It was definitely him… It was Mark. I felt a tinge of pain inside my gut. What could he be possibly doing here? I think I already knew the answer but I didn't want to face reality.

" Madison, I can't be here right now. We have to get out of here. Please just turn around." I shifted my eyes from the direction of the car in hopes that she wouldn't notice where I was looking. It had been too late she had noticed either way. She parked the car in an empty parking space.

"Kari, eventually you are going to have to face him and come to terms with what he's doing to you." She said in a low, sympathetic voice. " It's obvious isn't it?"

She had been right but yet I couldn't face the fact that he was cheating on me…again.

" Well we don't really know for sure about that. I mean he could just be picking up some stuff for the party." I saw through the corner of my eye glaring at me.

" Seriously? Don't be an idiot about this! What guy comes to the mall at seven that is about to go to some crazy party? He HAS to be going out on another date first." She was getting very frustrated with me.

"He called me earlier though." I tried to watch my words so she wouldn't cause an outrageous uproar.

"And what did he say?"

" Well… I didn't answer to find out."

" THAT'S JUST PERFECT!" She was already passed boiling point.

" Forget it then! I'm getting off." I rushed quickly to get out of the car so that I won't be scolded at anymore. This is just great now my best friend is getting mad at me. I know what he's doing. It just hurts too much to actually admit it. Then again I need to break up with him. I don't deserve this and it's making me look stupid. Boy there was barely any people inside the mall. We looked around and shopped for a bit. The whole time I was expecting to see Mark here but maybe he hadn't come after all. Maybe it was all in my head and it was someone else's car.I'd spoken too soon not long after I saw him at the food court feeding Merena a chocolate covered strawberry." My heart sank low it felt like it was going to pop out of my chest. No matter how much I tried to hold in my tears my eyes swelled up as the started flowing down my cheeks. I couldn't look keep looking but yet I couldn't tear away my eyes from both of them. That kiss, touch, warm smile, and him they use to all belong to me. So when did it all go wrong? When did I start not being good enough for him? When I declined having sex with him or when I told him I loved him? I couldn't help it anymore I just really needed to get out of here ASAP. No words were needed; Madison was by my side she had seen everything just as well as I did.

" Kar.." I didn't let her finish

" Look Maddy.. I'm sorry but I don't need you to telling me I told you so or how worthless he is and that I'll find another guy. I still loved him and thought that it would work out after the first time. Even if I was wrong all I ever wanted was support and you to be happy as long as I was happy. I don't need you throwing it in my face right now."

I ran off in such pain for leaving her standing there just like that and for the words that were said. It was true though I really didn't need this right now. I was planning on letting Madison take me home. I'd decided I would text her later to let her know I was safe and okay once I got home. Who should I call to pick me up? Leon or Derrick? Mark was out of the picture obviously. I wasn't looking where I was going and bumped into something soft and hard at the same time. Ouch! Wait I said that in my head.

"Ouch! I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention and I was just walking and I don't really know where I'm going and I'm sorry I know I'm rumbling a lot." I tried to shut myself up, I bet this person though I was a maniac since I looked like a mess.

"Oh this is just great!" I picked up my phone and it had been completely broken from the fall. How am I supposed to get a hold of anyone now?" I kneeled down to grab my phone when a hand quickly picked it up before I could grasp it.

" Are you alright?" a sooth voice asked.

" I'll be fine thanks" I got back up and looked up, following the arm that held my phone and had been extended towards me. I couldn't quite see through my hair and my puffy eyes from all the crying I did.

" It looks like your phone is a total loss. Might I be of any service, I think I owe you a new phone."

" Well I'd ask for a ride but I don't quite know you well. So do you have a cell phone I can borrow right now?" Luckily I had a spare phone at home so I would just have to transfer the card to the other phone.

" Sure I understand." With that he pulled out his cell phone through an inner jacket pocket. "Make sure you dial *1 first" he was said in a very calm low voice.

" Gotcha" I dialed my brother Leon's cell phone. Ring Ring! After a couple of rings it went straight to voice mail. I decided to leave one just incase he didn't receive the call. That was when I noticed the guy's features standing in front of me. He was very tall with dark bronze colored hair it wasn't black nor was it any type of blonde. It was just the right type of brown; it was well groomed and looked like it smelled good. He had spiky medium hair but it had been cut so that the front spikes were a bit longer than the back ones they all seemed to be swaying a tad bit forward. He had been wearing all black collared jacket, pants, and shoes. He had what looked to be a plain white shirt underneath the jacket. He had very beautiful chocolate colored eyes. He had this dangerous, scary, cold and ruthless look in his eyes. Yet he was very attractive and had a charm to him.

" Thanks for letting me borrow your phone. Don't worry about this one I have an back up at home for this sort of thing." I handed back the phone to him.

" My pleasure, I'm sincerely sorry though, my apologies." He turned away and walked off before I could even ask him what his name was. I was about to walk in the other direction when I saw something shiny on the ground. He must've dropped his keys! I waited and walked around the mall searching for the guy. He wasn't anywhere to be found at all and I also completely and utterly forgot that Leon had left his phone at the house. I texted his phone after Blaine stopped by and heard it ringing on the kitchen counter. I slapped my head in stupidity. Stupid Kari. Wow now I'm talking to myself. I ran out the mall hoping to catch the bus because I wasn't ready to walk about four miles to my house. With my luck I had just missed the last bus of the night. I only walked about two miles when I saw a payphone in the distance. I walked down the dark alley to the payphone that was just a few blocks around the corner. It was starting to get really cold and I had forgotten to bring a sweater. When I reached the phone I picked it up but there wasn't a dial tone. The wire was cut and stripped apart from the telephone pole. I was lost with no cell phone and no knowledge of my location. It was pitch black and the only light was coming from the telephone box that only lit enough for me to be able to see the frayed wire. I saw a black outlined figure a few feet from where I was standing.

"Who's there?" I was starting to panic. The only response was a chuckle. I headed for the light pole in the distance maybe it would scare him off if I were able to see this guy. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me and I made the mistake of turning to look back. Next thing I knew I met face to pavement. I hit the ground way harder than I had expected to and I felt trickles of something warm running down my head. I had misstep and tripped over what seemed to be a pothole that was embedded into the street. A rock sliced through my hand as I tried lifting myself of the ground. Where did the guy go? I looked around searching for any sign or sound of the guy. Hoping my eyes would adjust somehow to the darkness so that I would be able to spot the figure. I looked everywhere desperately for any sign of the guy. I was getting so scared that I felt like I was literally stuck frozen in time and to the ground, I couldn't and wouldn't move a muscle. For some reason the street seemed darker and colder. Now that I had thought about it I realized something and put it all together. I had finally come to the conclusion that the reason I couldn't find the guy was not because he had disappeared into the dark or left me to wander alone on the streets. I couldn't find him because he tricked me… he had me right where he wanted..into his trap. I had fallen into his lair.