3 THIS DAY JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE

'So, Bella,' James smiled, the two of us standing too close for comfort in this extremely small and immensely packed lift. 'You from the area?'

'Well, technically,' I offered him a wave of the hand. 'It is kind of complicated; but to keep it short, I am visiting my parents who live close by.'

'Oh.' He hummed in response. 'I wouldn't have taken you for a tourist.'

'And, why is that so?' I raised an eyebrow in question, sort of confused by his bold assumption.

He smirked. 'You behave like you know the place well.'

Um, okay.

Strange!

'Yeah, not my first-time visiting Seattle, or this mall for that matter.' I forced a smile onto my face, deciding to push the ball into his side of the court. 'What about you? You a resident?'

'Nah.' He shrugged in nonchalance. 'I live in Forks. It is a small town, almost four….'

'Four hours from here.' I finished his sentence, a sudden wide smile on my face. 'What a coincidence! My parents live there.'

'Is it?' he grinned, the two of us exiting the lift and coincidentally beginning to walk in the same direction. 'I don't remember seeing you in town, though.'

'Yea,' I ran a hand through my hair, finger combing it to the level of acceptable. 'I grew up in Chicago. My parents moved post retirement. I was already in school by then. You must know my parents, though. Renee and Charlie Swan?'

'Ah.' He nodded his head in acknowledgement. 'Of course, know them rather well. My dad plays golf with your father each morning.'

'Is it so?'

It was my turn to act surprised.

He nodded his head in agreement, continuing, 'And of course, the entire town is in debt of Renee Swan and the good work she continues to do for our community.'

I blushed, unable to hide the smile on my face. 'She would be really glad to know that you think so highly of her.'

'It is a fact.' He shrugged. 'Anyhow, I didn't know they had a daughter?'

I waved him off, a humourless chuckle leaving my lips. 'I am kind of the black sheep of the family at the moment. Don't have time to visit the poor, old parents and all of that emotional blackmail!'

He let out a laugh, his eyes wide in amusement. 'I can relate. My parents too complained about being ignored when I was away at school. In fact, I was even threatened to have my name removed from the will if I didn't visit them often enough.'

'Ouch. That's kind of harsh.' I commented. 'Which school were you at?'

'Portland State University.'

'You're kidding, right?' I frowned at him. 'We are going to share the same Alma mater?'

'Oh,' he laughed, 'Are we?'

I offered him a brief nod. 'What was your major?'

'Business. We own a small diner back home. It just made sense to get a relevant degree to run it efficiently.'

'Makes sense.' I commented with a smile.

'What about you?'

'Well,' I shrugged, overcome by sudden shyness. 'I am studying Sociology. I want to be a social worker. At least, for now, that's the plan.'

'Wow.' He stated, his eyes holding newfound respect. 'That's…admirable!'

'Thank you.' I smiled. 'Blame it on my mother, but I have always been passionate about helping the underprivileged. Especially, children.'

'That's nice.' He stated, giving me a pointed look. 'Can't claim I went to college for anything other than my own personal gain.'

I let out a laugh at that. 'Who says I am not gaining anything from this? Believe me, it is not as altruistic as it looks!'

He waved me off. 'So, why the detour? Charlie and Renee don't look the kind to expect gifts each time you make an appearance?'

'They are not.' I let out a frown. 'My friend, she is here somewhere in the mall, was feeling low. Hence, the unplanned stop to cheer her up. Actually, we were at the zoo before this…and she claims that someone was following us….'

'Have you informed the cops?' All traces of humour had vanished from his face as he awaited my response.

'No.' I sighed. 'It is just a coincidence.' It had to be. 'The zoo was so crowded; it means nothing…'

For some strange reason, he looked almost relieved by my answer.

'Yea, obviously. Your friend probably watches too many movies.' He stated with a small, nervous laugh.

'Isn't it?' I grinned. 'I told her so! But she was adamant about it.'

He hummed in agreement.

'I can understand though, why she would feel like that. The Woodland Park Zoo can get pretty crowded. It is a common occurrence to see familiar faces.'

'Indeed.' I nodded my head, curiously turning to glance at him. 'Have you ever been there?'

'A lot many times.' He let out a chuckle. 'In fact, coincidentally, I was right there before this.'

'No shit!' My eyes went wide in amusement as I turned slightly to glance at him, an unfamiliar bounce in my step. 'You've got to be shitting me?'

'Nah.' He waved a hand in air, smirking. 'It might seem embarrassing to admit, especially as an adult, but zoos do hold a special place in my heart. If I am visiting some place that has a zoo, you bet you will find me there. At least once.'

I could not resist the smile that threatened to overpower me on hearing said words. 'You will gel right well with my friend, then. She is the one that dragged me by the hair there!'

'Something tells me you don't completely regret it.' His laugh was almost adorable.

'I don't.' I waved a hand in air, a brief nod accompanied. 'It was a nice experience.'

'It always is.' He smiled, the two of us walking side-by-side in comfortable silence, having not a clue of where exactly our feet were leading us to.

'BELLA! Here! I am here!'

'Well, that's my cue.' I let out an awkward smile, nodding my head at the seemingly overexcited female that I generally called my friend as she shouted to garner my attention, royally embarrassing me in the process.

'That your friend?' James raised his eyebrows in amusement, being kind enough to not laugh out loud at Alice's antics.

Gosh.

Why was she still waving her hands in air as she shouted for me to notice her presence?

I had seen her.

And I was purposefully ignoring her.

'I don't admit that fact in public. It is a well-kept secret.' I quipped with a small smile.

He reciprocated my smile, nodding his head in response. 'Let's meet up? In Forks? For dinner sometime?'

'Like a date?' I asked, a tinge of hope seeping into my voice.

'Yea. If you want it to be.' He shrugged, his face betraying the fact that he was slightly nervous, too.

'I would like that.'

He wasn't that hard on the eyes; in fact, if I had to admit, he looked kind of good, his lean built and tall frame adding to the charm.

Moreover, he seemed like a genuinely nice person to talk to. And our parents already knew each other, easily putting him in the "safe" category.

'Great!' he grinned. 'Can…can you give me your phone number? So that we can coordinate over the time and place?'

'Yea, of course,' I was quick to take his cell phone from him, inserting my contact number and offering it back to him, the smile on my face never once lessening.

'Here.' He messaged me a "Hi", assuring that I had a way to contact him, too.

'Thanks,' I shyly mumbled, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

He waved me off. 'I should get going. Have a lot of stuff to buy. I will message you sometime soon?'

'Great!' I grinned back, an unfamiliar bounce in my step, as I watched him walk away, turning back and walking towards Alice once he was finally out of sight.

'So, who was that?' she asked in a sing-song voice, smirking wide, the floral dress in her hand long forgotten.

I rolled my eyes in response. 'Oh, that was "none of your business"!

'Don't be like that, now.' She mock-scolded me. 'I am your best friend, and as such have a right to butt right into your business.'

'Yea, but there is nothing to tell here.' I waved her off, looking around me at all the several racks of clothes that surrounded us, picking up and pretending to admire the first shirt that I laid eyes on.

'Come on. You ought to give me something!' she scowled. 'He was hot, girl!' she fanned herself, making me laugh. 'Where did you find such fresh meat? And does he have some even hotter available twin roaming around town?'

I shook my head, letting out a dramatic sigh, thoroughly amused by her words. 'To answer your question, I bumped into him while entering the lift…'

'Ooo…romantic…'

'Do you want me to continue or not?' I demanded; an eyebrow raised.

'Sorry.' She mumbled, not at all apologetic, waving for me to continue on with my narration.

I rolled my eyes in response, a small smile fixated on my face. 'Anyhow, his name is James…'

'That's a sexy name!'

'Really not.' I scoffed, glaring at her to interrupt once again. Luckily, she took the hint and pretended to zip her lips.

Good.

'He lives in Forks. Owns his own diner. His parents know mine. I have no clue of whether he has a twin brother or not. And yes, you can now talk.'

'Oh my God, Girl.' She whispered in awe, making me blush. 'I didn't know they made men like that in that tiny town. I would have moved there ages ago, had I known!'

'Jeez, Ali. He looked decent enough.'

I mean, yeah, he looked…good. But looks are not everything.

Personality matters too.

At times even more than looks do.

'And you girl, need to get your eyes checked for making such a blasé statement.' She continued, frowning.

I ignored her, having nothing more to say, going back to finding something worth buying for myself.

'Are you planning to meet him while there?' she asked, a few minutes of silence later, simply refusing to let the matter go without further discussion.

'Yup.' I gave her a brief, impassive nod. 'We have exchanged numbers…'

'And when were you going to tell me that, missy?' she demanded, glaring at me in obvious melodrama.

'Not a big deal.' I rolled my eyes in annoyance. 'There is a fat chance we may not work out.'

'Why do you always need to think of the negatives?' she scowled, her eyebrows raised in disappointment.

'Because the probability of that happening is higher?' I shrugged, stating the obvious. 'I am not saying an outright no, but let's see how it goes. Let's not make plans for something that will never happen.'

She let out an audible sigh. 'You let all the good ones leave! If you push him away, this one will be no exception to that.'

'Ali.' I nursed a quick forming headache. 'Let's take each day as it comes. Alright?'

'Fine.' She mumbled, hardly pleased, my hesitance to plunge straight into something serious not lost on her. She expected me to be more risk-taking…more fun…the kind to just say fuck it when it came to the matters of the heart.

But I wasn't like that.

And I probably never would be.

I did not believe in the concept of love at first sight.

Or second sight…or even third!

In my opinion, love took time. Sure, you could be attracted to someone. You could want to spend time with them, finding out their likes and dislikes.

But that wasn't love.

It was simple attraction, an infatuation, or even at times, plain old lust.

Love was much purer than that.

Love took effort, a lot more than what some people were comfortable with giving.

And so, I wanted to take it slow. A date or two were harmless, but until I knew the man well, love was out of question.

Or so, I hoped to be able to stick by when the time came through.

For now, no point in raising the hopes.

If it works out, great!

But if it doesn't, I would rather not be disappointed.

'I am telling you, Bella,' Alice offered me a pointed look. 'You will fall head over heels when the correct time comes. All your reluctance to think with your heart will fly right out of the window. Take my word on that!'

I waved her off, rolling my eyes at the amusement that shone bright in her eyes. 'If it happens, I will be forced to believe you.'

'It will.' She let out a confident laugh. 'Now, enough of wasting precious time, both yours and mine, I need your help in deciding what exactly I should actually buy! I am so confused. I am probably going to end up buying the entire shop.' She whined in mock despair.

I let out a laugh, shaking my head in response. 'Let's go! Your problem does need to be resolved at the earliest.'

'I am glad you understand that.' She winked at me, leading me towards a massive- sized mountain of clothes that lay unattended, the intention for me to select the best of the lot evident in her eyes.

Phew!

This was going to be a task.

'I feel so good now.' Ali sighed in sheer relief, our hands filled with shopping bags, as we generously and carelessly dumped them in the backseat of my car, mighty proud of ourselves for all the heavy shopping that we had accomplished in the past few hours.

I may not have been an all-out devotee of the charms of shopping like Ali was, but it was therapeutic. And I had to admit that.

I could not even recollect what I had been so worried about before coming here.

It simply did not matter.

I was that content and absolutely blissful at the moment!

It was almost magical how much difference finding pretty boots could make in a person's life!

Shallow, definitely. But magical, indeed!

'Oh. Crap.' Ali frowned, about to open the car door, a crease forming over my forehead almost instantly on observing her strange reaction.

'What's wrong?' I demanded, staring at her in impatience and caution, the shock on her face overly worrisome.

'Our tires have been slashed.'

'What?' I gave her a blank look, unable to comprehend her spoken words. 'Our tires have been slashed?' I repeated in disbelief.

No.

This could not be true.

Who…why would anyone do that to us?

It was incomprehensible…

'Come. Take a look for yourself.' She proposed, an offer I was definitely taking her up on, as I confirmed and re-confirmed with my own damn eyes that she had not been mistaken.

Our tires had indeed been slashed.

Correction.

Someone had purposefully slashed our tires.

'Who?' I muttered in confusion. 'What could anyone even have against us? Why?'

I was drawing blanks here.

It just made no sense whatsoever.

She let out a sigh, shaking her head briefly. 'It may not be anything personal, probably? Maybe, we were just, I don't know, collateral damage? The culprit may not have meant to slash our tires in particular? Got confused or something?'

'Ali.' I let out an audible scoff. 'You can't really believe that piece of garbage? We are in a busy parking lot of a reputed mall. I am pretty sure my car is not collateral damage! Or some innocent mistake!'

My car!

Who could do this to us?

And why?

She let out a sigh, her tone partly frustrated. 'You think I don't understand the repercussions of this? Believe me, I do! But, what do you even expect me to do now? It is not like I have faced such a situation before in life.'

'I don't know.' I wailed out in annoyance. 'I have not a fucking clue of where to go from here.'

This was definitely not your everyday problem!

'We should call the cops.'

What?

Are you serious?

'Of course, I am.' She answered my unasked question. 'Bella, this is serious. First, we are followed, and then our tires are slashed. We cannot ignore this. It is a big deal! Both these events could be connected!'

I stared at her for what seemed to be an eternity, hearing my terrifyingly fast heartbeat clearly in my head, finally nodding my head in agreement. 'I guess…you are right. We need to get this reported.'

Someone was out to get us…but the question remained, why?

'Yes.' Ali rubbed her hands over her tired eyes. 'I am going to go check if they have CCTVs installed in the parking lot. If they do, we have hit the lottery.'

I nodded my head in response, truly incapable of thinking anything rational at the moment. I just stood there, waiting, as she went around the lot trying to find the concerned authorities.

I knew that I should have probably called my parents.

They deserved to know of this obviously stress-worthy development. But they did not need the worry or the fear that was bound to come with such tense news.

I was an adult.

I could deal with this.

I would manage to get us out of this…

'Hey…you okay?'

I looked up on a sudden, James standing in front of me, a small shopping bag in his left hand, as he waited for me to respond.

'You look… scared.' He stated a few seconds of wait later, his eyes wide. 'What's wrong?'

I shook my head, no voice daring to come out, pointing towards the damn slashed tires in question.

'Oh. Shit. This is… unexpected.' He commented, continuing to stare at the victim in the situation, horror evident in his eyes.

That's right.

It was unexpected indeed!