*Dani's POV*
Five days. It's been five days since I've last seen Josh. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'd like to think of it as a good thing but I can't seem to get that look he gave me out of my head. It was a look of fear, panic, disbelief, and jealousy. A deadly combination of emotions if you ask me.
But I can tell you one thing. I enjoy not being followed on a regular basis and I like how I don't have to make conversation with him. He has simply disappeared, but knowing Josh, he's not quite gone. He's up to something. Something that I don't want any part of or any knowledge of. Even though he's not around, I still feel his eyes on me, watching my every move. I'm not quite free yet.
Maybe Harry's right. I should call the police but I think that's taking it too far. He hasn't done anything to me yet. He has only made me uncomfortable but he hasn't done anything to me and I hope it stays that way. Josh is just going through a phase and I hope that with time, he won't be interested in me anymore.
Things haven't been the same since I told Harry about Josh. He's been worried lately and has been keeping a close eye on me. He would walk me to class, walk me home, and occasionally call or text to see how I was doing. His protectiveness is somewhat suffocating but I really appreciate him watching out for me. First, it was me watching out for him, but now, he's watching out for me. In a way, we're even now.
"Did you hear what I said?" Harry asked, watching me carefully.
"Huh?" I replied, shaking the thoughts from my head.
"I said I'm working the night shift tomorrow to cover for a co-worker who's sick."
"Oh." I wasn't quite sure what to say about that?
"You don't understand, do you?" he asked slowly.
"Understand what?"
"If I work the night shift tomorrow, I can't walk you home."
"I can walk home by myself just fine. I've been doing it for four years."
"Yeah, but that was before you told me about that homeless guy that's been following you," Harry said sternly. "I'm going to try to get out of working the night shift tomorrow."
"There's no need. It's only one night. Besides, I haven't seen him since I told him I had a boyfriend," I replied. Harry continued to watch me for the longest time and then sighed.
"Fine. Just be careful," he warned.
"I will," I told him, shooting him a reassuring smile. He smiled back at me but as soon as I turned to face my food, his smile was replaced by a frown. He doesn't think I'm capable of walking home myself, does he?
Harry and I were at an Italian restaurant having dinner. I was suddenly not hungry anymore because of the conversation. It upset me that Harry was treating me like a child and didn't think I was capable of taking care of myself.
"Let's go home," I suggested, a slight annoyance in my tone.
"But you haven't touched your food," Harry countered.
"I'm not hungry anymore." Harry's eyes softened at my words and he silently got up to pay the bill. He came back later with change and some takeout boxes.
"Here," he said, handing me a takeout box. "Look...I'm sorry if what I said upset you, okay? I'm just worried for you is all."
"No need to be sorry. I understand," I replied, not meeting his eyes. I put my focus on making sure I didn't spill any pasta as I shoveled the food into the box.
We walked back home in silence after that. I felt guilty for snapping at him. Things have definitely changed between us. I love him, I really do. His protectiveness is supposed to give me a sense of security but I feel like he's only doing this to protect me as a friend, to pay me back for what I've done. I'm only a friend to him. My heart dropped at the sudden thought, but that makes sense, right? I did ask him to be my fake boyfriend after all. What did I expect?
Harry caught a hold of my hand and wrapped his strong hand around mine. I pulled my hand away from the sudden action and looked at him, wide-eyed. He just sighed, staring at me with sad eyes.
"You don't have to do that, you know," I told him. "He's not here."
"But I want to," he said softly. He grabbed my hand again but this time, I didn't pull away. We walked for a bit until Harry suddenly stopped. I stopped walking and turned to face him.
"What's wrong?" I asked. Now it was my turn to be worried.
"I've just been thinking lately...." he said thoughtfully. "Our relationship hasn't been the same after you told me about the homeless guy. I was wondering if it's something I've done?"
"You haven't done anything wrong," I tried to console him. Looking at the expression on his face, he didn't believe me.
"I'm sorry if I've been overbearing lately. It's just--I really care about you, I really do. You've done so much to help me and now it's my turn to help you." I nodded at his words in understanding.
"I feel like you're taking this the wrong way," he continued.
"Taking what the wrong way?" I asked in confusion.
"You see my protectiveness as an overprotective dad taking care of his daughter but it's not that kind of protectiveness." I stayed silent, still confused as to what he was implying. Harry eyed me warily and sighed. "This isn't how I pictured telling you this but I feel the need to say it now so that you'd understand. I...I'm being protective of you because I...I love you." He said those words so quietly I almost didn't hear them. My heart rate picked up at his words and I felt myself blushing. I couldn't look at him.
"Dani, look at me," Harry said firmly, cupping my face in his hands and turning it so that I faced him. "I'm doing this because I love you." There was so much determination and confidence in his voice, it was overwhelming. My knees were getting weak and I had to hold on to his shoulders to keep from falling.
Those are the words I longed to hear. It feels good to hear someone you love declare their feelings for you. I've been through a lot of ups and downs with Harry, but in the end, we're finally together on the same page.
"I love you too," I choked. "I realized I loved you when my dad kicked you out." I quickly hugged him and couldn't help the tears that fell. Harry rubbed my back soothingly and kissed my head. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent which was calming. We were probably standing there for a long time but I don't care. All I cared about was how he was mine and I was his. I pulled back from the hug and rested my forehead on his and we just stood there breathing each other's air. Harry gave me a peck on the cheek.
"Let's go home," Harry said softly, tangling his hand with mine.
.
.
The next day....
*Dani's POV*
I could feel the warmth of the sun on my cheeks. The birds were chirping. I tightened my grip on hair and froze. I opened my eyes to see that I had my hands in Harry's hair and blushed. I forgot that I told Harry to sleep with me last night. I slowly untangled my hands from his hair, and as I did so, his eyes fluttered open.
"Good morning," he said groggily. He gave me a sleepy smile and kissed me on the cheek. His lips stayed there, lightly brushing my cheek. I could feel his lips curve into a smile and I couldn't help but laugh.
I've never felt so happy in my life before. I wanted to lie here forever and never get up. For a moment, I forgot about all my worries. For a moment, I was at peace. Until I remembered I had class, of course. I sighed, pulling away from Harry's warmth. Harry gave me a puzzled look.
"School," I simply replied and he nodded.
"I'll walk you there," Harry said, his voice muffled by the sheets. I didn't want to ruin the mood by saying he didn't have to so I let him walk me to class.
Before he left, he reminded me he was working the night shift and wouldn't be able to walk me home. I had to tell him ten times that I would be fine walking home by myself.
"Call me when you get home!" he shouted as he headed back to the apartment. I felt loved. So loved. There was something special about being in a relationship. It felt nice having someone care so much about you.
.
.
Classes usually go by slowly but today, it was extra slow. Maybe it was because I longed to see Harry but knew I wouldn't be able to see him for a while. Today I had class until 8pm because of my lab class.
Finally, class was over and I stepped outside. The sun was already setting and it was getting dark outside. I quickly made my way home. Even though having Harry walk me home was kind of suffocating, I felt naked and vulnerable without him by my side today.
I decided I would take the long way home so I could pass by the bakery and say hi to him. I really longed to see him after a long day at school and the thought of seeing him excited me.
I took a shortcut behind some businesses and silently made my way to the bakery. I could hear the patter of my feet on the asphalt. All of a sudden, I heard a voice that made my blood run cold.
"So you and Harry, huh?" I turned around to see Josh. He looked absolutely awful. His eyes were bloodshot and he had bags under his eyes. His hair was matted from sweat and he was unshaven. He took a step towards me and I took a step back in fear.
"Of all the f*cking people you could choose from, you chose Harry," he spat. His voice was filled with so much hatred, so much venom, it was scary. This is not the Josh I know. I don't recognize the person in front of me.
All of a sudden, it occurred to me that Josh was drunk and possibly high. A horrible combination to have when you're mentally unstable. But how did he know that Harry was my boyfriend? And most importantly, how did he know his name was Harry?
"You know Harry?" I asked weakly.
"Yeah, we worked for the same guy selling drugs," he said matter-of-factly. My heart sank at this news. I must remember that Harry is not perfect but he's making progress. "We never liked each other though because we both needed the money but we had to share the work."
I stayed silent, not wanting to make him more angry. My mind was racing as I desperately tried to find a way to get out of this situation. To my surprise, Josh started sobbing. He broke down and fell to his knees.
"Dani, why don't you love me back?" he sobbed. I stared into his pleading eyes and felt a pang of guilt.
"I do," I lied.
"You liar!" he shouted, getting back on his feet. I jumped at his loud voice and looked around to see if anyone came to see what was happening but no one showed up. The alley was empty. It was just the two of us. "You love him," he spat. "I've been watching the two of you. Don't lie to me."
I took a step back, ready to make a run for it. Josh took a step forward and I quickly turned on my heels and ran as fast as I could.
"Stop!" he shouted. I don't know why I stopped. His voice sounded far away like he made no effort to follow me so I deemed it safe to turn around to see what he had to say. I turned around and gasped.
Josh had a gun pointed right at me. I put my hand over my mouth to muffle a sob. Why? Why me?
"Josh," I pleaded. "This is not the answer, trust me."
"Yes it is," he said hastily. "If we can't be together in this life, we can be together in another life." What is that supposed to mean? I closed my eyes and prayed that he would put the gun down and change his mind.
"Please, Josh," I pleaded again, crying harder this time. "Don't do this. You're not thinking straight." His aim on me was unwavering. I heard the gun click. There's no use running. He'll shoot me dead. "Please," I whispered, my vision blurred by tears. I saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes but it was quickly replaced by one of determination. I heard a loud BANG! and everything went black.