The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 116

"Pack of cigarettes."

A man stood at the counter, tossing a sleek pack onto the laminate.

Lavinia grabbed it and scanned the barcode. "Twenty dollars. Venmo or Apple Pay?"

"Apple Pay."

The voice was instantly recognizable.

She snapped her head up. Charley Sheffield stood on the other side of the counter, wearing a dark, lightweight jacket.

Her brow furrowed in disbelief. "How did you find me?"

"When I want to find something, I find it," he said casually. "Why did you suddenly run off to Penbrook?"

"Because I felt like it." Lavinia averted her eyes, refusing to look at him.

"Are you here for a vacation, or are you hiding from someone?" he asked.

She pressed her lips together and stayed silent.

Charley casually broke the seal on the pack, tapped out a cigarette, and brought it to his lips, lighting it. The curling smoke blurred the sharp lines of his face.

"Come home. Don't make Saul worry about you."

"I'm perfectly fine. He doesn't need to worry," she muttered to the cash drawer.

"Your exam is in two weeks."

"I'm not taking it."

"I thought you wanted to win."

"I changed my mind. Now I just want to lay low." She finally looked at him, her tone flaring with defensive anger. "Could you mind your own business? You're not my family."

Charley raised an eyebrow. He didn't argue, and he didn't look angry.

He simply picked up his cigarettes, walked across the street to a boba tea shop, ordered a drink, and sat down at an outdoor table. He didn't drink it. He just sat there, watching her through the storefront window.

Lavinia felt a surge of intense irritation. She just wanted to be alone. She didn't want an audience for her spectacular failure.

For the rest of the afternoon, she either stared down at the register or stared blankly at the wall.

He sat across the street the entire time. He never left.

There was a rundown greasy spoon at the corner of the alley. She walked in, ordered the diner special, and sat in a dim booth, picking at her food.

The chicken was dry, the vegetables were wilted and yellowing. Halfway through, she dropped her fork. She lost her appetite.

When she looked up, her breath hitched. Charley was sitting at the booth right in front of hers, a plate of the exact same terrible diner special sitting completely untouched in front of him.

Lavinia froze. Grabbing her purse, she stood up. As she brushed past his table, she snapped, "If you want to follow me like a stalker, go ahead. Try following me into my apartment."

Charley didn't move. But as she tried to walk away, his hand shot out, wrapping securely around her wrist.

He looked up at her, his dark eyes intense and unwavering. "Tell me what happened. I can fix it."

Fix it? Fix what?

She was a terminal idiot. There was no fixing this.

Lavinia yanked her arm free, using every ounce of willpower to keep her voice steady. "The only way you can help me is by leaving me alone. Please. Just go."

She practically bolted out of the diner. She walked for a few blocks, glancing over her shoulder. He wasn't following her anymore.

She let out a long, shaky breath of relief.