'll find you." I said as I read the graffiti.
"Ann... what is this?" Eli asked full of concern and curiosity from his tone.
"Who could do something like this?" Mason asked.
"Perry." I said in a short response.
Alice's ex-boyfriend's onsession with her ran so deep that we have to leave town.
"Alice's ex-boyfriend? The troubled kid?" Landon asked.
I press myself to Mason as my heart hammers.
"When he was stalking her here, it was the first time I felt like I couldn't be a good mom for Alice. We thought we could outrun him." I said.
I run my fingers along the spray marking my old walls. Landon slips his arm around my shoulder, shielding me from the graffiti.
"You have three guys who will do anything to protect you." Eli said.
"We care about you so deeply." Mason said.
Tears waterfall down my face, hot and fast and cathartic.
"Ssh.. You're safe here." Mason said to me as Mason strokes my cheek, wiping my tears away.
"I, for one, would love to get out of here." I hear Landon said.
As we walk back down the stairs, I hear a crash.
"Get back!" My voice echoes back to me as I squeeze my face into Mason's chest.
"Mew?"
"It's just a cat." Landon said with a smile.
As the black cat walk away until it's out of our sight.
*****
Back on the street, I keep glancing side to side, waiting for the next thing to come around the corner.
"Ann, you're going to be okay." Mason said.
"Maybe you need a nice day out..." Landon said.
"A distraction. Yes. With one of us." Eli said.
Eli slips his arm around my shoulder, tucking me into him.
"Ann, let's take a romantic walk through Central Park while the others check in on the museum." Eli said to me.
"Let's go to Heebie Jeebies and dance." Landon said.
"Come with me to a yoga studio and unwind." Mason said.
"I would love to get some fresh air." I said as I take Eli by the arm, he leads me to the bright air of Central Park.
"First things first: coffee." I said to Eli.
I stop by a coffee cart, where Eli orders two large cups of caffeine.
"I love Central Park in the spring. Tradition meets endless possibility." I heard Eli said
"You like tradition?" I asked to Eli.
"I like predictability. After my wife left Kyla and me, I wanted to live a life where I could see everything coming..." Eli said as I sense the sad tone from his voice.
"Yeah, I can understand that." I said to Eli as I run my hand over Eli's arms, and he leans into me.
"You must have been so hurt." I said to Eli in a sad tone.
"Before you came to town, I lived like a perfectly wound clock." Eli said.
Eli stops me with a hand on each shoulder, turning me to meet his steely gaze.
YOU ARE READING
DILFS
RomanceAnn Stevens got moved in her new home with her daughter from New York City because of some issues. Her daughter suggested to join in to a single-parent support group. She meet three guys in that group and unexpectedly her neighbor as well. In a few...
