Chapter 7

"You know, I really thought I'd see more of you now that you're home, Bells, but it seems like you're always busy." Dad frowned before pulling me into a one-armed hug.

"Sorry, Dad. You know I work weird hours. I start my day late and don't get home until around nine, sometimes ten."

He sighed. "I hate that you get home so late at night. Are you being safe? I wish you'd waited, found a better place to live. You know your mother and I would have been fine with you moving back in to your old room."

I rolled my eyes. "Would you have wanted to move back in with Grandma and Grandpa after college? And, I know my place isn't in the best area, but it's also far from the worst. I'm fine, Dad. Really." He seemed to have forgotten about all the self defense he taught me over the years. He also kept me supplied with plenty of pepper spray; even more effective than that, the gun he'd bought me and taught me to use. It was as much of a surprise to him as well as me when I ended up being a perfect shot. Besides, it wasn't as if Edward would let anything happen to me.

I felt myself flush at the thought of him. I hadn't seen or heard from him in a few days which concerned me. I tried to not let myself worry. We had different schedules, though it'd never stopped him from knocking on my door before. I honestly wasn't sure he even slept with the odd hours he kept. The last time I had seen him he'd been kneeling on the floor between my—I looked up suddenly when my dad cleared his throat. I'd apparently spaced out for longer than I'd realized.

He raised an eyebrow at me before continuing. "You know your old man, I just worry about you. I want you to be safe."

"I'm fine, Dad. I promise. Let's just enjoy the time we have together, okay?"

He grunted in response before picking up his sandwich and taking a bite.

—

I hugged my Dad goodbye before we went our separate ways. He had to get back to work, and I needed to get my grocery shopping done for the week.

As I made my way toward the store, I kept having the feeling that someone was following me. I tried as hard as I could to shake it off, but the feeling continued to gnaw at me. Finally, I gave in to the feeling; when I turned around to look behind me, my stomach dropped.

There, not more than a few feet away, was a man leering at me. That in itself wouldn't have normally bothered me. I lived in a large city, and there were bound to be creeps. What did bother me was that I was almost positive it wasn't the first time I'd seen him. He was basically indistinguishable from anyone else, except for the scar that ran along his jaw. I could have sworn he'd been lurking outside the apartment building a time or two before I left for work.

I picked up my pace, only glancing back once more. I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed he was gone as I hurried into the Safeway. I really didn't want to be put into a position where I would have to prove how well I could take care of myself.

I grabbed a cart, even though I was in no mood to shop anymore. I wasn't ready to head back toward my car, either.

—

"Hola, mami,"Edward murmured as he snuck up behind me. I jumped, letting out a small scream and almost banging my head on the trunk lid. Apparently, I was still unsettled about the man that had been following me earlier. Edward quickly took a step back. "You okay, Bella?"

"Yeah, sorry. It's been a long day, and you startled me."

He eyed me for a moment before nodding and changing the subject. "Quiero comer, you gonna cook for me?" He grinned as he gestured to my trunk full of groceries, picking up a few bags to help me.

I rolled my eyes at him. "What, you can't cook for yourself?"

"Actually, I make a pretty good beef stew. Oh, and potato cakes, fried plantains—a few other things, too."

I stopped in my tracks, staring up at him.

"What?" He laughed. "Those were my dad's favorites. Before." He stopped and cleared his throat. "Before everything happened, I used to spend time with my mom watching her cook."

"You're serious?"

"Maybe if you're nice to me, I'll cook for you one day." He laughed again before taking the stairs two at a time.

—

"So, you gonna tell me why you were so worked up earlier?" he asked as he pushed his plate away.

"You gonna tell me where you've been this week?" I countered.

"Work, and I had some other shit to take care of."

I grabbed the dishes off the table, shoving them into the dishwasher. "If you're not going to be honest with me, why should I be honest with you?" I snapped.

He sighed, sitting back in his chair. "Because you were freaked the fuck out. I don't like seeing my girl like that."

"Your girl? Are we back on that? We haven't even gone on a date."

"Nah, but you let me eat that chocha." He smirked. "And kiss those pretty lips." He tilted my face up toward his, kissing me lightly. "That's enough for me. You're my girl now, so stop changing the subject. What's going on?"

I bit my lip, hesitating for a moment. I wanted to tell him, but I was afraid he'd fly off the handle. He had a terrible temper sometimes, and I didn't want to see him do something that would get him in trouble. But, in the pit of my stomach, I knew I needed to tell someone.

I took a deep breath before I started. "So, I had lunch with my dad this afternoon. Afterward, I went grocery shopping. While I was walking to the store, I kept feeling like there was someone behind me. When I turned around, there was this man just… leering at me. Normally, that wouldn't creep me out too bad, but I swear I've seen him hanging around here. I'm worried he's following me."

He leaned down, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Are you even sure it was the same guy?"

This definitely wasn't the reaction I'd been expecting from him. "I mean, no, but he had this scar—"

He shrugged before grabbing my hand and walking us over to the couch. "A lot of people have scars, Bella. But, if it makes you feel better, I'll walk you to your car and wait for you to get home."

"No, you're probably right. It's just a weird coincidence."

"Yeah, nothing to worry about." He leaned in, nipping my jaw and placing soft kisses to my neck. I closed my eyes, letting myself melt into him as I tried to forget the events of the day. I wouldn't let myself worry about it any longer.

Spanish:

Quiero comer - I want to eat

Chocha - pussy