Chapter 71
I know that is not Damien.
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The thought hit me like a slap. My stomach dropped so hard it made me feel sick. I kept walking fast toward the shop, but my legs felt shaky. He was right behind me. I could hear his footsteps getting closer. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt. I wrapped my arms around myself for half a second like that could calm me down, then forced my feet to keep moving.
I glanced over my shoulder. He was smiling. The same smile Damien never really gave me. Too easy. Too fake. It made my skin crawl. My fingers twitched at my sides and I looked away fast, picking up my pace before he could see the panic all over my face.
I started running.
“Hey!” he called out. “Sienna, wait!”
I didn’t stop. I ran faster, shoes slapping the sidewalk. “Leave me alone!” My breath came out rough and uneven, and I nearly lost my balance when I hit the edge of the curb.
People on the street turned to look. I didn’t care. I cut across the road, dodging a car that honked loud. My breath came out in short gasps. My hand flew to my chest for one second before I pushed harder, hair sticking to the side of my face.
“Sienna, stop running!” he yelled. “It’s me! It’s Damien!”
“You’re not him!” I screamed back, voice cracking. “You’re not him!” My throat burned when I yelled it, but I
did not slow down.
I ducked into a narrow alley between two buildings. My shoulder scraped the brick wall. I kept going, feet pounding. He was still behind me. Closer now. I could hear the sound of his shoes hitting the ground, steady and calm in a way that made everything worse.
“Why are you doing this?” I shouted, not looking back. “Who are you?” I threw the words over my shoulder and almost tripped over a cracked patch of pavement.
He didn’t answer. Just kept running after me.
I burst out the other side of the alley into a busy street. People everywhere. I pushed through a group of tourists, muttering sorry under my breath. My lungs burned. I looked back. He was still there, shoving people aside, eyes locked on me. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely keep them open.
I ran harder. “Help! Someone help me!” I waved one arm as I ran, but the words got swallowed up by the street noise.
No one stopped. They just stared.
I saw a bar on the corner. Bright lights, open door. I sprinted toward it and shoved inside. The place was loud, music playing, people talking. I weaved through the crowd, heart slamming against my ribs. The smell of beer and fried food hit me all at once, and for a second I nearly slipped on the sticky floor.
11:44 Thu, May 21 ♫
Chapter 71
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A man near the bar turned when he saw my face. “Hey, you okay?” he asked, hand lifting like he wanted to help.
I grabbed the edge of the counter to steady myself. “Can I use your phone? Please, someone’s following me.” My voice came out thin and breathless.
The bartender, a woman with dark curls piled on top of her head, leaned forward with a deep frown. “Who’s following you?” she asked.
I looked toward the door, chest heaving. “A man. He looks like someone I know, but he’s not. He’s not.” My words sounded crazy the second they left my mouth, and I raked my fingers through my hair with a shaking hand.
The man by the bar glanced toward the entrance. “Do you want us to call the police?”
“Yes,” I said fast. “Please. Right now.” I reached into my pocket at the same time. “I have my phone, I just, I can do it.”
A woman in a red jacket at the end of the bar stood up halfway, clutching her bag to her side. “Do you know him?” she asked, eyes wide.
“No,” I lied instantly, then shook my head so hard it made me dizzy. “I mean, he looks like someone I know, but he isn’t. Please, just don’t let him take me.” I could hear how frantic I sounded, and it only made me more
scared.
The bartender came around from behind the counter and put herself a little in front of me. “You need to leave if she doesn’t want you here,” she called toward the door, voice sharp now.
A couple near the pool table turned to look. One of the men set his drink down and straightened, like he was deciding whether to step in. I backed up until my hips hit the bar, fingers clutching my phone so tight they hurt. My knees felt weak, but I kept my eyes on the entrance, waiting for him to appear.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket with shaking hands. My fingers fumbled on the screen. I dialed 911.
“Come on, come on,” I whispered, pressing the phone to my ear. My whole arm was trembling so hard I had to brace my elbow against the bar.
The line rang once.
The bartender pointed toward the back. “Stay behind the counter if you need to,” she said quickly, already reaching for something under the register.
A hand grabbed my wrist hard. The phone was ripped out of my hand.
I screamed.
The bartender shouted, “Hey!” and the man beside me shoved his stool back hard, but it was already happening too fast. The crowd jumped, music still blasting like nothing was wrong, glasses clinking while my whole body locked up in panic.
He spun me around. It was him, but it wasn’t. His face changed right in front of me. The features melted and
11:44 Thu, May 21 ♫
Chapter 71
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shifted, bones cracking softly. The man standing there now had different eyes, different jaw, completely different face. I stared at him, frozen, one hand half lifted between us
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11:44 Thu, May 21
