“I’m going to Granny’s,” I answered. “I’ll have to take the bus.”

“That’s a long ways away, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, if your schedule changes up, I’m more than happy to drop you off. I’ll be going up that way again more regularly now. I’ve gotten back together with Dan.”

I faked a surprised face because their on and off relationship no longer shocked any of us.

“Yeah, I know, right?” She smiled brightly, turning a light pink in the face. Her fake red hair reminded me of the redheaded woman from the other night, and a flash of panic zipped down my spine. “He’s been begging for another chance and I admit I’m missing him too.”

She talked about it for a good five minutes before Blythe finally made her return. I headed into the kitchen where Pat the cook had left me a freshly baked blueberry muffin on one of the tables.

“Thanks, Pat,” I said with a grateful smile. I was starving.

Pat returned with a sheepish grin. “Of course, Emma. Anything for you. Just, uh, let me know if Blythe wants anything too, okay?”

I nodded, fighting the urge to roll my eyes at him. Yet another man crumbling for Blythe. Not a surprise since the girl had men wrapped around her little finger at the drop of a hat.

I took a seat on the chair that was against the opened back door. Tessa usually sat here to smoke her cigarettes and Blythe sat here to make her phone calls. I, on the other hand, sat here to enjoy my muffin and get away from the noise for a good fifteen minutes.

There was nothing to look at except for the view of the next door’s clothing shop wall where some graffiti had been freshly scribbled on. I noticed a caption that hadn’t been there before, written in terrible penmanship, that said, “Only dead fish swim with the stream.”

Pretty bloody deep, random dude!

My flushed skin welcomed the autumn air. I leaned back and picked out the blueberries from my muffin, munching on them hungrily whilst daydreaming about Granny’s yummy sausage rolls. It would be nice to have a good meal. It’d been three days since I last had a full stomach. Didn’t help I couldn’t keep anything big down from the fear of what had happened. And still – STIILLL – that dream plagued me. I wondered why my mind jumped straight to Borden like that. Didn’t help the man looked the way he did. Call it sick curiosity, or the fact I’d always admired his appearance through the papers and was baffled that he actually looked better in the flesh, but there was something about him… Some kind of strange perverse pull to figure him out and get to the bottom of the truth surrounding the rumours. It was stuff made for fantasies, the mystery blaring in your face and yet remaining so unattainable.

Like everyone else, I would never figure it out.

Suddenly a hand settled on my shoulder. I nearly jumped and looked up, only to find a bewildered Blythe.

“Emma, hey,” she said hesitantly.

“What’s up?”

“Someone’s asking for you.”

“Who?”

Blythe looked very uneasy. “It’s…that Borden guy. You know, the Borden. Everyone’s pretty shaken up right now.”

I froze, wide eyed and freaked the hell out.

“The place is like a tomb. You can freaking hear a pin drop. I tried to serve him, only he said he wanted you and that he would wait for you, but that I should let you know right away.” Blythe looked confused. “I didn’t know you knew him! I mean, that’s crazy. You should have freaking told me! What’s he like? He had on this scary ass look–”

“Shit,” I cursed.

I stood up and shoved the muffin into her hands, wiping mine against my uniform, wondering why on earth this man was here asking for me. I mean, sure my mind was all over him like white on rice, but I didn’t want to actually see him again. Unless I wanted to die, and yeah, I was probably going to die. Fucking fuck.

He doesn’t believe you. He knows you heard something. You’re done for.

“I can tell him you’re not here, Emma,” Blythe said from behind me, catching on to my uneasiness. “Do you owe him some money or something? Should I call the police? Those guys are dangerous. He’s dangerous.”

“No. It’s fine. I’ll deal with it. It’s fine. I’m fine… It’s…” I stopped talking and tried to calm down.

“What’s going on?” she suddenly demanded, taking hold of my arm. Her voice turned serious as she said, “Please tell me you didn’t fuck something up. Please. You have to tell me, Emma. You have to trust me.”

“It’s fine,” I repeated, pulling away from her grip.

“It doesn’t look fine. I’m going to get Denny out –”

“No! Don’t start any problems, Blythe! I’ve got this under control, and besides, what the hell is Denny going to do? He’d shit himself if he knew Borden was here.”

She frowned at me, suspicion in her eyes. “Well, what the hell have you done, Emma?”

“Nothing bad.”

“Nothing good either by the looks of it. What’s happening? You look like you’re about to go to your funeral, and with someone like Borden waiting out there, I’m inclined to think that’s actually a possibility.”

I stiffened at her glare and shrugged. “Honestly, Blythe, the less you know the better.”

Her face fell. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I left her like that in all her confusion. I didn’t want to keep Borden waiting. I walked back in and took small steps forward, waiting for the sight of him to come into view. As I walked out of the kitchen, I grabbed my notepad and pen out of reflex, like maybe in some candy land alternate universe he was here to just order something, like a coffee or a sandwich or a milkshake or… Fuck, no alternate universe would let that happen.

I found him seated alone in one of the booths against the entrance window. He was casually positioned, wearing dark jeans and a black long sleeved shirt that emphasized his broadness. Borden was fucking huge.

He was looking out the window, twirling a silver zippo lighter in his hands as I approached the table. I could feel the eyes of many others in the diner looking our way. As if sensing me – because he sure as hell couldn’t hear me by how quiet I was – he turned his gaze to me. He patiently waited for me to get closer. I stood a few feet away from him, unable to hide my shock. What the hell was he doing here? Hesitantly, I opened my mouth to say something, but he beat me to it.