Odds Are Against Us

Protection

After a while my mom came back to the living room, where Tom and I were sitting on the couch, with her shopping list and her purse in her hand.

– You're staying the night, right? – she asked us.

– I guess. – I shrugged.

– You should. Alan will be here for dinner. – she smiled.

– Okay, then. – I nodded.

– Good. I'll see you later. – she waved at us before stepping out of the house.

– Who's Alan? – Tom asked, confused.

– My step-father. – I answered and got up as I tried to avoid the subject. – Do you want me to get you anything? – I asked but he shook his head as he got up too. He grabbed my hand, preventing me from walking away.

– You never told me you had a step-father. – he said and I sighed.

– Well, now you know. Tom, I really don't want to talk about this. – I looked away as I felt myself on the verge of tears.

– Alright. – he kissed the top of my head and I couldn't help but let some tears roll down my cheeks. I glanced at the coffee table from where I was standing and noticed his phone vibrating as he received a text. 

"We'll be more careful next time." – it read.

Only then it hit me: how on Earth did Tom know where I lived? How the hell had he ended up knowing what my address was? All I had told him is that I was from Washington. Not even Tiffany knew where my house was. And what had that text been about anyway?

– Are you okay? – he asked as he wiped some tears from my cheeks.

– Not really. – I shook my head from side to side as I sat down on the couch. – Can you grab me a glass of water?

– Sure. Wait here. – he said before he walked towards the kitchen.

– With sugar. – I added.

– On it. – he said and I quickly grabbed his phone to check the latest messages.

– Where's the sugar? – I heard him yell from the kitchen. I was about to answer him when I read the texts. My hands were shaking and my heartbeat quickened.

"We're on our way back to LA."

"You should've been more careful. She noticed the car." – Tom said in the text.

"We'll be more careful next time."

I widened my eyes as I realized he was involved with whoever was following me. He had lied to me, once again. My chest started hurting as my eyes teared up.

– Avery, where's the- – I suddenly heard his voice as he walked into the living room. I got up and looked at him. I couldn't believe he had made me go through thinking I was being followed by someone trying to hurt me.

– Who the hell was in that car?! – I yelled at him as I pointed at the window where I saw the car from earlier that day.

– What? – he frowned.

– I asked who the hell was in that car! I read your fucking texts! – I said as I threw his phone at him. He managed to grab the phone before it fell.

– Avery, I can explain. – he said calmly as he walked towards me slowly.

– Of course you can! I've been scared because I thought someone was following me in order to hurt me and it turns out it's all because of you! What the hell were you trying to do?! Scare me? Why?! – I yelled desperately.