The New Guy; My neighbour

Chapter 19 - A strange man

Ashley made a quick stop at Jeff Mall to pick up a few items before going home. She had just left the hospital after checking up on Edmund, who was scheduled to be discharged the following day. Ashley needed to restock on a few necessities for the house because Edmund would stay with her until he recovered completely. Ashley was relieved when Eva sent her some money to help with the hospital bills; she hadn't felt well at all lately because of the financial burden. Ashley knew she would be swamped if Edmund moved in for a while, so she had to be ready for him.

Mrs Ray had also sent in some money to support them. Eva had to tell Mrs Ray about the incident a few days prior, and if they hadn't planned it well enough, she would have practically collapsed. Eva had to put her on a video call right away, so she could confirm that Edmund was okay. She was upset with Ashley for keeping her in the dark about what had happened to her son up until that point. Ashley knew she had made the best choice for her mother's health, even though she knew she would be upset about everything.

She noticed the eerie man in the blue shirt, who appeared to be watching her as she walked into the mall. She had seen him hanging around the hospital. It appeared that she had seen the man too often for the day, but she chose not to give it much thought. It was becoming clear that the guy was following her as she entered. She felt unsafe and uneasy, and she started to become afraid. Ashley searched for the fastest course of action, and calling Trevor was the only thing that came to mind. She reached into her bag, took out her phone, and gave Trevor a call. Although she was aware that she had been avoiding him lately, she felt that he was the only one who would respond appropriately.

"Hello, Trevor."

"Hello, Ashley."

"You sound surprised," Ashley said.

"Well, obviously, you've taken ages to get back."

"I know, and I'm sorry about that, but right now, I really need your help."

"Are you okay, Ashley?"

"Yes. I stopped by this mall to get a few things before heading to the house. I feel like this strange man has been following me from the hospital, where I went to check on Edmund. I don't know if this makes me paranoid, but I believe he is following me."

"What? Which mall are you at?"

"I am at Jeff Mall, not far from Victoria Hospital."

"Are you inside the mall as we speak, or are you in an unsafe position?"

"I am inside the mall, but I think he might follow me out."

"Okay. Don't panic; just wait in the mall. I'll be there in a moment. I'm in a snooker house right now; it's about a seven-minute drive away."

"All right. Thanks. I am waiting. Let me pick up the rest of the things on my list."

Trevor turned to face Justin, who was already watching him with apprehension while he ended the unsettling phone call.

"It's Ashley. It seems someone, a strange man, is following her."

"Strange man?"

"Yes."

"Where is she?"

"She's at Jeff Mall. I gotta go, man. Are you coming?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Let's go check the punk out. But how does she have so much faith in you?"

"Are you kidding right now? Is that supposed to be a rhetorical question?" Trevor sniffled.

"I just blurted out my thoughts. Let's run along."

With haste, they left the snooker house and got into the car. Trevor played some lighthearted music as he drove them to Jeff Mall. For the brief ride, Justin tried not to upset Trevor with his untailored words, as he could tell that his friend was falling hard for Ashley.