Chapter 8: Sophie
I walked into my house, groceries in hand, and was instantly greeted by Naomi. "Hey, girl."
She whimpered, then padded down the hallway. Her nails were scratching at my door. I set the groceries down at the doorway of the kitchen and followed her. My door was shut.
"Why is this shut?" I asked myself. I turned the nob and Naomi pushed past me, sniffing around. My eyes immediately went to bed. An array of gifts were scattered along my bed. I slowly walked over and glanced at each gift. "What the hell...?"
A huge bouquet of roses was on my bedside table. Boxes of chocolate tied together with a red ribbon sat in between the fluffy legs of a brown teddy bear that held a heart that said 'I Love You'. A basket full of body soaps, sprays, lotions, and bath bombs was wrapped together with a pink ribbon. A note was beside it all. I picked it up and read it.
I hope your elbow is okay. You are not allowed to kiss anyone but me from now on. I will see you soon. –Yours Truly
I smiled, thinking of Justin. I couldn't believe he did all of this! Was this because he felt sorry because I fell?
I set the note down and went to put the groceries away. After leaving Pete's, I stopped by the store and used some of the money my mom send over to buy some food for the house. Justin would be here soon and I wanted to straighten up the house, not that he cared much. I put the last grocery away, balled up the plastic bag, and tossed it into the trashcan. From there, I walked around the house and tidied it up.
The doorbell rang and I put down the blanket I was folding on the back of the couch. "Come in!" I called.
The door opened and Justin walked in. Naomi barked and jumped up at him. "Hey there, Naomi," he laughed, closing the door and kneeling to pet her. She licked his face all over, obviously happy to see him.
"Hello," I greeted, walking up to him.
Justin stood and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against him. His lips gently touched mine and he smiled. "Hey there."
I smiled back at him, a warm feeling spreading through my body. It felt natural to be like this with him, and it felt great. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the living room. He fell onto the couch, stretching out and settling himself.
"I'll be right back," I said, hurrying to my room. I didn't get the chance to clean myself up after playing basketball, so I wanted to shower really quick and change into something more comfortable. I turned on the shower and took off my clothes while waiting for it to warm up. I rinsed my sweaty body off, carefully avoiding my sore elbow, and washed my hair.
I rushed drying myself off and putting my hair in a messy bun once it wasn't sopping wet anymore. Once I was dressed in my pajamas, I walked back out to the living room to see Justin flipping through channels on the TV. He looked over to me as I sat down.
"You smell better," he commented. I elbowed him.
"You don't," I lied. He smelled like aftershave, and it smelled good. I wanted to kiss him, but I restrained myself.
"What do you want to watch this time? No bad scary movies this time," he quickly said as I opened my mouth. I laughed and elbowed him again.
"It wasn't that bad..." I began to say, but I knew it was a lie. The movie we watched the previous night was terrible. "How about a mystery?"
"Seven?"
"I love that movie!" I exclaimed. Morgan Freeman was one of my favorite actors, and Justin knew that. "Let's watch it!"
He grabbed the DVD from the shelf below the TV and put it in the DVD player. I grabbed the remote as he sat back down on the couch. I skipped through all of the previews for movies that have already come out and hit play. The sun was going down and it was getting darker by the minute. I snuggled next to Justin, pulling the throw blanket over my chest. He draped his arm around me and rested his cheek on my head.
Suddenly, I remembered the array of gifts scattered along my bed. "Thank you," I whispered sleepily, closing my eyes.
"You're welcome," he said quietly, kissing my temple. The last thing I remember seeing is Kevin Spacey holding Brad Pitt at gunpoint before I closed my eyes and sleep swept over me.
~
When I woke up, I was on top of Justin. He was snoring quietly, and his hair was all messy. It was Sunday morning, and the sun was bright as it flooded through the windows. I blinked, then sat up and yawned. Justin stirred as I pulled myself off of him.
"Wha-," Justin yawned.
"Sorry, I whispered, glancing down at him.
He sat up, looking around with a sleepy look in his eyes. "What time is it?"
I looked over to the clock on the wall. "A little after nine," I answered. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you."
He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. "Don't ever apologize for that."
I blushed and stood up. "How about breakfast?" I asked, walking to the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator and took out the carton of eggs and a gallon of milk.
"Sure," he answered, appearing at the breakfast bar on the other side of the kitchen. "Is someone blushing?"
"Shut up," I said quickly, trying to hide a smile. "I have eggs and bacon. I might have some pancake mix, too."
He moved around the breakfast bar and into the kitchen. "Sounds great. Let me help."
We moved around the kitchen together, him mixing the pancakes and me cooking the bacon and eggs. It was nice to actually cook with him again. The last time we cooked in my kitchen together was for a bake sale in the seventh grade. Once we were finished cooking, we sat at the breakfast bar and ate our food. It was quiet, so I finally spoke up.
"What do you have planned for today?" I asked. I took a sip of my orange juice and wiped my mouth with a napkin.
"Absolutely nothing," he sighed, shoving some eggs into his mouth. "Zoey wants to throw a party."
I rolled my eyes. "Her? Throw a party? What a surprise."
Zoey was the life-of-the-party kind of girl. She was so outgoing and was a star soccer player in school. She was always getting invited to parties- high school and college. She wasn't a drinker, she just went for the socialization and dancing. I never went to parties. We were complete opposites when it came to that. I was a movie and over-sized t-shirt kind of girl, and she was a party dress and high heels girl. I can clarify that opposites do attract.
Justin laughed. "Yeah." He ate the last of his pancakes and glanced over at me. "We should have one here."
I almost choked on my eggs. "Excuse me?" It took me a moment to register what he said. "Why here?"
"Well, your house is bigger than hers," he began. "Plus, your mom is away on that business trip. I'm sure Zoey would love to have it here."
"No one will come to my house. I'm a party-killer because I wouldn't allow alcohol. You know me, Justin," I pointed out. Alcoholism ran in my family- it was how my dad died. He drank himself to death shortly after my mom left him when he wouldn't sober up. I was only three-years-old when it happened, so I didn't know him well, and my mom would never talk about him. All I knew was that he was an alcoholic, which was the main reason I never liked alcohol.
"You don't need alcohol to have a good party."
I couldn't help but choke out a laugh. "You try telling that to half of the kids at school."
Justin shrugged. "I'm sure if Zoey were to invite them, more people would show up. Come on, Soph. You could use some company besides me. And Naomi doesn't count," he added.
I bumped his shoulder with mine, half-smiling. I thought for a moment. Unfortunately, Justin was right- I needed company other than him and Naomi. I let out a sigh. "Fine, let's have a party here."
He looked at me, surprise plastered on his face. "Really?"
"Yeah, really." I slid off of the stool and grabbed both of our plates to wash them. "Text Zoey and tell her we can have a party here tonight since we don't have school tomorrow. But you have to help me clean up the house."
He seemed pleased until I added the last part. "Fine."
I started to wash the dishes and he texted Zoey. A few minutes later, he popped his head into the kitchen. "She said she would be here at seven. We've got time to kill."
"Great."
Justin helped me dry the dishes and put them away. After the kitchen was clean, he helped me clean around the house, do the laundry, and clean the patio. It took most of the afternoon, but we finished in time to have some sandwiches for lunch.
"Do you mind if I take a shower?" I asked him, swallowing the last of my turkey sandwich.
"Can I join?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
My face grew hot and I shoved his shoulder. "You most certainly cannot!"
Justin laughed as I walked to my room and closed my door behind me. I quickly took my shower, unable to get rid of the butterflies in my stomach. I thought about what intimacy would be like with Justin. Surprisingly, it didn't seem too weird. I didn't see it happening any time soon, though.
Thirty minutes later, I was dressed and put on some light makeup. Justin showed up at my bathroom door and leaned against the doorway.
"You look good," he commented, staring at me in the mirror.
"Thanks," I said, flashing him a smile. I turned and put my hands on my hips. "I'm not used to parties. Is this okay?"
He gave me a once-over and nodded. I was in my favorite faded jeans and a dark green top. I knew Zoey was a party dress girl, but I hated dresses, so I wasn't sure what was considered party-appropriate.
"You're worrying an awful lot about what you're wearing," Justin said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I'm a girl," I pointed out. He was right, though. I never paid much attention to what I wore. I was like a fish out of water when it came to parties it seemed.
"Come on, it's almost seven," Justin said. "I went to the store and got some drinks and chips."
"Sounds like a birthday party," I laughed. It was better than alcohol, though.
Seven o'clock rolled around and Zoey showed up with a few other people. Just as I expected, she was in a pink cocktail dress with high heels on. She looked stunning, though. Her hair was half-up and had a slight wave to it, and her eyeshadow was just as glittery as her silver high heel shoes.
"What did Justin do to you to have you agree to have a party here?" she joked, throwing her arm around my shoulder and pulling me in to kiss my cheek. I smirked at her and her smile faltered. Her face went from playful to surprise. "No way."
"I did not sleep with him," I clarified. I then realized that was partly a lie, so I added, "Not in the way you would think, at least."
"Sophie!" she squealed. "When? How? Where?"
"He asked me on a date yesterday and it just... happened," I said, shrugging. Before she could ask any more questions, the doorbell rang again and Naomi barked. I escaped from her and opened the door. Five guys wearing letterman jackets came into the house, not acknowledging me as they walked past me. Not that I let them in or anything.
I walked into the living room to see Justin fumbling with the stereo system beneath the television. Second, later, music started followed by cheering from throughout the house. After about an hour, there was a mixture of about fifty high school and college students mingling around my house. I made sure all rooms were locked besides the bathroom. I didn't need my mom knowing I had a party by knowing stuff was missing.
I was with Zoey, Julie, Jeremy, and Justin most of the time, hanging out in the living room. Occasionally, Zoey would walk away and mingle with the many people she knew. Suddenly, I heard cheering coming from the patio. Justin, Julie, and I glanced out the window to see some of the football players jumping into the pool in only their underwear.
"What the hell are they doing?" I asked in disbelief. "It's fifty degrees outside."
Zoey came up behind me and looked out the window. "They're making bets. It's what they do. They were at a frat party I was invited to one time and one of them ended up streaking down Sorority Lane."
I made a face. "If anyone streaks I'm throwing everyone out."
Zoey laughed and walked away again. Justin and I walked around, making small talk with a few people from our classes.
"Where's the alcohol here? What kind of party is this?" I heard some guy ask. He was unfamiliar, so I assumed he was from the nearby college.
"Dude, it's in the kitchen," another guy answered, lifting his red plastic cup up to him. I froze, then mentally slapped myself. I should've known once Zoey told me there were frat guys coming that at least one of them would bring alcohol.
I walked away from Justin and headed towards the kitchen. I saw Jeremy in there, holding up a bottle of what I assumed was tequila. He was sitting on the kitchen counter and a few people were around him, cheering. He took a swig from the bottle and raised his arms up. I'd never seen him acting like this before. But then again, I'd never seen him drunk. I walked over to him and grabbed the bottle out of his hand and poured what was left of the bottle down the sink. People behind me protested in a huge uproar, but I didn't care.
"You guys can get drunk and act like idiots at frat parties, but not in my house," I said, walking out of the kitchen and tossing the empty glass bottle in the trash.
"Bitch!" I heard someone call from behind me. I flipped them off and kept walking into the living room. I found Zoey and pulled her to the side.
"Your boy toy is drunk in my kitchen," I informed her. She sighed and went to walk away, but I stopped her. "If you see alcohol, please take it away. I don't need police here giving people breathalyzer tests to everyone."
She nodded and disappeared into the sea of people in my living room. It was already almost ten o'clock, and I was already feeling tired. How long did parties usually last?
Justin found me and pulled me against him, snaking his arms around my waist. My back was to his stomach and he rested his head between my cheek and my neck. We started swaying to the music, and I laughed. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to make you have fun. This is a party, and you're not a chaperone," he pointed out. "Relax and have a good time."
He was right, so I put my arms over his and swayed against him, closing my eyes and letting him kiss my neck. I thought I was having a good time until now, but Justin made it even better. I was relaxed, leaning against him and letting him move my body with his. I felt like it ended too early when he whispered in my ear, "I'll be right back."
He disappeared down the hallway, leaving me in the middle of the crowd of people alone. I surveyed around the house, seeing that people were already starting to leave. Probably because there was no alcohol, but I didn't care. If they wanted to get drunk, they didn't need to do it here. It was almost eleven o'clock, and I yawned. Zoey suddenly appeared at my side.
"Sleepy already?" she asked, handing me a red cup. I glanced at it and saw it was only water. I took a sip and nodded.
"How do I end a party?" I asked, chuckling. "Do I wait until they get tired or do I have to kick them all out?"
"It shouldn't be too hard, Alpha Phi is having a mixer tonight for their new pledges. Word is getting around so any frat guy that came here is either gone or getting ready to leave."
"Good," I said, yawning again. "Will you help me get people out?"
"Sure." She disappeared into the kitchen and started to tell people to leave. Justin reappeared at my side and pulled me against him again.
"Zoey is getting people to leave," I told him.
Jeremy came out of the kitchen with a mean look on his face. "I don't want to leave."
"Too bad," Zoey said, coming up behind him. "Plus, you're drunk. You can't even stand straight. How much damn tequila did you have?"
"Guess that's my cue," Justin sighed, releasing me. Jeremy was Justin's best friend, so it was only natural Justin would be his ride home.
After about ten minutes, the whole house was empty. Zoey was the last one to leave but lingered at the door for a moment before closing it.
"Are you sure you don't need any help?" she asked, a sympathetic look on her face.
I shook my head. "No, I think Justin is coming back after taking Jeremy home. Go to the Alpha Phi party or whatever everyone is going to," I said, forcing a smile. "Just be careful."
"You too," she smirked and winked at me. She shut the door, leaving me alone. I glanced around at the living room. Red plastic cups were everywhere, but other than that, the mess wasn't bad at all. I walked around with a trash bag, picking up plastic cups and napkins that were crumpled up on the floor. I walked out to the patio and fixed the chairs that had been turned upside down, picked up the trash, and walked back inside. I closed the door behind me and straightened up the living room. My phone dinged, so I pulled it out and read the text message. It was from Justin.
Might be a little late getting back to your house. Jeremy is a mess. -J
I texted him back and told him it was okay, and to make sure Jeremy was okay before he left him. I put my phone back in my pocket and took the garbage bag full of trash to the garage. The garage door was open and I sighed. I pressed the button to close it and tossed the trash bag into the garbage bin next to the door.
Back inside, it seemed way too quiet. Naomi was asleep on the couch, and the music had been turned off. I shivered, feeling chills crawl down my back. A cold wind hit my face, so I turned and saw the back door was opened again. I paused and stared for a moment, deciding I didn't shut it all the way when I came back inside. A strange, eerie feeling came over me as I shut the door. It made me feel uneasy and my stomach was turning.
I turned and almost screamed. There was a man standing in the middle of my living room. He was tall and looked to be in his late twenties. His unkempt, curly black hair fell over his icy-blue eyes. He was in dark jeans and a black leather jacket, identical to Justin's. The look on his face was terrifying. He took a step towards me.
"My love," he whispered. He looked as if he was about to cry. I took a step back.
"Excuse me?" I asked. His love? He didn't look drunk, and I didn't recall seeing him at the party, but there was obviously something off with him. "You must have me confused with someone else."
His lips curved into a tiny smile. "I could never confuse you with someone else. You're too beautiful, my love."
I tried to hold back a small laugh but failed. "I don't know who you are, but you need to leave. Now," I said, a little demanding.
"Leave? Why would you want me to leave?" he asked, seeming confused. "I'm not leaving you. I couldn't stay away from you any longer. I need you, my love."
He took another step towards me, and then Naomi woke up. She started growling at the strange man that stood only a few feet from me. Who was this guy, and why was he calling me 'his love'?
"Okay," I finally said. "You're insane. I don't know who you are, and if you don't leave I'm calling the police."
His smile disappeared and his eyes turned cold. "I'm not afraid of the police." He took another step towards me. "I'm not leaving here without you."
I narrowed my eyes. "What the hell do you want?" I asked, trying to seem unafraid. I must have failed, because his smile reappeared. I was terrified. I should've asked Zoey to stay.
"You, my love. I've come for you." He moved towards me and tried to grab me. I ducked past him and ran down the hallway.
"Don't touch me!" I screamed. I ran into my room and slammed it behind me. I fumbled at the knob, trying to lock it. I heard Naomi bark, then the man grunt. There was a scuffle for about a minute. I heard glass break, then Naomi whimper. A door slammed, then I heard her bark repeatedly. I closed my eyes and prayed she wasn't hurt.
Seconds later, the man tried to turn the nob. He pounded on the door. "Open the door, my love, I won't hurt you," he shouted, obviously frustrated.
"Leave me alone!" I screamed at him, moving away from the door. I took out my phone and dialed 9-1-1. It rang twice, and then a woman answered.
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
"Yes, hello," I whispered, my voice shaking. "There's a man in my house. I don't know who he is but he says he's come for me. Please send someone!" I couldn't stop the tears that were beginning to fall.
"What's your address, ma'am?" she asked. I told her, sinking to the floor and hugging my knees. "Okay, and your name?"
"Sophie Anderson."
"Okay Sophie, I need you to stay calm for me, okay? I have dispatched officers to your location. Do you know if he has a weapon?"
I shook my head. "I don't know."
The pounding on my door became rougher like he was throwing his whole body against the wood. "Please let me in, my love. I won't hurt you, I promise!"
"Go away!" I screamed through my tears. I couldn't stop my body from shaking. This was the first time that I had ever felt this scared in my life. Who was he, and why was he after me?
"Please, just tell me one thing," he asked. The banging on my door had stopped. "Just one thing, my love."
I wiped the tears from my cheeks. "What is it?"
He didn't answer for a few seconds. I heard him sigh. "What is your name, my love?"
"Sophie, are you still there?" the operator asked.
"Yes," I whispered. "He wants to know my name."
"Don't answer him, Sophie," she said. "Don't talk to him at all."
He pounded on my door again, startling me.
"Just go away!" I cried, ignoring her. "Please, just leave me alone!"
"Tell me your name!" he shouted. "Or I kill the dog!"
I gasped, putting a hand to my mouth. Naomi was still out there, barking. "No," I whispered. I crawled towards the door and rested my head against it. "Please don't."
"Tell me your name," he said one more time. His voice was stern.
I closed my eyes and swallowed. "It's Sophie," I finally choked out. I heard sirens in the distance. I could hear him breathing hard on the other side of the door.
"Sophie?" he asked.
"Yes. My name is Sophie." Tears began to fall again. My phone was on the floor. I could hear the operator asking if I was still there, but I didn't answer her. I was frozen in fear. I felt him rest his hand on the doorknob and lean his body against the door.
"That is a beautiful name, my love," he breathed. "I will see you soon, Sophie. Don't forget about me."
I heard his footsteps as he walked away from the door. The sirens got louder, and I could see the red and blue flashing lights outside my window. I backed away from the door and rested my back against my bed, hugging my knees to my chest and crying.
A few minutes later, I heard my front door burst open and footsteps echoing against the hardwood floor. An officer called my name, but I couldn't move. I was shaking, hugging myself tightly. I felt like I had made a mistake telling him my name, but I couldn't put Naomi's life on the line like that. She was still barking, and then I heard her nails scratch at my door.
Moments later, an officer burst into my room, sending wood from my door flying across my room. I looked up at him, still shaking. He had on a vest that said FBI. He kneeled down in front of me and looked me in the eye.
"Is there anyone else in the house?" he asked me. When I shook my head, he put his gun back in its holster. Naomi came up to me and licked my face. I placed a hand on her and she sat next to me. I cried into her fur, thankful she was okay.
"Can you tell me your name?" he asked. My mind flashed to the man asking for my name. I looked up at the officer.
"Sophie," I whispered.
He nodded. "I'm special agent Darius White. I'm with the FBI." He paused for a moment, letting it register in my mind. "Did he hurt you?"
I shook my head. "No, he tried to grab me but I..." My voice trailed off.
"Come on, let's get you checked out." He helped me up and led me out of my room. I looked at the mess in the living room from the scrap Naomi had with the man. The lamp had fallen off the table and shattered into a million pieces. I stepped on the ceramic pieces as we walked by them. He guided me out of the house and to an ambulance that was in the driveway. A paramedic motioned me to sit down in the back of the ambulance, and I obliged.
"Can she come with me?" I asked, looking at Naomi. Darius and the paramedic glanced at each other, then the paramedic nodded.
"He's going to take you to the hospital to get you checked out. I'll meet you there," he said slowly. "Does anyone else live in the house?"
I nodded. "My mom, but she's out of town." Oh God, my mom. What would she do when she heard about this? I wiped my tear-streaked face and leaned against Naomi, who sat next to me in the back of the ambulance. "It was only me in the house."
Darius nodded and disappeared for a few minutes. Blue and red lights flashed from everywhere. There must have been six or seven cop cars parked along the street. Officers were walking in and out of the house, and some were in the yard with flashlights, shining them into bushes and along the sides of the house.
While the paramedic was checking me for the injuries I knew I didn't have, I started to put the pieces together. It was that man who kept leaving me presents. And the notes. It wasn't Justin. Which meant he had been in my house before. Fear washed over me once more.
How long had this man been watching me? And the more important question, what the hell did he want?