The Case of Arania Wolf

Chapter 4

Once I had all the bedding stuffed in the trunk of the car, I brought Ava over to Barnes and Noble.

Though I was tempted to take a look at the young adult novel section, the recent incident kept me glued by Ava. As expected, she didn't mind, keeping her tiny hand clasped in my own as she pulled out a few graphic novels from the shelves.

She tugged on my sleeve. Done.

I gave my little sister a content smile then took her over to the front, where she purchased the books then handed the bag to me. I took it obediently, handing it to her when we got in the car. She started to read, shutting down into her total silence mode, no longer finding any interest in the outdoor trivialities.

The final stop would be Home Depot. There was one located close to where we were on the way home, so I started the car in the direction of the store and opened the windows. The air was dry, brittle, doing well to cool off my burning body that shook with agitation. That Dallas guy freaked me out. Not because he did something abnormal, though that was odd, but because something about him was different. Maybe it was because he was attractive, or perhaps because of his vibe. Either way, it didn't matter anymore. He was gone, end of discussion.

Half way there, we came up to a traffic light. I slowed up as it switched to yellow, and was at a full halt once it was red. I tapped impatiently on the wheel, breathing slowly at the beat of the music that flooded out the car's open windows.

The horn of a nearby car disrupted my breathing. I looked over to the car parked next to me and mumbled a few curse words.

If it isn't the man of the hour. Small world it is, down south. Really small.

"You need something?" I growled, as he smirked behind the wheel of a white pickup truck. The windows were all down, exposing every detail of his busted leather seats that were, to my surprise, unoccupied. Must have dropped off that girlfriend of his.

"I wanted to apologize." Dallas said. "I didn't mean to be rude."

Liar. "So you're just saying finding me was a coincidence and you totally didn't just follow me from Barnes and Noble? Smooth."

He said nothing, obviously waiting for my reply to his false apology. Ugh.

"If you want forgiveness, go to confession." I snapped, focusing on the light. Still red.

He suddenly wore a look of awe. "You're Christian?"

"No." I grumbled, then exclaimed, "Why are you following me?"

He reached down into the car and pulled out a wallet. Not just any wallet, but my wallet. I must have dropped it while fumbling with the bags, which might explain why my father's card was in my back pocket. "Because of this."

The light turned green, and I watched as his car pulled into my lane. Pretending not to notice his shiny white car behind me, I parked in the front of Home Depot when we arrived and ripped Ava out of the car, pulling her up so I could walk faster. He parked on the opposite side, holding the wallet out for me to grab.

When I was only a few inches from taking it, he lifted it over my head. "Not so fast. Arania, right?"

I did nothing but glare.

"Well, Arania, I would like to re-introduce myself." He grinned, "Seems I didn't do a very good job earlier. My name is Dallas Haynes."

"That's nice."

He huffed. "You're not very welcoming, are you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm busy."

"Well, you're a woman of few words."