We carried on chatting until we heard Everett's truck pulling into the driveway.
"You stay inside," Jimmy instructed. "Remember, we don't know if Simon is watching the street. You'll have to be pretty secretive about things until he's caught."
"I know," I replied with a sigh. "It makes things difficult, though."
"Yeah, it does," he replied with a sympathetic look on his face. "But there really isn't anything we can do about that right now. Anyways, it was nice to meet you, and I'm sure I'll see you again soon."
"Likewise. Thanks for everything, Jimmy; I owe you one."
"Forget about it!" he said with a cheerful laugh.
He headed out, and I heard him and Everett tal
king in the driveway, and after a minute or two I heard Jimmy's car leaving. After that, Everett walked in. We stared at each other for a moment, and then I ran up to him and threw my arms around him. He wrapped his strong arms tightly around me, and I instantly felt safer.
"I'm so sorry about this thing with Simon," he said. "You must be feeling pretty on edge right now."
"I was ... until you came back. Now I feel safe and protected."
He smiled, and we kissed briefly.
"I'm glad you feel that way. And I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you safe from that maniac. I'm not going to let him get within a mile of you; I promise you that."
"Thank you, Everett."
"What do the police know about him? How much have you told them?" he asked me.
"I told them everything."
"All of it? About the name change and having to move across the state, all of that?"
"All of it. They seemed very sympathetic, and they assured me they'd pick him up and bring him in if he was seen anywhere, as he is now the primary suspect for the break-in at my daycare."
"Alright, good. But even though they're out looking for him, it doesn't mean you're safe. We have to take every possible precaution to ensure your safety at all times. We can't get complacent about anything."
"Believe me; I know that, Everett. This guy is very, very smart, sadly, and he'll be looking for any way he can to get to me."
"Well, I'm fairly intelligent as well, and with you and Jimmy on this as well, we'll outsmart this jerk, I guarantee it."
"I hope so," I sighed. "I really do."
"We will," he said, giving me a quick and reassuring squeeze. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah."
"Jimmy and I talked, and we think it's best that you—"
"Sneak in and out of the house, I know, I know," I said, completing the sentence.
"Okay, good. My truck is just in front of the garage. If you go around the back of the garage, you can get to the passenger's side without being seen from the street."
"Ugh, it's just so inconvenient and annoying," I said, rolling my eyes. “I can’t believe this asshole is still controlling my life like this.”
"I know. But we have to be cautious. I'll go start up the truck. When you hear the motor running, you can come out and go around the back of the garage. Remember to lock the door, okay?"
"Okay."
I waited for him to start the truck, and then I did as he instructed. As I got in, he turned and spoke to me.