"Reagan. Reagan! Reagan!"

"What do you want?" What was it this time? I never understood Jessica. After turning, I came face to face with no other than Jessica Martin. "I'm kind of busy right now," I said with annoyance, motioning to the two cups of coffee I had yet to deliver to a couple sitting in the far corner of the coffee shop. It was packed, as it always is on Saturdays what with people catching up and all.

The fall decorations were newly set up with brown and red leaves hanging from the doors and taped to the walls. Turkeys made from sticks and feathers sat on the tables as center pieces. It was almost Thanksgiving, a time of love and friendship. And then next was Christmas, my ultimate favorite time of year.

"Table two is waiting on their caramel lattes. It's been ten minutes." The frustration in Jess's eyes was evident as she turned on her heel to fulfill the request that I could not do. Everyday this shop got busier and busier, and I was beginning to grow tired of it. This job was no longer worth the minimum wage I earned for as many hours as I worked. I didn't understand how Jess did it. She was the star waitress and star barista and I was the complete opposite. My manager called me lazy. I prefer to call it relaxed.

Jessica hurried the caramel lattes over to the table I missed and they shot her a grateful smile. At least they weren't upset. Maybe I'd still get a good tip. Maybe.

After turning around as she walked back towards where I was standing, she shot me a glare. If looks could kill, I'd be long gone.

After our shifts ended, Jess and I started our walk back home. While we were older than sixteen, neither of us had our driver's license. I always teased Jessica about being nineteen and still not having it. Jessica's excuse remained the fact that she had no purpose for it because she claimed her bike was faster and that she didn't have a third car to drive. My excuse was, well, I didn't really want one. My parents called that lazy, too.

"Ray. Do you see that guy over there?" Her whisper halted me in my tracks. As I turned to see exactly who she was talking about, I made eye contact with cobalt blue eyes so intense I had to take another look. I've never seen eyes like that. "Don't stare!" My gaze averted faster than she could say my name. "He's been watching." The tone of her voice made me realize that he wasn't just watching us. He was watching me. But how did she see him so quickly? We just stepped out the door.

Usually, it was a good thing when a guy stared at you. What girl wouldn't want to have an attractive guy checking them out? But the way his stare passed right through me; it unnerved me. I got the feeling he wasn't just taking a look at me. He wasn't just looking. He was watching, in every sense of the word. I suddenly became very self-conscious.

I looked once again. His head tilted slightly as I stared back, amusement briefly flashing through his eyes. I wasn't going to just roll over and succumb to fear. That just wasn't me.

Meanwhile, Jessica grabbed my arm, her fingers feeling like talons as she yanked me across the street and away from the strange man. He easily looked two years older and as Jessica hissed at me to stop staring again, I searched him for any sign of threat or movement to show he would follow us.

We didn't need a stalker. Not right now.

"I'll walk you home." At Jessica's statement, I couldn't keep my eyes from rolling as I stopped in my tracks despite her fingernails digging into my skin. Her porcelain-like face turned to search my eyes incredulously. Freckles danced across the bridge of her nose and tangoed along her cheeks.

"Jessica. I'm not a child. I don't need to be walked home anymore," I insisted. Jessica, while being a year older than myself, always took it upon herself to act as my older sister rather than my best friend. Most of the time it was endearing, but other times, not so much. "I'm perfectly capable of walking home on my own. It's not even that dark. It's only six." I could tell I wasn't convincing her. Even if she agreed to letting me walk home alone, I knew she would just follow me. The expression on her face made it known I didn't have a choice in the matter.

"Ray, there was a man staring at you. And I don't just mean looking at you, I mean staring." At her words, I flinched. And with that small action, I knew I had lost.

With a sigh, I gave in, allowing her to pull me along home.

****

"Thank God we didn't have to work today." Jessica's voice filled the silence of our passionate yogurt eating. Her green eyes made contact with mine and she offered a dimpled grin, reaching out to yank a piece of my short, red hair. "Why the long face?" She asked.

I didn't answer. I couldn't stop thinking about the man. The way he had watched me wasn't just unnerving; it was enough to cause anyone to go into panic-mode. Something about the way he looked at me made me feel like that wasn't the first time he had watched me.

And it wouldn't be the last.

Most people say that victims of stalking are usually the only ones to realize they're being stalked. Everyone else brushes it off as paranoia until it becomes a serious issue. And sometimes, by that point, it's too late.

But I knew. He was stalking me. But it wasn't just stalking. Usually, stalkers hide. They remain hidden and away from sight. He sat out in plain sight, almost as if he had wanted me to see him. I mean, it was difficult not to see him. He was definitely attractive with a slender face and cheekbones that would cut rock as easily as a knife through butter. His eyes were the shocking part. Everything else could be considered semi-normal except his eyes.

They glowed.

"Ray. Are you going to stare at me or eat your yogurt before it melts?" Jessica's voice cut through my thoughts. That's when I realized my yogurt had nearly been diminished to nothing but a puddle of gooey liquid. I sighed with disgust, my eyebrows creasing in frustration. "Hey, what's going on? Is this about a week ago?"

It had been a week since I saw him last. Each time I left work, I made sure to keep an eye out. I looked for him. I knew he would be back. Or maybe he never left.

Each time I left the safety and comfort of the coffee shop, I could feel those cobalt eyes drilling into my head like lasers. But everywhere I looked, he wasn't there. I don't know what was happening to me or why I was so obsessed with finding him. Usually when a girl realizes she's being stalked, she runs the other way and probably calls the police.

I couldn't.

"No. No, I'm fine. Just zoned out a little bit, I guess." I mumbled out finally. Hopefully the answer would satisfy her. It didn't seem to but thankfully she didn't press more. "I think I'm going to head home, okay?"

Immediately, Jessica stood up, red hair flying around her face like fire. "Want me to—"

"No."

By the tone of my voice, she knew not to question me. With that, I stood up, quickly disposing my yogurt in the trash and then making my way out with a wave goodbye to Jess.

The doorbell dinged from the silver bell as I left, the door swinging shut behind me.

White streaks of clouds stained the sky, the sun highlighting edges of buildings and painting the sidewalks with a yellow glow. People brushed past me as I stood there, some daring to look at me strangely since I wasn't moving.

The coffee shop I worked at was only two doors down, and I knew if I walked in someone would lure me into covering their shift. We were always busy during the fall what with the cold weather coming in and the rain getting ready to downpour.

Suddenly, a shoulder brushed mine and I realized not only wasn't I moving but I was in the way for potential Yogurt N'Crazy customers. After adjusting my hoodie to pull it up against my neck to block the wind, I began my walk home and past the coffee shop.

Without even meaning to, my eyes swept the spot where the strange man had been.

But this time, his spot wasn't empty. He was here. He was looking right at me as if he knew I'd be looking for him. Last time, Jessica made us cross the street. But I wanted to know what he wanted.

Which could have possibly been the worst mistake I've ever made. When someone has a gun, you don't typically run towards them screaming 'shoot me!' Apparently, I did.

As I approached, his head turned and the golden light caught on his wheat colored hair. Cobalt blue eyes seemed to glimmer with amusement and another emotion I couldn't really decipher.

He didn't say a word, allowing the silence between us to stretch and be filled by the hustle of people rushing past and shoes against concrete.

"What do you want?" I don't know how I was able to speak over the incredibly fast pounding of my heart, but somehow he heard me. A small smile teased the edge of his lips and he stared at me without blinking. For a moment, I didn't think he would say anything to me at all.

"I don't believe I know what you mean." The tone of his voice suggested just the opposite. "Maybe you should ask that red-headed friend of yours." Another quirk of his lips. Why was he mentioning Jessica? Did she know him? Why did she pretend she didn't? "She's a... fiery one... isn't she?" I couldn't contain the shiver of disgust at the suggestion behind his words and it made me want nothing more than to punch this guy in the face. Though I assumed that would do very little in my favor.

"Leave her out of this. I know you're stalking me. So what are you planning? Kidnapping me? Taking pictures of me?" A sudden jolt of his defined eyebrow caused me to narrow my eyes. "Have you already done something?"

He only clicked his tongue, turning his gaze away from me in sick interest. For some reason, that worried and scared me more than it did when he was looking at me. "You think the worst thing that could happen is being kidnapped or taken pictures of? How cute." With that, his gaze snapped back to me and I saw it again. The glowing. He stood and a sinister smile overtook his face, causing his other features to melt away.

Suddenly he wasn't so attractive.

"When I come for you, Reagan, you'll know. And there won't be a thing your little guard dog can do that could stop me." He towered above me, looking down at me and making me feel as small as an ant. His words did nothing more but cause the flames of my fear to burn brighter. A spike of terror made its way into my chest, and it felt as if from it, roots were growing and cracking me open. For his eyes were no longer blue.

They were black.

————

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my book! I am so freakin' excited to share this with you all. I have such big plans!!

What do you think is going to happen next? Who do you think Reagan's stalker is? Do you think he's going to kidnap her? Or something else?

I know the beginning starts off kind of slow but it picks up a lot in the next few chapters, I promise!

If you enjoyed this chapter and want to see more, please consider voting and leaving a comment to let me know!

Thank you for giving this book a chance! I update each weekend (no set day until I figure out my schedule a little more but you can count on one chapter a weekend!)

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving week!

Love,
Sydnee