Risking Love

Chapter Twenty- Eight; Coming to terms

It was official; I was being stalked. While I relayed what had happened to Estelle on the phone, it became clear to me what I had to do, stay away from Jason, to keep him safe.

"So, you're telling me that you're being followed around by this guy called 'Adrian' who attacked you at one party, he's threatening you and you're running away?" Estelle summed up after hearing me out,

"Yep, pretty much, and I'm real worried right now so I need a friend to talk to."

"I can do better than that, you have anywhere you feel it is safe to stay?" She asked, making me think for a while,

"Not really. He probably knows everyone I do." I replied,

"Well you're coming to stay with my family!" She drawled,

"But he might know who you are and-"

"No buts! Where are you?"

I sighed, giving in to her stubborn nature and told her the name of the main street I was on as I looked up and down, seeing just a dark street, lit only by the bulbs of the streetlamps. The silence was eerie as I talked to Estelle, telling her I needed her to stay on the line, that my credit wasn't the most important thing at this moment.

I noticed more now, how the heat was almost unbearable, rising with the song of the grasshoppers who chirped mysteriously in the darkness. The trees rustled around me and the soft flapping of birds wings sounded in the night.

Sweat stuck to my skin as I hunched over in a ball on the pavement, focusing on my breathing and hoping Estelle would come for me soon.

"You still there?" She asked me,

"Yep..." I replied warily, my eyes darting around me as my voice bounced off of each tree, as if they were excited about the sudden noise and wanted to play with it.

"I'm about five minutes away, I've gotta go now."

"Nuh-no-noo!" I cried as she hung up on me, leaving me swamped by the ink-black murkiness which was the night. Tears gently trailed down my cheeks as the creepy atmosphere surrounded me and the temperature rose further, the noises grew louder and the wind almost shouted at me as it whipped my red cheeks.

Finally, Estelle's car pulled up beside me and I jumped up, meaning to get straight into her car but she pulled me into a soothing embrace instead.

"You ok?" She asked sympathetically, searching my face for a response,

"I am now. Where were you?"

"You do know this road is super long?" I giggled at her phrasing,

"Nooo..."

"Well, it is. Lets get you back to my place, huh?" She said, leading me into the passenger seat.

After a bit of a drive in her car, with its soft leather seats, we pulled up outside a white two-storey building, with floor to ceiling windows on the second floor and smaller cris-cross windows on the lower floor. I noticed a lit up pool around the back and some well- decorated bedrooms upstairs. As Estelle led me to the door, I became more and more nervous.

I pictured her parents. Two tall people, with stern and expecting gazes fixed on their daughter. As they turned to me, they would look down disapprovingly and shoo me away from their perfect family. I shuddered at the prognostication.

Estelle knocked on the glass door and grinned at me, seeing through my expression,

"Relax! My family will love you! They always wanted two daughters!" She told me, making me feel a lot better.

"Hello, dear!" Who I presumed to be Estelle's mother said to Estelle, "And who's your lovely friend?" She turned to me and gave me a warm smile.

"My name's Melanie, or Mel." I smiled at her,

"And Melanie needs to stay with us for a while. Please mom?" Estelle added,

"Is ok if you-"

"Ooh great! We are going to have so much fun girls! We can go shopping, Ooh- theres this lovely place in-" Estelle's mum carried on talking, almost to herself as she continued,

"She'll be going for a while" Estelle muttered to me, making sure her mum couldn't hear,

"You could say that.." A boy walked past us, on his way to the kitchen. He looked kind of like Estelle, although I didn't want to make presumptions.

"Thats Chase, my brother. He's 17, and he's having a break before he graduates, I'm suprised you havent seen him around school. I actually have two brothers, the other is Joey and he's four." Estelle told me after her brother had left, her mum was still talking!

"Come on." Estelle whispered as I gaped at the new knowledge I had gained. She dragged me right, then left, up a staircase and to the door at the end of the corridor where her room was.

"I have a pull out bed from my sofa in my room, I'm sure you can stay there." Estelle said.

I looked around at the crisp whites and reds of Estelle's room. It looked like a room out of a showcasing magazine, all pristine and as perfect as it could be. I glanced towards the cream sofa, between the bookcases, where I would be sleeping and saw that it was opposite Estelles bed.

To the right of the sofa, there was a large set of glass doors, hidden behind foggy white curtains, which, as they blew side to side, displayed a lovely view of well cut green grass and a small summer house and office at the end of her garden.

This was a balcony, holding two metal white chairs and table. The garden was soft and white under my feet and I walked catiously, not wanting to mess up her room.

To my surprise, Estelle kicked off her white heeled sandals and fell face first into her bed, taking a deep breath of the covers. 

"Ahh. Home sweet home." She sighed, making me look at her funny. She sat up and patted the spot beside her, making sure I sat down before getting up and taking out her scrapbook.

"Now here's how we can solves this thing, without having the creepy guy in the way anymore. You sure you want to do this?"

"Do what?"

"Get Jason back, of course!"

"Why would I-" She tutted slightly, looking at me carefully,

"You don't seem to realise it yet, but you love that guy, and we are going to fight for him. You can't say you don't love Jason can you?" Estelle asked me, knowing I would have to reply truthfully.

I sighed, rubbing my temples and falling back onto the soft feather pillows,

"I do love Jason, Estelle. We can't give up."