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“Not a good idea? Hunter’s built like a brick house, and he has lots of big scary guns. One look at him and Jay will shit his pants.”
“I think it’s because Jay saw me hanging around with Hunter that he’s gone nuts,” I say. “I need some other plan.”
“OK, fuck. Fine,” Sophie says. She goes quiet for a second, the only sound on the line her agitated breathing. “I’m going to hang up for a second and call Harper. She’s off tonight and she’s been sleeping with the guy who bounces at her bar.”
“Oh, she has? Good for her. I’d been worried she’s been lonely lately.”
“It’s just sex, Em, and it’s not important right now. Well, it kind of is. She usually has him over at her place because she told me he keeps his apartment exactly like a single guy in his twenties, which he is. Head to her place. I’ll call her and give her and her bouncer boy-toy a heads up, and then I’ll head over there, too. The four of us can confront Jay and tell him to back the fuck off.”
“Thanks, Soph,” I say, my gratitude coming out as a gasp when Jay swerves his car and narrowly misses my back end. Is he trying to do some police maneuver to stop me? “I’ll meet you there.”
“Stay safe, Em.”
“I’ll try.”
“Oh, and one more thing: drive faster than the fucking speed limit.”
I flinch. I’ve already run a red light so far tonight, but if there’s anything that calls for breaking traffic laws, saving yourself from your psychotic stalker ex is it. “I’ll do my best.”
“Don’t just do your best. Do it. I don’t want to lose you as a friend. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
She hangs up, I white-knuckle my steering wheel, and slam my foot on the gas.
The engine roars as I tear down the road, the speedometer needle creeping higher. Trees and streetlights blur past in my peripheral vision, but my focus is split between the road ahead and the rearview mirror. Jay’s headlights are still there, unwavering and menacing.
My phone buzzes in my lap. I glance down — it's a message from Sophie: "Harper's on board. Drive safe. We're waiting for you."
I make a sharp turn onto Harper’s street, tires screeching like harbingers of disaster. The familiar single-story craftsman house looms ahead, its porch light a beacon of hope. I spot Harper at the door, her bouncer friend standing beside her like a silent sentinel. He’s a little rough looking, but cute enough. Good for her, I hope he makes her happy.
Jay’s car screeches around the corner behind me, closing the gap faster than I’d hoped. Harper and her friend spring into action, rushing towards the driveway to meet me.
Just then, I feel a jolt — Jay’s car rams into my bumper again, forcing me to swerve uncontrollably. My car skids to a halt on the curb in front of Harper’s house. Before I can even unbuckle my seatbelt, Jay is out of his car and storming towards me, wild-eyed and unhinged.
“Em!” Harper yells, racing down the driveway.
Another car comes screaming down the road, horn blaring, lights flashing. Between the bright glare of the headlights, I make out Sophie’s car. It screeches to a stop next to mine, just as Jay hammers on my driver’s side door.
“Emily, open this door right fucking now,” he screams, his fists smacking into my window. There’s foam at the corner of his mouth as he hammers my window with one hand and yanks on the door handle with the other.
“You get the fuck away from her, you piece of shit,” Sophie screams as she jumps out of her car. There’s a long metal pipe in her hand and she swings it through the air like she wants nothing more than to see Jay’s blood all over it. I love her.
“Stay out of this, bitch,” Jay yells.
“You stay out. She gets to live her own life. You’re not a part of it anymore,” Sophie screams, swinging the metal pipe in wide arcs.
Harper and her not-boyfriend come running up. Harper screams. “I want you out of here, you asshole. Leave my friend alone.”
The not-boyfriend approaches Jay, arms wide, and reaches out to put a hand on him. “Hey, buddy, why don’t you cool it down a bit and we can talk this out?”
Jay takes a swing, and his fist hits the not-boyfriend right in the jaw.
The bouncer staggers back, his head snapping to the side, but he stays on his feet. "Wrong move," he growls, spitting blood from his lip. He shakes off the blow and steps forward again, fists raised in a boxer’s stance.
Harper and Sophie close in behind him, their anger palpable. The metal pipe in Sophie’s hand gleams menacingly under the streetlights. She takes a step closer, her eyes fixed on Jay with a fierce determination I’ve never seen before.
Jay hesitates for a moment, taken aback by the sheer force of our shared defiance. But then his deranged resolve returns, and he lunges at the bouncer, aiming another wild punch. This time, the bouncer is ready. He ducks under the swing and counters with a powerful hook that connects perfectly with Jay’s ribcage.
