His abrupt halt
“Please hear me out. Don’t worry, I won’t allow that creep approach you. Eventually, everything will work out.”
As I nodded, the tears of frustration that had been in my eyes turned into thanks. The situation had stabilized enough that I could relax.
By the time we walked out of the restaurant, it was after dark. The invitation to stay at Derek’s place was kind, but I declined it. He was already in danger, and I didn’t want to put him in more danger. I was also starting to feel concerned about Anna. Can you imagine if the man had followed me to her house? The reason I phoned was to make sure she was all right. She picked up and seemed great, but I decided it was best to call back as soon as possible.
Then, as we were walking to my car, Derek stopped dead.