Do you Love me, sir?

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Can’t Wait

After I got the new letter I freaked out, I had barely held it together long enough to get Ally home, I was grateful when she went to her room silently. I waited till I heard the familiar sounds of the intro to the “Little Mermaid” before I broke down into frightened tears.

I had prayed every night over the last few weeks that this ‘Anonymous’ person had just given up, my tears streamed down my face as I slid to the floor in the hallway completely unable to move or think. I cried for Ally, I cried for me and I cried for all the things I couldn’t control.

My tears dried up after a half hour of full blown crying but I was still unable to move so I just sat there numbly staring at the wall. I never even heard Matt and Jeremy come in.

“Emily?” Matt’s concerned voice broke through the numbness, I instantly felt stupid for sitting on the floor in the hallway. “Where’s Ally?”

“She’s in her room,” I rasped standing up and wiping my eyes.

“What happened?” Jeremy asked, I noted the concerned tone in his voice, he was still creepy but he was starting to grow on me.

“Dan’s back, he threatened Ally in the hall, she’s in shock,” I explained, Matt wordlessly ran down the hall to Ally’s room. I felt glad that Ally had Matt to fight her corner and protect her because I was starting doubt my ability to help her. Jeremy stood a couple of feet away from me anxiously shifting from foot to foot.

“Jeremy,” I said acknowledging his presence unsure of what to do with him. “Want to help me make some dinner for everyone?” I wasn’t hungry but I needed to do something and cooking was something.

“Sure,” he nodded following me into the kitchen. We silently moved around the kitchen making Spaghetti Bolognese from scratch only speaking when one of us needed something the other one had.

After about an hour we were dishing up the food, “Are you OK?” Jeremy asked placing a hand gently on my forearm. The question threw me; I didn’t know how to answer.

“Yes,” I lied picking up the plates and bringing them down the hall to Ally and Matt. When I came back Jeremy had his jacket on, “Where are you going?”

“I have a late shift at the bar; I just got a job there last week. I’m in at seven and it’s already 6:30.” He explained looking me over, shivers tickled my spine, his gaze was intense.

“OK thank you.” I stammered staring back, I was enthralled by him.

“Don’t mention it,” he said turning and disappeared through the front door, I just stood there for a moment confused by the feelings exploding in my body. Did I feel something for Jeremy? Or was I just confused by the day’s events? I was suddenly hit by the need to see Caleb; I needed his arms around me.

I stood in his cinema room, staring at him wordlessly. No words could describe the war of emotions I felt, guilt, weak, tired, hurt, scared, in love, strong, hatred. All of them warring inside me. 

“Are you OK?” he asked closing the distance between us.

“He’s back!” my voice trembled as I remembered the letter.

“Dan?”

“Anonymous….. He’s back.” I took the letter out and handed it to him. I watched anger and fear spread across his perfect face.

“When did you get this?”

“Today,” I whimpered, “I skipped the last three periods…. I was in the library…… It was in my history book, I think I was meant to find it in class.”