“You sure have some balls to call me.”

“Yeah, well I need a favor and you owe me one.”

“Dammit. Fine, but after this we are squared. Where and when?”

“I live in San Diego now.”

I knew he wouldn’t like it because last time I knew—mind you it had been years since we last spoke—he was living in Boston; well across the nation and far from me.

There was a sigh on the other end.

“I’ll be there as soon as possible. I’ll text you once I land and we’ll meet at South Pier.”

With that the line went dead. Without a doubt he ditched the phone which meant calling back would be useless. I sighed then shoved my phone into my pocket before returning back to Lucky’s. My “cigarette” break was over.

I forced a smile and walked back into Lucky’s—all the while checking over my shoulder to make sure no one was there.

---

“Everything fine babe?” Tony asked while wrapping his arms around my waist from behind.

No, it’s not. I wanted to say, but instead forced a smile.

“Everything’s fine.” I said brightly.

Tony turned me around and studied my face for a few moments before accepting my believable lie.

I had just finished my shift at Lucky’s and took a quick shower, rinsing away tonight’s sweat and alcohol from my skin. My shift held a lot of clumsy, drunk people who fumbled with their drinks and spilled over the bar top. Pair that with the grabby customers that crowd the bar, so yeah, taking a shower is well over justifiable.

“Wanna watch a movie?” He asked while kissing the tip of my nose.

I giggled. “I thought you wanted to be adventurous and dangerous.” I teased while jabbing him in his ribs.

I couldn’t help but recall our conversation earlier that week; the day Mike and Tony had installed the security system to our house.

“Adventure and danger linger in every corner of a cinematic experience.” Tony replied with a wide smile.

He resembled a child just then; sweet brown eyes and gleaming white teeth. It was one of the many qualities I loved about him.

I let out a laugh before hopping into bed. Tony followed me while putting on his movie of choice—Star Wars, of course. In the months that encompassed our relationship I think we’ve watched Star Wars well into the double digits—which makes me wonder just how many times Tony watched this movie prior to our relationship.

I barely watched as recollections of the past few days ran through my head. Not long after Tony and Mike had installed the security system in our house did I start receiving anonymous—or rather a not-so-anonymous—text messages from an unknown number. They were slandering my name and provoking me, fueling my rage towards Laurel. She sent me threat after threat while causing me to look over my shoulder just to assure she wasn’t behind me. I felt paranoid and on edge—all the while faking my sanity around Tony just to comfort him that everything was fine. Laurel gave me quite a scare when she said she cut the brake lines to my newly fixed car—via text message of course. I checked the car just to make sure, but everything was fine. Since then I took extra precautions and checked my car just to be sure there wasn’t anything wrong with it. So far, everything was fine. But I knew it was a matter of time that Laurel will soon grow bored with these mind tricks and move onto actual damage.

All of this cat and mouse antics got me desperate, desperate enough to contact someone from my past; someone I thought I wouldn’t have to speak to again. I called an old friend of mines. He went by the name of Zeke, but just like me his identity was never an honest one. When I first met Zeke, I was fifteen and new to the street life. He was just a year older than me and taught me the ropes of hustling. Back then I was known as Elizabeth Crane. Zeke helped me find stability when my world was nothing but a mess of regrets. He made me tough and cunning; able to live on my own without falling on my face. He was the closest thing to a friend I ever had.

However like most people I ever got close to, Zeke and I ended on somewhat bad terms. We were running a scam on a few tourists back in New York. He messed up, blowing our entire plan into pieces. The cops were called and they almost caught him, but I intervened just in time to save his ass. We were both upset with each other and both terribly stubborn to own up to our errors. From there we parted ways, no longer friends but neither enemies—just estranged acquaintances.

Why did I contact Zeke? Well, other than being a great mentor he was also a whiz with tracking down phones. He’s a hacker and a helluva good one at that. He was the one that taught me how to make fake ID’s to the point where it was flawless enough to fool authorities and not just the run-of-the-mill bouncers at local bars and clubs.

I was hesitant in contacting Zeke, unsure if hearing from me would be best. But this Laurel thing needed to stop. I knew Zeke had the know-how on how to break into the unknown number texting me. If I had substantial proof on who was behind these text messages then I could build a case against Laurel and maybe put a restraining order on her. It was a slim shot of hope that I was willing to down.

I knew I promised Tony that I’d tell him when I felt unsafe or bothered, but I was stubborn. This was something I needed to face alone. Laurel had a problem with me and only me, dragging Tony into this mess—even if he’s already in the middle of it—will only upset him more than he needs to be.

Tony rested soundly as my head laid against his chest. I could hear his steady heartbeat beneath my ears. I couldn’t help the grin that pulled at my lips. I loved him dearly, and I was willing to do whatever it took to keep him safe. I quickly craned my neck towards his face and softly kissed his lips.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.” I mumbled softly before nestling closer to his embrace and falling asleep.

---

The night coated the sky with an eruption of stars and a missing moon. It was darker than usual, making my surroundings hard to see. I got the text from Zeke just fifteen minutes ago. I knew it roughly took a half an hour to get from the airport to the pier, but I wanted to be first. I was anxious to find proof that Laurel is in fact crazy and not recovered from her stay in that damn mental institution. Lucky thinks I’m home sick and Tony thinks I’m working. It was a thin lie; guaranteed to crumble if either one questioned it, but telling the truth was off limits. Tony had to remain oblivious, and well as for Lucky I just needed a reason to not be at work right now.

I took a seat on a nearby bench and checked my phone. There were two unread messages; one from the unknown number, and the other from Tony. I ignored Laurel’s text and read Tony’s.

From: That Guy I Call A Boyfriend, Tony <3

Hey babe. Me and the guys are gonna stop by tonight. See you when I get there ;)

I gulped aloud while trying to keep my face cool. I couldn’t freak out just because my lies were about to crash and burn on top of me. Just as I was about to text Tony back, I heard light footsteps approaching me cautiously. I looked up to find a tall man walking towards me. The faint lighting illuminated that he was pale, wearing a well-worn black hoodie with a black snapback on his head. He had white blonde hair and a few facial piercings located on his nose and eyebrow.

“Hey Zeke.” I greeted hesitantly.

Zeke continued to walk towards me and sat next to me, leaving some space in between us so our legs weren’t touching.

“It’s been a while Effie.” Zeke said, calling me by my real name.

I wasn’t surprised that he knew my true identity, but rather marveled at the fact he sounded genuine about it. I nodded, unsure what to say.

“What do you need help with?” Zeke breathed while still staring straight ahead.

I handed him my phone before saying “There’s someone texting me from an unknown number. I want to track the asshole and put a restraining order on her ass.”

“Her?” Zeke asked while cocking his eyebrow.

“I have a strong feeling I know who it is, but I just need proof to take it to court.” I admitted reluctantly.

“The Effie I knew back in New York would have just beat her up until she could no longer speak.” Zeke scoffed with amusement.

“Yeah well the Effie right now has the authorities breathing down her neck to make sure she doesn’t slip up.” I remarked.

Zeke chuckled then took my phone into his hands. He examined the thing, unlocking the screen and scrolling through the thread of messages under the unknown number.

“You have a boyfriend?” He asked skeptically.

“Yeah.” I mumbled back.

“So this explains why you didn’t run off to another place.” Zeke commented.

I took some offense to his words—even if it was true.

“Explains what?” I countered.

“Don’t act like you haven’t noticed. Effie, you’re a rolling stone. You never stay in one place long enough to actually know people. How this guy did it is beyond me, but it explains why you’re actually putting up with the fuzz.” Zeke explained then pocketed my phone.

“What are you doing?” I asked after swallowing the load of clarification Zeke put upon me.

“I’m fast but no miracle worker. It’ll take most of the night for me to find out who’s behind these messages.” Zeke answered.

There wasn’t much on my phone, and nothing excruciatingly embarrassing, but the idea of Zeke having something personal of mines made me feel anxious.

“Don’t worry Eff, I won’t snoop around in it. I just need to work through the night.” He said through a yawn.

I nodded in agreement and got up, walking in the direction of where I parked my car.

“How will you get it back to me?” I asked while turning around.

“I’ll leave it at your workplace.” Zeke replied.

“But I never mentioned where I worked.” I stated with a confused expression.

“I’m a hacker. It’s not hard to find out.” Zeke said. With that he got up and walked in the opposite direction.

I continued down the boardwalk. Pulling out the keys to my car, I glanced around to make sure I wasn’t being followed. I hopped into my car and quickly shut the door close, locking the doors before proceeding to drive home.

I got home at an indecent hour since I decided to drive around the city to calm my nerves. The sun was beginning to rise, cresting over the horizon just slightly. I walked into our home, punching in the four digit code and found Tony sitting on one of the leather couches. He was bouncing his right leg with anticipation before looking at me.

Fuck! I forgot to tell him that I wasn’t at work. I thought to myself while proceeding towards him with caution.

“Where were you all night, and please don’t lie to me.” Tony asked in a hurt tone.

He looked worried, something that I was trying to avoid; hence all the secrecy. I controlled my breathing, knowing that there was nothing to do other than tell him the truth.

“I was meeting up with a friend.” I replied truthfully.

Jealousy and anger flickered through Tony’s brown eyes at once. “A friend?” He questioned.
I knew how bad it sounded, and considering how late—or rather early—I walked in made things seems worse.

“I thought you were at work, but when I got there Lucky sent his condolences on how you were feeling sick.I thought were past lying to each other.” Tony said in a stern tone. I could see his jaw tighten just enough to see it grow taut.

“I’ve been getting random, unknown text messages and sought help from a friend who could trace it back to the sender. I met up with him tonight.” I explained.

Tony’s eyes softened just for a fraction before turning hard again. “You promised you would tell me if anything was bothering you. Anything!” He emphasized while raising his voice.

“I know, I know but—“ I began but got cut off.

“Save it. I’m heading over to Mike’s for a while.” Tony remarked suddenly and rose to his feet. He grabbed his hoodie from the arm of the chair and walked past me.

I gripped his arm and whipped him around. “So you’re not gonna let me explain?” I pleaded.

Tony sighed. His eyes looked tired. “Effie, you promised me to be honest and then this happens. I just need time.” He said through another sigh.

“Time for what?” I pressed while feeling a few tear pricking my eyes.

“Time to think.” Tony replied and with that he walked out the door.

It wasn’t until I heard his car engine turn over that I began crying, dropping to the floor and wrapping my arms around my body.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! I thought frantically.

Notes

Well this took a somewhat sad turn. Sorry guys.

Thanks for reading and leave some comments for @lostinthemusic and I to smile at. (:

All of you guys who support this story and encourage us to keep writing are truly awesome and deserve a fresh slice of pizza!! Love you all :D

Oh, and for my story "The World Is Ugly" I haven't been getting a lot of feedback on it so I just might delete it altogether.

Thanks. x -Shey