Chapter 16
Zoe, her friend since high school, was waiting for her on the front porch of her small house. She smiled widely in welcome as Colette stepped out of her tax) with her cases. “Colette, you made it!” Zoe exclaimed, rushing forward to help with the luggage. They carried Colette’s things inside and settled her into the spare bedroom of Zoe’s apartment. “Thank you for helping me out, Zoe. You don’t know how thankful I am for your help! I didn’t know where I would have
gone if you hadn’t-”
But Zoe quickly shook her head. “Cole, you are hell–bent on embarrassing me, aren’t you?” She smiled, and Colette shook her head. “Then don’t say stuff like that, okay? I had been looking for a roommate anyway, and what could be better than getting my best friend back to live with me?” They looked at each other tenderly before Zoe turned around, groaning. “God! You are hell–bent on making me cry and ruining my makeup,” she muttered with a curse. Colette laughed, and soon Zoe joined in too.
“Now, go get freshened up and we can go out for lunch. You can tell me all about your bastard of a husband,” Zoe said. When Colette made to say no, Zoe was ready. “I took leave from my office so that we could spend the day together. Come on, Cole!” she begged. Colette gave up, knowing that if anyone could play on someone’s emotions like a pro, it was Zoe. Colette didn’t want to go anywhere. After the way she had spent the last 24 hours, the things that had happened to her, she just wanted to curl up on the bed with her head under the pillow and never come out. But as always, Zoe got what she wanted, and right now she wanted an outing. So, Colette gave up the idea of getting into bed and spending her time swimming in a sea of melancholy and self–pity.
“Why are we here?” Colette asked, as they stopped in front of a bank. They had had lunch in a pub near the harbor and were on their way back to the car park, or so Colette had believed. But Zoe had suddenly changed her path, and now they were both standing in front of a bank with a big glass revolving dooz. Zoe was standing near the large shrub–like plant at the entrance, hiding her head as she peered inside through the glass and into the interior of the bank. “What the hell are you doing?” Colette asked, bewildered by Zoe’s behavior.
“Do you see that man in the blue shirt?” Zoe asked, focusing intently inside. “The one with the black tie, dark hair, and a giant pouty lower lip?” Colette nodded, spotting the man. “What about him?”
“My ex–boyfriend!” Zoe muttered the words like a vicious curse, and Colette sighed despondently. Zoe was the worst kind of stalker one could get. In general, crazy people stalked those they were obsessed with, but Zoe got obsessed with revenge.
“You talk too much, Zoe! We are going way too fast, Zoe! I don’t like your haircut, Zoe! I’m sorry, Zoe, I’m in love with someone else, Zoe, we need to break up, Zoe!” Zoe mimicked cruelly, her lips turned down in a fake man’s voice. “In love with someone else, my foot!” She cursed as she watched the man get up from his chair and move towards a woman in a black skirt on the other side.
“Zoe,” Colette sighed tiredly. “What are you going to gain by standing here watching him like this?” She deliberately avoided using the word “stalk,” knowing Zoe was still sensitive about being accused of stalking a boy in high school. “Revenge,” Zoe muttered. Suddenly, she procured two pouches from her purse and tried to hand them over to Colette. But Colette knew better than to take something like that from her. She had learned her lesson years ago.
“What’s in this?” Colette asked first.
“Meth!” Zoe replied as if it were nothing more than salt. “Gotta plant it in his desk and his ‘I’m in love with someone else’s‘ desk. Then they can spend their love–filled years in jail together.”
“Zoe! Are you out of your fucking mind?” Colette shouted, then quickly lowered her voice. “You can’t do that, Zoe! That’s illegal! If you get caught, you will be the one in jail!” she whispered urgently to the crazy woman still lurking behind the potted plants. “Zoe! You do realize there are probably numerous CCTVs watching us right now? And then there’s the guard standing at the entrance. Do you think he will let you enter with that pouch of meth in your hand like that? And even if you do sneak in somehow, there will probably be a hundred CCTVs inside watching you! It’s a bank, you fool. The security is the tightest here.”
Zoe looked deep in thought as she processed everything Colette had just said. Then she nodded. “You are right!” Colette sighed in relief, but it was short- lived. ‘I will need a disguise. Maybe a fake mustache and a long overcoat to hide the meth in its seams.”
Colette wanted to bang her head against the nearest wall. “At least let’s leave now. We can talk about this at home.” Zoe agreed reluctantly, and to. Colette’s
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4:41 pm P
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Chapter 16
utter relief, they went home.
As they walked back to the car, Colette kept glancing nervously over her shoulder, half–expecting to see security personnel running after them. Zow, yo
can’t keep doing stuff like this. It’s dangerous and illegal,‘ she said, trying to inject some sense into her friend.
1
“Yeah, yeah,” Zoe replied dismissively, waving her hand. ‘I know it was a bad idea. I’ll come up with something better.”
Colette shook her head, exasperated but relieved that the immediate crisis was averted. They reached the car, and as Zoe drove them back home, Colette fel a sense of weariness wash over her. Zoe was her best friend, but her antics were exhausting.
It was barely five o’clock in the evening when the doorbell of Zoe’s flat started ringing off the hook, almost as if someone had stuck their finger on the button permanently. The shrill, incessant sound pierced the relative calm of the apartment. Then, whoever it was started banging on the door, each thud echoing through the small space. Zoe muttered something very colorful about the unexpected visitor and went to open the door. Colette already knew who it was. Matt had found her. Her heart pounded as she twisted her body away, ready to flee as soon as she heard his footsteps.
“Hello, Mr. Angelis,” Zoe greeted with forced politeness. The moment Colette heard Matt’s voice, she bolted for her bedroom and locked the door behind her,
her hands shaking.
“I am here to take my wife home,” Matt told Zoe rudely. He had never liked Zoe; to him, she was as crazy as they come.
Zoe stood her ground, arms crossed over her chest. “Colette, do you want to go home?” she shouted towards the locked bedroom door.
“NO!” Colette shouted back with all the force she could muster, hoping it would convince Matt to leave her alone. Her voice trembled but was resolute, filled with desperation and defiance.
“There you go, Mr. Angelis. Goodbye, Mr. Angelis.” Zoe spoke sweetly, about to close the door on Matt’s face.
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Collette needs to start fresh.
7 days ago
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
