wrong?”
“Nothing. I mean, well, I saw something, but I don’t know what it was.”
“Where was it?” Her brow line wrinkled as she scanned the room.
“By the window.” The curtains were closed and I had no intentions of opening them.
Alison hesitated as she neared them.
“Wait,” I said. “Let’s just forget about it.”
“Sorry, chicky, I can’t sleep if I think something, or someone, is creeping around the house.” She flung the curtains back in one quick fluid motion.
She let out a sigh of relief, which made me relax a little more. “There’s nothing there. You might be just as paranoid as I am.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I guess. I just have too much going through my head I guess.”
“It’s okay. I get it. I’m always looking around every corner too.”
Wow, what a way to live. I wasn’t going to spend my life afraid of my own shadow. “Well, I refuse to do that.”
Alison backed up and looked away.
I reached out and touched her arm. “I didn’t mean…Alison, I didn’t mean to…”
“No, it’s okay, I know. I shouldn’t be this way, but I am. I can’t help it. I’m scared.”
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. She shouldn’t ever have to feel that way. “I’m sorry, Alison.”
The rest of the night was spent tossing and turning in bed. Every noise I heard, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was someone from the football team. Each time I closed my eyes I pictured Stacey and Alison. Their stories mixed with everything I already lived through made for the worst nightmares. I finally concluded that the universe was mad at me for trying to move on, for trying to be happy. This was my punishment.
It wasn’t until the sun rose that I was calmed down enough for sleep. I heard Alison snoring slightly from the living room so I relaxed, letting sleep take over.
A few hours later, noises coming from the kitchen, jolted me wide-awake, and I grabbed my phone to see what time it was. Noon. I slept until lunchtime, but I felt so much more rested. “Alison?” I hollered. No answer. No more noises. I strained to hear anything but it was silent. I checked my phone again. There were five new text messages waiting for me. Two were from Vahn, two were from Alison, and one from Steve.
My throat constricted. I checked the ones from Vahn first. Good morning beautiful. Can’t stop thinking about U. I deflated when I realized he sent those that morning and probably thought I was ignoring him. I texted back real quick: Sry. Slept in, just woke up. Long nite. I chewed on my lip trying to think of something to text back that would be equally flirtatious as him thinking of me. That happens when I dream of U. Okay, so it was somewhat corny, but at least he’d know I wasn’t ignoring him.
Alison’s text said she made it home and that she’d call me later. That meant I had one left. One that I didn’t want to open. I held my breath and swiped the screen opening his text. Bad things happen when U say no. U have 1 more chance. The noises I thought I heard before waking sounded in my head like alarms.
My heart beat so fast I thought it would explode. I stared at the message re-reading it over and over, making my anxiety worse. Jumping out of bed, I clung to my phone like a security blanket. I didn’t want to be home alone. I didn’t want to be anywhere alone.
Quietly, I tiptoed down the short hall. I pressed my back up against the wall and tried to calm my heart before it exploded. Before all my courage dissolved, I peeked around the corner into the kitchen. No one was there. A flood of relief rolled through me. I checked the living room and the front door—which was locked. I was just paranoid. Steve messed with my mind and now I was doing nothing more than playing into his game.
After a hot shower, I hurried to get dressed and put a little makeup on. Today was the day; I was going to go to the police. I had a couple of texts saved on my phone. That should be enough,
“Nothing. I mean, well, I saw something, but I don’t know what it was.”
“Where was it?” Her brow line wrinkled as she scanned the room.
“By the window.” The curtains were closed and I had no intentions of opening them.
Alison hesitated as she neared them.
“Wait,” I said. “Let’s just forget about it.”
“Sorry, chicky, I can’t sleep if I think something, or someone, is creeping around the house.” She flung the curtains back in one quick fluid motion.
She let out a sigh of relief, which made me relax a little more. “There’s nothing there. You might be just as paranoid as I am.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I guess. I just have too much going through my head I guess.”
“It’s okay. I get it. I’m always looking around every corner too.”
Wow, what a way to live. I wasn’t going to spend my life afraid of my own shadow. “Well, I refuse to do that.”
Alison backed up and looked away.
I reached out and touched her arm. “I didn’t mean…Alison, I didn’t mean to…”
“No, it’s okay, I know. I shouldn’t be this way, but I am. I can’t help it. I’m scared.”
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. She shouldn’t ever have to feel that way. “I’m sorry, Alison.”
The rest of the night was spent tossing and turning in bed. Every noise I heard, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was someone from the football team. Each time I closed my eyes I pictured Stacey and Alison. Their stories mixed with everything I already lived through made for the worst nightmares. I finally concluded that the universe was mad at me for trying to move on, for trying to be happy. This was my punishment.
It wasn’t until the sun rose that I was calmed down enough for sleep. I heard Alison snoring slightly from the living room so I relaxed, letting sleep take over.
A few hours later, noises coming from the kitchen, jolted me wide-awake, and I grabbed my phone to see what time it was. Noon. I slept until lunchtime, but I felt so much more rested. “Alison?” I hollered. No answer. No more noises. I strained to hear anything but it was silent. I checked my phone again. There were five new text messages waiting for me. Two were from Vahn, two were from Alison, and one from Steve.
My throat constricted. I checked the ones from Vahn first. Good morning beautiful. Can’t stop thinking about U. I deflated when I realized he sent those that morning and probably thought I was ignoring him. I texted back real quick: Sry. Slept in, just woke up. Long nite. I chewed on my lip trying to think of something to text back that would be equally flirtatious as him thinking of me. That happens when I dream of U. Okay, so it was somewhat corny, but at least he’d know I wasn’t ignoring him.
Alison’s text said she made it home and that she’d call me later. That meant I had one left. One that I didn’t want to open. I held my breath and swiped the screen opening his text. Bad things happen when U say no. U have 1 more chance. The noises I thought I heard before waking sounded in my head like alarms.
My heart beat so fast I thought it would explode. I stared at the message re-reading it over and over, making my anxiety worse. Jumping out of bed, I clung to my phone like a security blanket. I didn’t want to be home alone. I didn’t want to be anywhere alone.
Quietly, I tiptoed down the short hall. I pressed my back up against the wall and tried to calm my heart before it exploded. Before all my courage dissolved, I peeked around the corner into the kitchen. No one was there. A flood of relief rolled through me. I checked the living room and the front door—which was locked. I was just paranoid. Steve messed with my mind and now I was doing nothing more than playing into his game.
After a hot shower, I hurried to get dressed and put a little makeup on. Today was the day; I was going to go to the police. I had a couple of texts saved on my phone. That should be enough,
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