think
anything of it. She said he was just being nice. Then he showed up at her work
upset one day because he’d seen her laughing and flirting with another guy at
school.
“Ariel got scared and her boss chased
him off, but that didn’t stop him from turning into a full-fledged stalker.”
“Oh my gosh,” I muttered, sitting down.
“What happened?”
“He followed her around campus, dropped by
her dorm, found her phone number by breaking into the school’s database and
kept calling her at all hours, and he left her these… inappropriate love
letters in her car and in her mailbox.”
Mason paused to catch his breath. His
eyes reddened from fighting off tears.
“How did she stop him?” I pressed.
He turned his head and stared at me.
Pain twisted his face so much that my heart ached for him.
“She didn’t,” he answered, his jaw
stiffening. “Ariel complained to the school and she got him fired. Then she
filed a restraining order against him, but that only made it worse. Instead of
gifts, he started sending her threats. He violated the restraining order once
and got arrested, but he was release in no time.”
Mason spun and peered into space, his
breathing heavy with anger. “Over time, the stress, the fear of constantly
looking over her shoulder took a hold of my sister. She stopped smiling. She
didn’t go out with friends anymore. She quit her job. Everything for her
just…stopped.” His voice cracked. “And then she….” He broke off again,
overwhelmed by grief.
“What happened?” I urged, hopeful that
Ariel had finally gotten rid of the guy.
A tearful Mason met my gaze and he said
in a sad tone, “She killed herself, Bristol.”
I covered my mouth and muffled, “No!”
“Cops found his body two days later in
his apartment. I guess he shot himself after hearing about Ariel. Bastard. He
took the easy way out.” Turning away from me, he cleared his throat and wiped
his face harshly with the palm of his hand. “I guess they both did. I just wish
I could have done something for my sister, convinced her to keep fighting.”
Wanting to offer him some comfort, I
began rubbing his arm. His skin was warm past the short sleeve of his shirt.
“It’s not your fault, Mason. Ariel did fight. She filed that restraining ord—”
“It wasn’t enough,” he interjected,
gritting his teeth. “What he put her through was terrible, but she shouldn’t
have given up. My family and I… We were all trying to help her.”
“That’s why you’re helping me,” I said.
“You don’t want it to be a repeat of what happened to Ariel.”
His expression turned rigid. “I didn’t
think it was the same at first, but it’s—”
“It’s not the same situation,” I told
him, squeezing his hand. “It’s not.”
He cocked his head to one side, regarding
me as if I were naive. “Bristol, he knows where you work. He followed you to
your dad’s place. He was watching us last Sunday, and he left a clear message
on my car. It might seem small to you right now, but trust me, this is how it
started for my sister. If we don’t figure out who he is, I’m afraid things will
escalate. He will grow bolder.”
“I don’t think it’s like that,” I
whispered, not wanting to believe it. I wasn’t Ariel. I was a fighter, and my
story would have a different ending.
For a moment, Mason sat there observing
me. That warm feeling returned to my chest. I lifted my hand and stroked his
cheek, wiping away a single tear that had broken free.
He covered my hand with his for a short
time, and then eased it away. I wondered how he perceived my gesture, if I had
crossed an invisible line that read: not now.
“Okay.” He sighed, not mentioning it.
“Let’s get you back to your dad’s. I’ll keep searching for clues. If you think
of anything, call me.”
We stood and headed to the door. I
picked up the bag of water bottles I’d taken from my fridge. “I can’t believe I
have to leave my apartment,” I
anything of it. She said he was just being nice. Then he showed up at her work
upset one day because he’d seen her laughing and flirting with another guy at
school.
“Ariel got scared and her boss chased
him off, but that didn’t stop him from turning into a full-fledged stalker.”
“Oh my gosh,” I muttered, sitting down.
“What happened?”
“He followed her around campus, dropped by
her dorm, found her phone number by breaking into the school’s database and
kept calling her at all hours, and he left her these… inappropriate love
letters in her car and in her mailbox.”
Mason paused to catch his breath. His
eyes reddened from fighting off tears.
“How did she stop him?” I pressed.
He turned his head and stared at me.
Pain twisted his face so much that my heart ached for him.
“She didn’t,” he answered, his jaw
stiffening. “Ariel complained to the school and she got him fired. Then she
filed a restraining order against him, but that only made it worse. Instead of
gifts, he started sending her threats. He violated the restraining order once
and got arrested, but he was release in no time.”
Mason spun and peered into space, his
breathing heavy with anger. “Over time, the stress, the fear of constantly
looking over her shoulder took a hold of my sister. She stopped smiling. She
didn’t go out with friends anymore. She quit her job. Everything for her
just…stopped.” His voice cracked. “And then she….” He broke off again,
overwhelmed by grief.
“What happened?” I urged, hopeful that
Ariel had finally gotten rid of the guy.
A tearful Mason met my gaze and he said
in a sad tone, “She killed herself, Bristol.”
I covered my mouth and muffled, “No!”
“Cops found his body two days later in
his apartment. I guess he shot himself after hearing about Ariel. Bastard. He
took the easy way out.” Turning away from me, he cleared his throat and wiped
his face harshly with the palm of his hand. “I guess they both did. I just wish
I could have done something for my sister, convinced her to keep fighting.”
Wanting to offer him some comfort, I
began rubbing his arm. His skin was warm past the short sleeve of his shirt.
“It’s not your fault, Mason. Ariel did fight. She filed that restraining ord—”
“It wasn’t enough,” he interjected,
gritting his teeth. “What he put her through was terrible, but she shouldn’t
have given up. My family and I… We were all trying to help her.”
“That’s why you’re helping me,” I said.
“You don’t want it to be a repeat of what happened to Ariel.”
His expression turned rigid. “I didn’t
think it was the same at first, but it’s—”
“It’s not the same situation,” I told
him, squeezing his hand. “It’s not.”
He cocked his head to one side, regarding
me as if I were naive. “Bristol, he knows where you work. He followed you to
your dad’s place. He was watching us last Sunday, and he left a clear message
on my car. It might seem small to you right now, but trust me, this is how it
started for my sister. If we don’t figure out who he is, I’m afraid things will
escalate. He will grow bolder.”
“I don’t think it’s like that,” I
whispered, not wanting to believe it. I wasn’t Ariel. I was a fighter, and my
story would have a different ending.
For a moment, Mason sat there observing
me. That warm feeling returned to my chest. I lifted my hand and stroked his
cheek, wiping away a single tear that had broken free.
He covered my hand with his for a short
time, and then eased it away. I wondered how he perceived my gesture, if I had
crossed an invisible line that read: not now.
“Okay.” He sighed, not mentioning it.
“Let’s get you back to your dad’s. I’ll keep searching for clues. If you think
of anything, call me.”
We stood and headed to the door. I
picked up the bag of water bottles I’d taken from my fridge. “I can’t believe I
have to leave my apartment,” I
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