Chapter 4: In Which They Know Names

Ashton was sitting in his truck parked a little ways away from the cozy looking yellow house, feeling every bit of stalker he was being, all he was missing was a creepy mustache and binoculars. He was parked in front of Sora's house, keeping an eye out for her in case she decided to do something stupid like informing the authorities which would get both of them in trouble. He couldn't take any chances. At sharp 9AM Sora came out of her house and got into her car. She had decided to go down to the bookstore today to get her mind off things. Last night she cried herself to a nightmare filled sleep, the whole thing was very overwhelming in her peaceful life. She wouldn't be able to get over this soon enough. She had decided to be ignorant towards the whole thing and not go to the authorities with it for the sake of her and her grandmother's life, it did feel very wrong and unethical but it wasn't her fault, she just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and she felt obligated to inform the police but it was too much of a risk. That man had warned her enough of the consequences of going to the authorities. Even thinking about it made her eyes moist as she wiped away a traitorous tear that escaped with her sweater paw. She had to go on with her life. Sora had also been thinking about the man who if she comes to think about it basically saved her life by bringing her to his home and in all honesty he hadn't wronged her in any way but there was no mistaking that he was a criminal too even if he was just cleaning up after the crime scene, he was helping the murderers get away with their horrid actions. She revved the engine to power and pulled out of the drive way before heading towards her bookstore. Ashton too kicked in the engine and followed behind her at a safe distance as to not raise any suspicion. Ashton came back with a donut in his hand as he jogged back to his truck. It was such an uneventful boring task to stalk Sora. The girl had been in the bookstore since morning and it was 2 now while he had sat in his truck keeping a watchful gaze the whole time. To think he had to do it for a few more days made him groan but he couldn't leave it at chance when he had already taken such a big risk letting her leave just like that but he couldn't find it in himself to keep an innocent girl caged or killed for a mistake she made, it wasn't her fault that she walked in on a crime scene without knowing. She didn't deserve to die. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw her leaving the bookstore and walking down the street on foot, she wasn't taking her car. So he decided to do the same. Putting on his baseball cap in a cheap attempt to doghouse himself he followed her down the street from a safe distance. Sora was walking mindlessly, her brain in a turmoil think over the events of the day before again and again in a loop. Initially, she came out to get something to eat but now she just felt like walking to clear her mind but her mind was anything but clear. She had so many thoughts piling up and no one to share them with. In her state of absentmindedness she started to cross the street before looking both ways, it was only when she heard the loud bike engine was she aware of the motorcycle inching towards her at a fast pace every passing second as her eyes widened and she braced for impact. Suddenly she felt two arms wrapped around her torso, pulling her backwards with force as they fell backwards on the concrete. It took her a moment to gain her senses back from the near death experience as she looked beside her only to find the same guy, the crime scene cleaner guy fallen next to her holding his arm, his expression contorted in slight pain. Then realisation hit her, he just saved her. She quickly got up and dusted herself before trying to assist him up as well but it was of little to no use as he was a tall guy at six foot with a buff stature as compared to her twig self. He got up on his own and looked at her, his glare pinning her hard. "You should really look both ways before crossing the street, you could've died" he confronted. " I know I am sorry, my mind has been on the whole murder thing and I was distracted" she explained herself. His lips settled in a frown, it was understandable how much it was affecting the girl unlike him she wasn't used to the blood and gore so he didn't say anything. "B...b...but why are you here?" She asked confusedly. He scratched his neck awkwardly thinking of a way to explain it to her that what was he doing here, why was he stalking her. "Well... I am not gonna lie, I am following you but I needed to ensure that you wouldn't go to the police after all it's my neck on the line as well" he told her. "What! How did you know where I work?" She asked "I sewed a tracker chip on your jacket yesterday and you wore it to your house, I got the location to your house and from there I followed you here. Look I know it sounds absurd but my mind wouldn't be at ease it's for both our god that I did this you know cause you could make the sudden judgement and go to the police but I would stop you from doing that, reminding you how bad of an idea that would be" he tried to reason. Sora looked at him incredulously. "You put a tracker me!" She confronted. It was her turn to glare. "I did let you go yesterday didn't I? i could've just reported you and saved myself a lot of trouble but I didn't, doesn't that count for something" he said, trying to save his ass. There was a pregnant pause after that as Sora looked at him. He was right and he did just save her life, she should cut him some slack. "Fine, but from now on please just don't creepily hangout watching me like a stalker, just hangout with me as a friend, I could use the company, you're the only one who I can talk to about this murder stuff and it's weighing on my mind. What do you say?" She asks " I...I... I mean umm... fine" Ashton mumbled out. Ashton doesn't have friends and he sure as hell doesn't hang out with anyone but dead bodies so this was new. "Well... how long will you have to hang out with me then?" She asked, she felt relieved he said yes, it was way better than him stalking her. "Umm... about a month, till things blow over with the mafia family regarding that murder, the legal matters are settled within a month after that there is no tracing the crime scene back to them, but don't greet me wrong they will still kill a witness like you, they don't like hindrances" he explained. She nodded with a tired sigh. She was starting to like Ashton, she didn't know why but she felt a little comfortable around him, it was like he was on her side. "Alright then, what's your name?" She asked. He pondered for a second but he thought he was gonna be with her for a month so fuck it. " Ashton Hayes" he told her. "Hi, nice to finally know tour name, I am Sora Bailey" She said offering him a hand shake with a simply smile. That smile spotted an unknown warmth in his heart as he hesitantly shook her hand.