Four envelopes sat atop my kitchen table, all sporting the same simple design you could buy in any store. One had arrived yesterday and the other two the days before. I found the last one today, stuck between my door frame when I'd come home from grabbing groceries. I'd been gone for barely an hour.
I clenched my hands, snatched them up, and dumped them into the box with the rest of them. I had stopped opening them. What was the point? They were just letters. They couldn't hurt me. Maybe this would resolve itself on its own when whoever did this realized that I didn't care.
I flopped back onto the couch. Jules and Sam wanted to game tonight. But before that, I had to finish my homework, do laundry, and clean the apartment.
Seconds crawled by, stretching into minutes, then an hour. I remained motionless, staring straight ahead. A heavy weight settled on my chest. I missed Angie's happy chatter. With her and Sofia gone, the apartment felt empty somehow.
Should I read the letters anyways? No. That would only make it worse. More real.
My throat tightened. Was my apartment always this small, or were the walls shrinking, closing in on me—
I jumped to my feet. I had to do something—anything—to get out of my head.
Moving on autopilot, I changed, grabbed my running shoes, and headed out. Twenty minutes later, I jogged along a narrow path that snaked through Forest Park. The air was rich with the scent of rain and damp leaves. Small green buds adorned the trees, carrying the promise of spring.
It wasn't until my muscles started to ache and my head grew numb that I slowed to a walk, catching my breath. I knew I was pushing myself too hard, but I didn't care. For once, my mind was blissfully empty.
As the light faded, the colors of the forest blended into a murky gray. The sun had long since dipped behind the horizon, and the air grew colder by the second. A few rustles and the hoot of an owl were the only sounds. I picked up my pace. It was definitely time to go home.
Flickers of light peaked through the darkening undergrowth. A clearing opened up ahead. The lamps along the winding trails cast a faint yellow glow among the grass.
A crunch followed by a low squeak made me stop dead in my tracks. I spun around. The path, now shrouded in the swirling shadows of nearby trees, seemed to darken even further.
Cold sweat ran down my back. Was somebody there?
I tried to peer through the thickening darkness. A small movement caught my attention. If I squinted my eyes hard then...it looked like a person stood on the edge of the trail I'd come from. Or an oddly shaped tree.
My neck prickled. Yep, time to head home.
I fell back into a run trying to ignore the feeling of someone chasing me. A glance over my shoulder every now and then confirmed that I was getting paranoid. There was nobody there.
Finally, large apartment complexes rose up in front of me. The quiet hum of streetlights illuminated the sidewalks. Not a single person was in sight. I leaned against a lamp post, wheezing. On second thought, I should ask Suz to come with me next time.
I glanced back and sucked in a breath.
A person lingered on the outskirts of the park, partly hidden in the shade of a large willow tree. They hadn't been there a minute ago. I'd just passed that tree.
I waited for them to move, to keep going, but the person stood still as a statue, staring at me.
Pictures of letters, written threats, and dark corridors flashed through my mind. This was weird. I edged backward before I whirled around and bolted down the street. A familiar street sign caught my eye. Killian's apartment was close by. Should I really bother him? Because I was scared of some random stranger? It wasn't like he did anything. He just stared.
Panting, I stumbled to a halt and looked back. Despite my mad dash the distance had shrunk between us. He stood outside the cone of light, right next to a thick hedge. A bicycle gleamed in his hands.
My already racing pulse sped up even more. One time could be a coincidence, but twice?
Sweat ran down my face, and my skin prickled in discomfort. Killian's and Cody's apartment was so close, it was taunting.
"Fuck," I muttered, pivoting on my heel, and breaking into a sprint. A sharp pain punctured my chest, right below my ribs. I tried to pace myself, but I was at the end of my strength and completely out of my rhythm. Houses and complexes flew by in a blur until Cody's truck caught my eye.
Huffing and puffing, I collapsed at their doorstep, my lungs on fire. I turned back, searching the empty sidewalks and road, but the man was nowhere—no. I sucked in a lungful of air. There he was. His silhouette blended into the shadows of a large building. The metal of his bike caught the light of a nearby lamppost, betraying his location.
I twisted around, pressing my hand to my side, and scanned the doorbell. Prescott, Prescott. Where the hell was that damn nametag?
There. I pressed the bell.
"Hello?"
I jumped as Cody's voice sounded from the intercom. "It's me, Tay," I managed to get out between breaths.
"Tay? Wait a second, I'll let you up." The door buzzed.
I climbed the stairs with shaky legs. Lucky me, it wasn't Killian. Maybe he wasn't home. Or he was busy. I shouldn't be picky. Asking Cody to drive me home was actually better—God, I was hopeless. If running from some creepy stalker right into Killian's arms wasn't a cry for attention, I didn't know what was. Ugh.
When I finally made it to the second floor my muscles had raised a body-wide protest. No more wild runs without proper training first. I got the message.
I lifted my heavy head and froze.
"Hey," Killian said, a lazy smile playing on his lips. He stood in the doorway, gripping the frame above his head. Somehow my brain had taken a back seat to let my eyes take over control. That was the only explanation I could come up with. My gaze seemed glued to the way his muscles bulged in that position.
Stop staring, say something.
"Um..." I swallowed, my mouth as dry as the Sahara. "Hi."
He dropped his arms to cross them in front of his chest, leaning against the open door. "Aren't you coming in?"
"Oh." Yeah. I was still standing in the hallway like some brainless mannequin. And I was gawking. It took some effort, but I managed to pry my gaze away and stiffly walk past him.
Compared to my own cramped apartment, theirs was much more spacious. To the left of the entrance, a door led into the kitchen, made up of white cupboards and a large wooden table. The living room boasted a giant flat screen above an L-shaped couch. Two matching recliners with beige cushions sat on each side. The whole place was impeccably tidy.
"I, um...came to see Cody."
Killian took in my running attire. "You guys wanted to work out?"
"Actually, I wanted to ask if he could give me a ride home." I chuckled awkwardly and pulled at my shirt. Then I shifted away from him, suddenly very aware that I'd been running for an hour and probably stank.
"Cody's busy," Killian replied in a nonchalant tone. "I'll drive you."
"Oh, okay, thanks..." But why did Cody answer the intercom if he was that busy?
Killian grabbed his keys, and his jacket, and held the door open for me. "After you."
Back outside, I scanned the buildings and then up and down the streets for any signs of whoever was following me. I let out a breath. He was gone.
First the threats. Now, this. Was it the same person or was it a coincidence that I kept running into weirdos?
"What's wrong with your face?" Killian's voice cut through the silence as he parked the car. I'd been so distracted the ride home had passed in the blink of an eye.
On cue, my neck started itching and I clenched my fingers trying to resist the urge to reach up and scratch at it. Was it that noticeable? That my skin got worse?
He studied me with a warm gaze. "I'm saying your expression betrays you. You have I have problems written all over it."
"I'm fine," I lied and tried to rearrange my features into a blank expression. This guy was too perceptive for his own good.
His voice carried a hint of sarcasm as he spoke. "How about you practice that a few more times and try again."
"Fine," I relented. "Not everyone can be as poker-faced as you."
"I told you, you're a bad liar. Don't even bother. It's better to be honest anyways."
"You know most people would have just rolled with it."
"Well, I'm not most people," he said and got comfortable.
"Unfortunately," I muttered.
Again, I had the sudden urge to tell him everything. To unload it all. But then I thought back to Chris' reaction. Would Killian think the same? That I was trying to get attention? Like Alicia?
I flinched when he reached out and took my hand into his much larger and stronger one, giving it a light squeeze. "Tay... Don't hold it in all the time. You're gonna explode like that. It's not healthy."
I couldn't help but relish the feeling of his warm skin on mine. "I'm studying a lot right now and...something is up with Sofia, and I don't know what to do about it."
"Is that all?"
"There are some other things as well," I admitted quietly.
"Did you talk to Suz?"
"Yeah." Right. I should call her... But for some reason, I wanted to talk to him. To lean on him.
"Good," Killian continued. "But remember your promise. So, make sure to talk to someone or you're going to have to talk to me."
"I know," I said and sighed. I wanted to stay put, to soak in his comforting presence—
Get a grip, Tay.
"Thanks for the ride," I replied and reached for the handle. If I stayed any longer, I'd definitely do something stupid. Like, tell him everything.
He let go of my hand and replied, "You're welcome."
I hopped out of the car, feeling better now that I had a plan. He was right. I should talk to Suz.
I took the first few steps up to my apartment, rounded the corner, and froze. The lamp had died and tinged the hallway into indistinguishable darkness.
Goddamn it, this dumb paranoia. It was just a staircase. One I used every day.
My phone rang in my hand. Sherlock Holmes.
I picked it up. "Yeah?"
"You inside yet? Or are you dallying around?"
This little... "I'm not dallying. I'm inside, alright?"
"Really now." His voice rang out from behind my back. I whirled around to see Killian, his left hand still holding his phone to his ear. "Already inside, huh?"
I blew out some air. "You know there is a time and place to be a smart-ass, but this is not it."
"What's the problem?" He moved in front of me and looked up. "I see."
I didn't like the way that sounded. As if he could see right through me. I opened my mouth to explain but nothing came to mind, except I'm not scared. I was just looking for my flashlight app—Yeah, as if he'd believe that.
Killian plucked the keys out of my hand and started walking up the stairs, his phone lighting the way. He glanced at me over his shoulder. "You coming?"
I sighed and followed behind.
"You're not exactly living in the best neighborhood," he remarked with a slight frown.
"It hasn't been a problem." At least so far.
He pushed the keys into my apartment and the door swung open. I turned on the lights and finally relaxed. It was clear. Everything was just the way I'd left it.
My pulse quickened when I found his unreadable eyes watching me intently.
He tilted his head. "You good here, or—"
"Of course."
He hesitated "Alright." Then he leaned forward and pulled me into a hug. A strong warm one that made you feel like everything was going to be okay. His arms tightened around my back. "Next time you wanna go on a late-night run, you let me know, yeah?"
I couldn't find my voice, so I nodded against his chest.
Seemingly satisfied with my answer, he released me and stepped back. "Good. Night, Princess."