Free The Stranger Beside Me by Simone Holloway Page A

to keep her voice steady and strong. “I think I’ve had an accident. I can’t exactly remember. Could I use your phone?”
    The man considered her.
    The situation reminded her of a horror movie. A stranger shows up at person’s home, says there’s been an accident and tries to gain entry by asking to use the phone. Those kind of movies always ended with murder, theft or worse.
    “You can bring the phone outside to me, if you want. I don’t have to go inside your house.”
    It suddenly struck her as odd that this man would be intimidated by her. Even through the heavy layers of clothing he wore she could see he was well-built. In a fight, she would pose no threat to him.
    “I’m sorry. You caught me by surprise.” The man shook his head and smiled. “Of course you can use my phone.”
    He began to walk towards the cabin then stopped.
    “Actually, I don’t have a land line and there’s no cell service out here. This is just my weekend getaway place. I could drive you into town.”
    She didn’t want to get into a vehicle with a stranger, but she was out of options. She had no idea how far the town was and she didn’t have the strength to hike back down the road.
    “Okay,” she said.
    The man wiped his hands on a towel and walked back to the shed. He returned a minute layer carrying a duffel bag. Up close he was quite striking. His eyes were a sharp blue with a hint of green. He was tall and athletic. In his late twenties or early thirties, she guessed.
    “This way,” he said.
    He opened the truck door and stopped. He surveyed her drenched body. “You must be freezing.” He took off his flannel shirt and wrapped it around her. His hands were dirty and he smelled of sweat and the earth.
    “I’m sorry I took you away from your work,” she said. The man paused. “Your chores, your yard work. I’m sure you were busy. You probably weren’t expecting some crazy woman to show up on your front yard and ruin your day.” She gave a half-hearted laugh.
    The situation was beyond awkward and for some reason she wanted this man to like her.
    The man smiled. “No trouble.”
    He helped her into the truck and closed the door. Just as the man slid into the driver’s seat beside her, she heard the sound of an approaching car.
    “Someone’s coming,” she said.
    The man looked up sharply. His friendly face became severe. He threw his bag onto the seat and started the truck.
    She turned expectantly, but the vehicle never appeared. “Are you expecting company?”
    she asked.
    The man didn’t answer. He put the truck into gear, reversed quickly, then started down the dirt road. They turned the bend to find a black SUV parked on the side of the road.
    They passed slowly. The vehicle was empty. The sight of the car gave her goose bumps.
    Did she know this car? She wondered. Were the people searching around the lake for her?
    Or was she just being paranoid?
    She looked to the man to gauge his reaction. His face was tense. He regarded the car and surrounding area with a critical eye. It was obvious he found the situation suspicious, but why?
    “Do you know that car?” she asked.
    “No. Do you?”
    “I don’t know what I know anymore.” She suddenly felt very tired. “How far is the town?”
    “Not far,” he said softly.
    He hit the accelerator and they sped off down the road.
    They turned from the dirt road to a paved street. They had been driving for at least thirty minutes and they were still in the woods. Tall trees crowded the road blocking the sun from view. She felt like she was trapped in one of the Brother’s Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
    They hadn’t passed a single car, except for the one parked at the lake. The isolation made the appearance of the black SUV all the more suspicious. It couldn’t be a coincidence.
    She turned to look at the man. His face was half in shadow, but she could still make out his high cheekbones and straight nose. When he felt her gaze, he turned to her. She looked away quickly;