Page 57 of The Lucky One
“One ordinary moment suddenly more than that. Comfort and peace, the special moment I seek.”
“Lovely, Lost, and Lucky, three roads I wandered down.”
“To stand here by the side of...”
We both paused and took a breath before speaking the same three words into the microphone.
“My lucky one.”
We stepped away from our microphones as the audience clapped and cheered, Jon smiling at me so brightly, it was more blinding than the spotlight.
“Well done, Little German,” he whispered, and we moved forward at the same time to fall into each other’s arms.
I was standing on a freaking stage.
Fight, Flight, Freeze
Kiki
Paul insisted on paying again. I argued to split the bill, but the way he grinned when I gave in was too endearing to resist. I headed outside to the Olive Garden parking lot while he paid, claiming I needed some fresh air—but the truth was, I needed a moment alone. Whatever was going on between us, it confused me in ways I didn’t see coming. I sighed, leaning against Paul’s Fiat and wrapping my arms around myself. The spring evening was surprisingly chilly.
Jon’s letter lingered in my mind. Despite my best efforts, a part of me was beginning to feel less resentment toward him.
There were moments when it felt like Jon and I were characters in a romance movie: the smart girl falling for the bad boy with a secret soft side. But in this story I was the only one who fell head over heels. The bad boy stayed bad until the credits rolled. The end...
But could it be the end if it felt this bad?
“Hello, pretty.”
A man all dressed in black emerged from the shadows. His face was shrouded in darkness, revealing only the reflection of piercings, bloodshot eyes, jagged scars on weathered skin. I knew I was in danger when he approached me.
I quickly looked around. The parking lot was empty except for me, the darkness broken only by a few streetlights. I reached into my bag and felt around. Behind a stick of deodorant was the object I was looking for—pepper spray.
“Leave me alone,” I said.
The man smirked, taking a provocative step closer. “Or what? You going to scratch my eyes out with your nails?” I shuddered as he grabbed my hand and ran his fingers over my neatly cut fingernails. “They don’t look like they would serve that purpose.”
I gritted my teeth. “Leave. Me. Alone!”
But the man came even closer, tightening his hold on my wrist.
I had once wondered how I would react if someone cornered me. Would I have the guts to fight or would I make a run for it? Now, cowering here with a stranger’s breath on my cheek, none of these options felt valid anymore. I was—simply—frozen—my hand uselessly clenched around the pepper spray.
“Do you know him?” The man kicked the tire of Paul’s car.
“I... who? P-Paul?”
“Yeah, Paul Shields. He took something from us. And now I’m here to take something from him.” He narrowed his eyes at me and my heart beat faster. I opened my mouth but no words came out.
“You’re his girl, aren’t you? Maybe I should just take you then.”
“Get away from her!”
Paul was miraculously there, grabbing the man by the shoulders and yanking him away. I gasped at the force of it. For an eighteen-year-old, he was strong.
The man gave a scary laugh. “How cute, the boy coming to rescue his little lady.”
A growl emerged from my throat. I wasn’t so helpless! With a swift, determined movement, I brandished the canister, poised for an attack—but Paul unleashed a barrage of fists on the man.