Careful What You Wish For

Chapter Twenty

The large white cavernous space beneath the train station is filled with passengers in transit, the tunnels feeding into it alive with movement, intent, and urgency. Sophie and Brianne swipe their go cards at the turnstile and soak into the crowd. They don't have a particular destination in mind, or a platform to find. The only thing of interest to them is the back of a blond head ten metres in front.

"We're too close," Sophie hisses for the third time.

Brianne shakes her head impatiently. "Would you rather lose him?"

Luke's head bobs above the crowd, sometimes disappearing, always reappearing. His shirt is more distinctive; blue, with a large white emblem across the back, and has been easy enough to follow since the university. Although now they were in the city it was much harder to see anything but his head.

Much to their shame, they had been following Luke since he had lunch with Jenna.

"Jenna will never forgive us if we're wrong about this," Sophie says.

"We went through this Soph," Brianne says. "Someone has been following you, trashing your house, and chasing you. The more important question at the moment is what if it's him? Will she forgive you then?"

Sophie doesn't bother responding. They had been through this, multiple times.

Luke's back comes into view as he starts to jog up the stairs towards Platform 6. Brianne pinches Sophie's arm with too much enthusiasm and points.

Sophie pulls her arm away. "Yeah. I can see him too, Bri."

They make their way through the crowd to the base of the stairs, wait until they see Luke disappear onto the platform above, and then follow. Both girls have caps pulled low over their faces, black tights, joggers, and nondescript-looking shirts. They slow as they near the top of the platform, attempting to scan the area for Luke without appearing to do so. It is less crowded up here, and the threat of him identifying them suddenly doubled.

The furtive and highly suspicious-looking duo step up onto the open train platform. Highrise buildings come into view and the sun shines.

Sophie has a wild moment of panic when she can't locate him. Has he already seen them? What if he knows they've been following him?

But Brianne touches her arm and Sophie follows her line of sight. Luke has his back to them and his attention focused on the vending machine in front of him. Sophie breathes a sigh of relief. They quickly find a space behind a column further down the platform.

Sophie tries to quell the adrenaline causing her legs to shake. "I can't remember how to look normal." She whispers to Brianne.

Brianne leans casually against the pillar with her ankles crossed and a hand on her hip. She is the epitome of casual. Sophie glares at her. "How are you so calm?"

Brianne shrugs and smiles to herself. "I'm actually enjoying this."

"Arg," Sophie wrinkles her nose in distaste. "Something is wrong with you."

Following Luke around and skulking in the shadows is forcing her to remember her similar experience with Jonas on campus. She regretted that decision and had several times since then thought about how Jonas would feel if he ever found out. It was possible he wouldn't want to talk to her ever again, and that created a hollow and uncomfortable pit in her stomach she was trying to ignore.

The rattle of a train sounds and a voice on the loudspeaker starts to list destinations. Brianne edges forward and peeks around the corner.

"Looks like it's this one," she says. The excitement in her voice is unmistakable. Sophie, on the other hand, feels as though she may throw up.