I'm just being paranoid.
I press my back against the metal locker and squeeze my eyes shut, forcing myself to take some calming breaths.
He can't find you.
You're safe here.
My breathing slowly evens out and I wrench my eyes open, glancing around the empty changing room.
"You're safe," I whisper, trying to force conviction into my voice as I pick up my coat and slide it on. "Everything's okay. You need to stop worrying."
I pick up my bag, sling it over my shoulder and walk out of the room, leaving my paranoid thoughts behind.
With a smile painted on my face, I walk down the corridor, enter the elevator, and take a few more deep, calming breaths as I descend to the ground floor of the hospital.
I walk outside into the crisp air and my gaze darts around the darkened streets, taking note of all the people still bustling about in the city.
Holding on to the strap of my handbag, I walk down the steps at the front of the hospital and then rush across the road towards the bus stop and sit beside a sweet looking old lady who's sitting on the bench, waiting for a bus.
After a thirty-minute bus ride through London, I hop off the bus, thank the driver, and then start walking down a much quieter street that leads to my apartment building.
The bus pulls away from the curb and drives off, and once it disappears from my view, my shoulders tense up again and I take quick glances at everything surrounding me.
The dimly lit houses beside me as I hurriedly shuffle along the pavement make me realise how late it currently is.
The flickering lamppost across the street sends an eerie shiver down my spine.
A rustling sound behind me has my heart jumping into my throat, and I whirl around to see a fox creeping out of a bush and running across the road.
I take a shaky breath and pull my phone out of my pocket, quickly pressing on Chrissie's contact and putting the phone up to my ear as I listen to it ring and fasten my pace.
"Hey, hey!" she shouts in a cheery tone as she answers the phone. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I've just got off the bus and I'm walking home, so I thought I'd call you and check in," I tell her, nervously glancing at the man on the opposite side of the street to me, walking in the shadows.
"What you mean to say is that you're anxious and you need to talk to me to convince yourself that you're safe and won't be kidnapped?"
"Chrissie!" I hiss, shaking my head. "Don't say things like that right now."
"Well, it's the truth, isn't it?" she asks.
"Yes, it is, but you don't need to point it out."
"Why not? It's not like it's anything to be embarrassed about, girl. The world is a scary place. Besides, you know me, I walk around with my key between my knuckles, heavy tins of food in my handbag and I always call Nathan whenever I'm out alone somewhere and it's late. Pretty sure it's a common thing for us all, so don't sweat it."
"It's embarrassing. I never used to be like this," I mutter, frowning as I think about when everything changed for me and I became this constantly paranoid and anxious mess of a woman.
"Everyone is fearful, Aurora. It's perfectly normal. Stop being so hard on yourself and let yourself feel things. You can't always be this strong, independent woman who isn't scared of anything."
"I can if I try to be."
"No, babe, you can't. It's exhausting to watch, so I can only imagine how tiring it must be for you. You're allowed to have a breakdown every now and then," she says, her tone soft and caring. "Anyone in your situation would be freaking out, so it's okay if you feel like you need to as well, and you know I'll be here for you every time you needto freak out about things. I will always try my hardest to help calm you down and make sure you're okay."
"Yeah, I know, and I appreciate you because of that," I tell her as I round the corner, the gated entrance of my apartment building coming into view.
"How was the rest of your shift?" she asks, changing the subject.
"It was actually okay. I managed to read a few chapters ofForget-Me-Not Bombshell. I also met Jaylen's cousin, and she seems sweet."
