A Rose Of Love And Betrayal

02||Paranoia

I took a sip of my tea and looked out the window. I stared at the bronze coloured leaves on the trees, the sweet smell of autumn. I'm still not over what happened last night ...with Reid.

So I texted Dahlia and told her everything, she didn't believe me at first, until she checked the records of the prison Reid was in. And it was just as I expected, he escaped, like the madman he is.

"Reia."a familiar voice came from behind me. I turned around and saw Dahlia, she had a sweet smile on her face. Dahlia is an exceptionally attractive woman, she has gorgeous tan skin, a curvy body and the most innocent honey brown eyes.

I stood up and gave her a hug. She looked at me, her smile fading. "Come on, sit down. We have a lot to talk about."she said, motioning for me to sit down. She sat down across from me, a worried expression on her face.

"Before you start lecturing me ... yes I should have gone to the police but I didn't, and you know why."I said, taking another sip of my tea.

Dahlia let out a sigh and snapped her fingers for a waiter. A girl who looked no older than fifteen walked over and gave us a smile. "Can I help you ?"she asked, her eyes never leaving Dahlia's face.

"I'll just have some chamomile tea and for my friend, just get her a refill of what she's having." Dahlia said, with a smile. The waitress nodded and walked away . Dahlia turned to look at me, her eyes dark.

"Sereia, you are my best friend and you know I love you, but you can't keep going on like this. Every guy you date is some type of crazy, take Reid for example ... he went to prison for murder,"she said, shaking her head.

It's like I attract crazy men. Every boyfriend I've ever had since high school has tried to hurt me or hurt the people I love, including Dahlia.

"I know, that's why I'm taking a break from dating. I can't bear to see you or anyone hurt because of me." I said, Dahlia took my hand and smiled at me.

"It's okay, I just want you to be safe. I think you should report Reid, he's just going to keep coming, until you give me." She stated, her eyes on my face. I pulled away and stared at her.

She knows I can't do that. He'll kill her and my parents. "Dahlia, you know I can't. He'll hurt you or worse kill you."I said, she lowered her gaze and took my hand in hers. In the corner of my eye, I could see a man, staring at me intensely. He was holding a newspaper, his sharp eyes on me.

For some reason it made me feel uncomfortable. I mean everyone gets uncomfortable when someone is staring at them, right ?

"Hey , are you even listening ?" I turned to look at Dahlia, I didn't even realize I had zoned out. "Yeah, continue."I said, focusing on her . Dahlia rolled her eyes and continued talking.

"This isn't about me or your parents, it's about you. You can't just let him run free and mess with your life. I don't want to lose you to some psycho..."she said, her voice cracking. I didn't tell Dahlia about Reid getting shot, I don't want her to worry. I mean she'd have a heart attack if I told her.

"Dahlia, I will find a way to get rid of him. I just need you to trust me." I said, rubbing her hand with my thumbs. She let out a sigh and nodded. I know that she hasn't fully accepted the fact that Reid is back, but there's nothing she can do. Reid has connections ... dangerous ones.

My phone started buzzing in my pocket. I took it out and stared at the screen. My jaw dropped, it was a picture of me and Dahlia in the cafe. I looked out the window , a fancy black car was parked across the street, the window to the driver's side partially opened. I looked away and turned my attention to Dahlia. She was standing up, her baby pink bag in her left hand. She gave me a smile, before speaking, "Listen, I have to go. I have a meeting. Talk later." she explained, giving me a hug. I watched as she made her way out of the cafe.

I looked back at the table, the man from earlier was sitting and he was ... gone. I let out a sigh of relief and got up. I placed some cash from on the table and made my way out. I made my way down the sidewalk. I think it's best if I go back to my apartment, I really don't want my parents to be in danger because of me.

★★★
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter

XOXO
Sunny