I’LL BE THERE IN FIVE. T x
After I had finished counting up, Ally and I cleaned the counters and mopped the floor.
“He’s certainly sticking round for closing time,” I whispered to Ally as my gaze kept raising nervously to where Kyle sat in the far corner, reading with his drink finished long ago.
“There’s always one,” Ally whispered back. “I’ll sort it.”
As I took the money to the staff room and locked it away for the night, Ally shooed Kyle outside and took his cup away. Even when she closed the door, he took a seat on the low wall opposite, waiting and reading his book.
“He’s just a little bit creepy, isn’t he?” Ally asked as we collected our bags from behind the counter.
“I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks so.”
“You okay still to lock up?”
“Yeah, of course,” I waved it off and held the keys in the air. It was broad daylight and Kyle was not that stupid. She smiled and hurried to the door.
“See you tomorrow, Ivy!” She quickly slipped through the door and down the path, casting one wary look at Kyle before she left.
I followed her out, feeling my certainty slide slightly as Kyle looked up from his book. I turned the lock in the door, keeping my eyes away from him.
“How you doing today, darling?” His voice made my skin crawl.
“I was better before I saw you.” I finished with the keys and walked away done the stone steps that led back to the main road. “This is creepy, Kyle, do me a favour and just go away.”
“I could make your day a whole lot better for you if you like?”
“I have someone else who can do that for me.” I kept my gaze away as I reached the bottom step, but his hand suddenly took my elbow and spun me back round to look at him. “Hey!”
“So you and Tye are a couple then?” he leaned over me as I tried to wriggle my arm out of his grasp. “Believe me, darling, I could make you reach heights Tye can only dream of.”
“For the fifteenth time, no thanks. Let go of me, Kyle,” I made to stamp on his foot again, but I wasn’t wearing a heeled shoe, and he was prepared for this attack as I’d done it before. He moved his foot to the side – as I tried to use the distraction to walk away, he only grabbed tighter to my elbow and pulled me towards him until I collided with his chest. “Do you not understand English?”
“I have to say, your occasional fancy for violence intrigues me. Well, it’s certainly something we can explore.”
Errgh!!
“Fuck no!” I yelled at him, feeling that same wave of nausea envelop me again. I kept trying to squirm as he took hold of my other elbow as well. I didn’t think it would escalate like this. “Let me go Kyle. If you don’t, I will scream. People will come running.”
“I’m not doing anything. Just holding you.”
“And I said I didn’t want you to. You sick freak,” I aimed a hard jab with my knee between his legs – it was well timed and took him by surprise. He capitulated, releasing me and allowing me to stumble back.
I turned to run, but Tye was a few steps in front having just appeared from the closest path – his face showed he had just seen my manoeuvre.
“What did he do?” He tore forward, ready to probably beat the stuffing out of Kyle when I stepped in front, interceding his path with my hands on his chest.
“Tye – calm down,” my words were sharp and firm. I didn’t want him to get in a fist fight about this.
“That bastard. If he touched you –”
“I think I got him,” I pointed back at Kyle who was crumpled on his knees on the floor, nursing his groin, with his face tightened in pain.
“You little bitch,” Kyle’s voice was soft and seething.
“That’s it.” Tye was moving around me before I could stop him and delivered one solid punch to Kyle’s face.
“Tye!” I yelped, pulling him back, but he had already stopped, having achieved his aim.
“Stay away from Ivy, or it will be more than just a broken nose.”
“Tye – enough,” I linked our hands together and pulled him away down the hill.
Tye still hadn’t calmed down a couple of hours later as we stood in his lounge. Well, I was stood, he was pacing. Savannah was listening to the story sat on the settee while Sam was cooking dinner for the four of us in the kitchen.
“Tye, could you try and breathe a little? You’re red like a tomato,” I begged yet again, pleading with him to stop pacing.
“What was he going to do, Ivy? I think you need to start taking this guy seriously and stop waving it off.”
“I’m not waving it off, I’m just reading the situation.”
“No you’re not. He didn’t care if anyone saw him today. He had his hands on you in broad daylight on a busy campus.” He was still fidgeting and squirming as he walked to and fro.
“That is exactly why I was safe. It was broad daylight.” I paused as Tye’s face grew angrier. “I’m only making it worse, aren’t I?”
“Little bit.”
“Hang on a second, Tye.” Savannah held up her arms to get his attention. “You’re not listening properly to Ivy. What she’s saying is you’re right – broad daylight, busy campus.
