Every Step You Take: A Psychological Thriller

by Avery Lane

  “I’m trying to figure it out,” Marco replied, surprisingly calm. He was still trying to clear a path for Riley so she could get to her desk. “Maybe there was a mix-up with one of our vendors? I just have no idea how they got in though…”

  “These were already all here when you got here?” Riley asked. Marco nodded. How was that even possible? They had been so careful to lock everything up ever since their run in with Evan. “Who are you on the phone with?”

  “Building security – they’re checking who came in this morning.”

  “Forget it. I don’t need them to tell me,” Riley seethed. “Just tell them we need our locks changed. Immediately.”

  “Kind of an expensive prank, isn’t it?” Gabriel said as he set the last vase down on the curb outside. Riley had been reluctant to call him, especially since she had been avoiding him like the plague since she found out his ties to Judy. She had meant it when she said she didn’t want to be involved with a man who was so close to her mother, but Riley needed his literal manpower to clear the office as soon as possible if she had any hope to get some work done. “Like what was he even trying to say, do you think?”

  “He was trying to disrupt my work day and get into my head. Evan’s always loved playing his mind games on me and he’s probably just pissed that he can’t do it anymore. At least not directly,” Riley replied. “But as usual, he’s doing it in a way that could look innocuous if I were to report it to the police.”

  “It’s still breaking and entering,” Gabriel replied. “You can report that.”

  “It’s useless. There’s no proof it was him.”

  “Security is looking through tapes,” Marco said. His arms were crossed as he surveyed the red flowers lining the sidewalk. “And you should report it. This is too much.”

  Oof. Riley frowned. This was the closest Marco had ever gotten to arguing with her. He was definitely as unsettled as she was.

  And he was right. She had made it so other people’s safety was at stake.

  It would take more than cheesecake to make things up to Marco this time.

  So when Marco went out for lunch, Riley called his favorite barbecue spot and prepaid for a generous happy hour for him and three friends. It was definitely enough to stuff them silly as well as get them sufficiently wasted. And though it wasn’t really something Riley could afford, it felt like a necessary expression of how sorry she was to her poor assistant. He didn’t deserve to feel unsafe in his workplace because of her.

  When Riley told him what she had done, Marco’s eyes went wide with such glee that she wondered why she hadn’t done it earlier. After all, he was deserving of this sort of thing whether or not he had suffered through Evan’s terrorizing.

  After Marco left, Riley rushed downstairs to Gabriel’s studio with a bag full of the same diner food they had ordered the night Riley stuck Gabriel with the bill – black and white milkshake, cheese sticks, and disco fries.

  Gabriel’s parkour studio was pretty huge, taking up a third of the lower floor. It was recessed below the lobby, which made the ceilings twice as high. Riley walked down the stairs into the studio, marveling at the adult sized jungle gym. To the unadventurous (like Riley, admittedly), it looked like a series of death traps – even with the cushioning of foam bricks and mats below the high bars and rings.

  It seemed like class had wrapped up for the day and for a second, Riley wondered if she had missed Gabriel. She would have texted ahead of time, but she had wanted to surprise him. Something about pre-announcing her good deed felt more self-serving than she would’ve wanted.

  Just as she was about to turn and leave, Gabriel stepped out of what she assumed was the locker room. His hair was wet and he had a gym bag slung over his shoulder. When he saw her, his thick eyebrows waggled in a silly manner, as if waving hello.

  “I brought you dinner,” she called out.

  “Dinner! Hell yeah,” Gabriel replied, jogging towards her now. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “Are you kidding?” Riley wrinkled her nose, laughing. She handed Gabriel the bag. “How about your nonstop help since the day we first met?”

  “Sure, I guess.” Somehow Gabriel already had a mouthful of mozzarella sticks. Riley had barely caught when he had opened the takeout bag at all. “Sorry, are we sharing?”

  “If you don’t mind,” Riley smiled.

  “Cool, then you gotta come home with me because I’m already running late.”

  20

  Penny, Margaret’s home attendant, was clearly dressed for a date.

  She was in her late twenties and wrapped in a little black dress, twirling her blonde blowout anxiously as she peered out the townhouse window.

  “Poor girl,” Gabriel said with a laugh. “I told her she could just leave before I got back if she needed to, but she’s far too responsible to do something like that.”

  The door was open by the time they reached the front steps. Penny had her purse slung over her shoulder and was typing maniacally on her phone to whomever she was late to see. She was very much ready to go.

  “She’s doing great today,” Penny said to Gabriel, her attention still half on her phone. “She’s pretty lucid, knew who I was, very chatty.”

  “That’s what I like to hear,” Gabriel said. He and Penny exchanged quick goodbyes before Penny ran off towards the closest subway station. Gabriel turned towards Riley. “So it sounds like you get to actually see her today.”

  “Do you think she’d remember me?” Riley asked.

  “Eh, let’s not push it,” Gabriel said. “If anything, you’ll just meet again.”

  Margaret was standing when they got in, watering the plants that sat on the windowsill. She was wrapped in a wacky looking shawl, as bright and colorful as her hair once was, obviously home-knit with a mix of leftover yarns.

  “Mom, you’re going to drown those guys,” Gabriel said as he locked the door behind him.

  “No, it’s fine!” Margaret said. Her voice was almost as Riley remembered – energetic, vibrant, full of pure joy. “I touched the soil to check. It was dry.” Riley tried to force a smile. It was almost more disturbing to see that she was capable of speaking like this when just the other day she appeared catatonic. It was a wonder Gabriel was dealing so well.

  “I brought us a friend.” Gabriel alerted Margaret to Riley’s presence. As soon as she did, Margaret clasped her hands over her heart.

  “Judy!” she exclaimed, rushing over to hug Riley.

  “Oh, um,” Riley looked up at Gabriel.

  “Close enough,” he shrugged. Gabriel plopped down on the couch, spreading the diner food over the coffee table.

  “It’s been so long!” Margaret said, looking at Riley with such deep love and wonder that it actually warmed her.

  “Yeah, um, actually I’m Judy’s daughter,” Riley began, unsure if she should correct Margaret at all. She looked towards Gabriel for cues, but Gabriel was too engrossed in his milkshake to notice.

  “No, I know, of course!” Margaret continued. “You’re Judy Junior.”

  “Yes,” Riley laughed, a bit relieved. “That I am.”

  “Jujube,” Margaret said. “That’s what we used to call you, remember?”

  “Not really?” Riley said. She had a faint memory of Margaret nicknaming her Rye Bread at some point. She seemed to really like her food-related nicknames.

  “It was a very long time ago,” Margaret replied. “We called you that because your hair was red like a jujube! And because you were Judy Junior. Judy’s baby. Jujube. Isn’t it clever?”

  “Very,” Riley smiled. Margaret beamed at her. But then quickly, her expression darkened.

  “We thought we lost you,” Margaret lowered her voice, her face serious. She brushed Riley’s hair behind her ears, looking at her intently. Riley’s stomach flipped, feeling immediately uncomfortable with the sudden shift in the air. She wasn’t certain what Margaret was referring to, but she was pretty sure it had to do with the day of her birth. R
iley knew Margaret and Teddy saw Judy through her pregnancy when her own father couldn’t be there. She didn’t know the details, but she knew the trauma of it had deeply affected Judy, enough so that Riley never got the full story.

  Riley had heard that dementia could put a person in a different place in time. It seemed Margaret had been sent back to the day of her birth.

  “Mom, come eat. Let Riley settle in.” Gabriel waved them over. Margaret turned to look at her son before turning back to look at Riley once again. Her expression brightened just a bit.

  “Riley,” she said. “Dear Riley, look at you now. All grown up.”

  “Yes,” Riley replied, taking Margaret’s hands from her face and holding them down at their sides. “I’m totally okay now. Everything is fine.”

  “Of course, why wouldn’t it be?” Margaret asked, her brows furrowed.

  “Right, of course,” Riley said, not knowing how else to respond. She led Margaret to the couch, sitting her down beside Gabriel.

  21

  “What do you think?”

  Sierra stepped out from behind the curtains, twirling in a strapless lace ensemble with an A-line hem. Her long dark hair floated around her, sweeping across her bare shoulders with a dreamy airiness. It was like time had slowed for Sierra to enjoy this moment.

  Riley’s jaw dropped, immediately awestruck. If there was ever any question that women that looked like Sierra had the power to make the world move in slow motion, it would be put to rest right in this moment.

  Sierra had asked Riley to go dress shopping with her, admitting to Riley what Brighton had already told her – she had no one else to go with her. Riley jumped at the idea, excited to partake in one of those picture perfect wedding moments she had seen on shows like Say Yes to the Dress.

  Azalea was a small bridal boutique on Atlantic Avenue, specializing in classically cut wedding dresses and accessories. The shop was smaller than Riley’s apartment, but was cozily decorated with all the girly touches that Riley could dream of.

  Allison, the owner, had greeted them with two flutes of champagne and a dainty plate of white chocolate covered strawberries. After giving Allison a quick rundown on what Sierra wanted in her dream wedding dress, they were presented with a rack of a dozen hand picked pieces to try on.

  Sierra looked great in every single one she tried, but it was this simple tea-length gown that brought out her natural beauty and vibrancy.

  “I already know this is going to come out wrong,” Riley started. Her hands were clasped over her heart. She could feel it fluttering the way it did when Riley was a child watching Disney movies, back when she was still fascinated by princesses. In the presence of the closest thing to a princess she had ever seen, Riley felt like an excited little girl again. “But you look like Vanessa from The Little Mermaid. Do you know who I’m talking about?”

  “Vanessa is just Ursula in disguise!” Sierra said with mock offense. She slapped Riley playfully on the knee, but it was clear that she was giddy. Sierra turned to look at herself in the mirror. She seemed happy with what she saw. “For real though, I actually couldn’t be happier you said that because I always thought Vanessa was so gorgeous and I totally loved her.”

  “Me too!” Riley exclaimed, laughing. She was already excited by all the champagne and shopping, but she was happy to know that she could potentially bond with Sierra as easily as she had bonded with Brighton. If not, more so, simply because they were both women. “That’s why I said it! And you know, The Little Mermaid is still my favorite Disney movie, after all these years.”

  “No way!” Sierra breathed. “Me too!” Her eyes were wide as she turned towards Riley and dropped to her knees dramatically. The hem of the skirt fanned out around her and her hands were clasped over her heart now, mirroring Riley. They giggled like schoolgirls, happily indulging in their mutual silliness.

  “Evan used to give me crap for it because he said it was far from the best Disney movie,” Riley said, rolling her eyes. “So he used it against me and said I had bad taste.”

  “He’s a boy so he wouldn’t even get it.”

  “I know, right!” Riley said.

  “I do sometimes feel silly for liking it as much as I do, though.”

  “What?” Riley scoffed. “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I guess because it’s a kid’s movie.”

  “Well, we were kids!”

  “I know, but…I don’t know, I think it resonated with me more than it should have,” Sierra laughed. “Like the whole idea of wanting to leave the world you know behind. Because you don’t belong. And, you know the whole starting over thing.” Sierra looked misty, her eyes far away. Somehow, it made her look even more like a Disney princess. Riley half expected Sierra to be suddenly joined by bluebirds and bunnies, all eager to take Sierra out of her deep thoughts and make her boisterously happy again.

  “So, you think this might be the one?” Riley asked.

  “Feels like it,” Sierra replied, pushing herself to her feet. “I mean, I just had a moment in this dress. I’m Vanessa. So I have to buy it, right?”

  “I think so,” she nodded. Sierra smiled, reaching out to give Riley a quick pinch on the cheek.

  “Thank you for helping me today,” she said. “It means so much to me.”

  “Well, of course,” Riley replied. “I wish I had a friend to help me pick my wedding dress back in the day.”

  “You didn’t?” Sierra frowned, looking a bit sad. Riley brushed back her hair, feeling a little embarrassed to have revealed that fact.

  “I had Evan, I guess.”

  “Your own groom went dress shopping for you? Isn’t that supposed to be bad luck?”

  “Clearly it was.”

  “God, I’m sorry,” Sierra furrowed her brows. She put her hands gently on Riley’s shoulders. “Listen, I’m so happy we had this experience together. And whenever you’re shopping for a wedding dress again, I will totally be there with you.”

  “That would be nice,” Riley smiled. She didn’t really believe Sierra. People said plenty of things when swept up in a moment. “I would have to have some romantic prospects first.”

  “I’m supposed to believe a pretty girl like you isn’t turning men’s heads left and right?” Sierra teased. It felt nice to know a woman like Sierra thought Riley was pretty, but it also posed as an awkward reminder that she had perhaps turned someone’s head recently. Specifically, Sierra’s husband.

  But Riley had pushed that image deep down and away. She hoped that both she and that burger cashier had misinterpreted that glance.

  Besides, she should be focused on Gabriel.

  Gabriel was a gorgeous man that was interested in Riley. After they shared their diner food at his house, he had expressed that he wanted to see her again in contexts outside of their mothers.

  But it still felt so strange. Riley remembered introducing Evan to Judy – the whole shebang that came with that. It was one of those dating rites of passages that had to happen and it was weird to think that Gabriel had already known Judy all his life.

  “Are you excited to be back on the market?” Sierra asked, dipping behind the curtained dressing room to change.

  “You know, I wasn’t…but then…” Riley trailed off as she thought about Gabriel. Despite all the complications that would potentially surround a relationship between the two of them, she couldn’t help but think of the possibility still.

  “Dish,” Sierra said, popping her head back out from behind the curtain. “Tell me everything.”

  “Oh, there’s not much to say!” Riley laughed.

  “Who is it?”

  “Ah…” Riley blushed, covering her face. The last time she had a conversation like this was when she told Mindy about her feelings for Evan.

  “Tell me, tell me, tell me!”

  “His name is Gabriel.”

  “Gabriel…” She nodded, considering his name. Then she knitted her eyebrows together. “How do you know him?”

  “Ugh,
it’s so complicated. But essentially, he’s my mom’s best friend’s son.”

  “Oh, wow, weird,” Sierra said, looking like she was taken aback. “Isn’t that a bit incestuous?”

  “Oh my God, stop!” Riley laughed. “No, I never knew him growing up, he’s a little bit older. I just knew his mom.”

  “Is she happy to know you’re dating her son?”

  “She doesn’t really know…”

  “How about your mom?”

  “Oh, she can definitely not know.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s not like she’d disapprove or anything…” Riley began. “In fact, she’d probably be delighted. Like far too delighted. She’d want to get involved to a ridiculous degree. Like plan our dates, tell us when it’s time to say ‘I love you.’ Name our children. She’d just be so overbearing.”

  “Really?” Sierra stared at Riley. To say she looked surprised was an understatement. “That seems…so…insane.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  “Well.” Sierra tucked back into the dressing area, closing the curtain behind her. She continued to talk as she got changed. “Better that they’re involved than not at all, right?”

  “It’s funny you mention that,” Riley said. “Gabriel seemed to think that too. He said his parents were very hands off. When I said that sounded great, he pretty much told me that it was a grass is greener situation.”

  “I guess you never really know until you’re there,” Sierra replied. “I had very hands off parents. In fact, they hardly seemed to know I exist.”

  “Do you still talk to them?” Riley froze after asking the question. She vaguely remembered Brighton saying that Sierra didn’t have any family. She had definitely accidentally stumbled into a sensitive space.

  Riley listened for Sierra’s answer, but there was just silence. In fact, she could no longer even hear the rustling of her clothes as she changed.