Strangers - a Brad Simpson fanfic (sequel to Be Alright)

In The Shadows (I'M BAAAACK)

Author note: Hi! So if it wasn't obvious, I've been kind of absent on here lately. I deleted the app off my phone and kinda forgot all about this. I redownloaded it today and I came on to see this has over 10k reads!! Thats insane. People are still adding it to their library's and reading lists, which really surprised me. So I decided to give it a shot. Please note, the amount of reads this chapters gets will determine whether or not I end up finishing this story or not.

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Brad's POV

No. Why is this happening? What could I have done wrong this time? Damn it Brad, you're so stupid. You just got her back and now she's gone - again.

I unlocked my phone again and stared at the message. I stared at that one word - goodbye - until the view of it was permanently stuck in my brain. Then, everything I'd been trying to feel came flooding back to me. I felt my eyes fill with tears. My hands started to shake. Emotions flowing through my body, I ripped my phone from its charger and threw it at the wall as hard as I could. Being alone was the last thing I needed right now, but it was what I wanted. Pulling my knees um to my chest, I sat on the edge of my hotel bed and cried. I cried, and cried, and cried. And I didn't even care.

After about 2 hours (actually, it was probably about 20 minutes. But it sure as hell felt like 2 hours) there was a knock at my door. Pulling myself off the bed, I pushed my hair out of my face, wiped underneath my eyes and checked in the mirror before opening the door. I prayed it was one of the boys - I didn't want anyone else to see me like this.

Except it wasn't one of the boys. My eyes widened as I opened the door and the last person I expected to see was stood in front of me... Arianna.

Arianna's POV (earlier in the day, about 5:30am)

Wow, New York was still so alive at 5:30 in the morning. I mean, I know its the city that never sleeps... but whatever. I needed a walk, some time alone, whether it was peaceful or not.

I still couldn't decide if I'd done the right thing. I mean, I've gotten over him once before right? So who's to say I can't do it again?

As I strolled down the high street, my head hung low, I got that feeling. That awful feeling - like you're being watched. Being the easily scared person that I am, I refused to turn around. I was past the stage of thinking 'its probably nothing' by now - with my life, I've become aware that if something happens, its probably not nothing.

I took a sharp turn down an alley way cut through thing, and my 'follower' stopped trying to mask their presence. By this point, I was absolutely terrified. My feet were going as fast as they could go without running - I didn't want to run. That would attract attention. My heart was racing. Finally I (or should I say we) came to the end of the alley way, onto another busy NYC street. I couldn't hear my pursuers footsteps anymore, and I finally calmed down - although still terrified and scarred after what had just happened. As I went to turn and walk down the street, I heard a faint whisper in my ear - "see you soon, Arianna...". By the time I turned around, the person who said it was long gone.

Feeling shaken and unsafe, I looked around me to see if I recognised anything that would help me get back to my hotel - shockingly, I didn't. However I did recognise one place, across the street... Brad's hotel.

I sighed to myself as I made the decision to go over there. I had to tell him what just happened - chances are whoever was after me, knows who he is is as well.

Turns out 'goodbyes' don't last very long between us.