My lungs constricted and my skin prickled with so much energy, but I was not the athletic guy; that's Arthur. I'm the nerd to the "nerd and jock" combo, and I am pretty committed to my role.
I could hear the commotion from behind me and I know that Dad already mobilized his men to capture me. The cold breeze pushed past my face, and despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins, my body is so close to giving up. I slammed a fist against my chest. You can do it, Jesse. You can do it.
If I had known I would have this newfound bravery, I would never refuse Arthur's gym invitations. Had I known that I would have enough courage to defy my parents, I would have formulated a good plan, and that included commuting and not running for my life. My soles are starting to hurt, and the lack of oxygen was making me heady.
It's about seven in the evening, and the lights on the porches of the houses were switched on. It looks like my sufferings are about to end. I can see the bus stop three meters from my location. Before I could even celebrate after seeing the end of the tunnel, I hid behind a bush when I caught a glimpse of a group of people waiting by the bus stop.
Dad's men. Of course. He knew I would be aiming for the bus stop. Stupid Jesse. Now what?
I looked around the street and caught a familiar black car parked in front of a restaurant. Come on, Jesse. That kind of model is common. Is it? It looks so expensive and I think it's a limited edition. I have never seen that kind of car being owned by one of the residents here.
Whatever will be, will be. I would rather take my chances here than have my ass hauled back home and forced to marry a girl I don't even know. How about school? I don't have money to pay for my tuition and other expenses. Fuck, I'll cross the bridge when I get there.
In the most inconspicuous way possible, I crossed the street with unimaginable speed for someone like me and so much concentration, then knocked on the car window. "Come on. Open it." I knocked a few more times and even tried opening the door, but it's locked. My eyes widened and I immediately ducked when I saw some of Dad's men across the street, my breathing was still labored and the feeling of fear heightened it.
"Hey, did you see him? David will kill us if we don't find him."
"I haven't seen him yet. Did you check the bus stop?"
"We are also checking all of his friends; in case he went to them for help."
"Don't worry. He won't get far. There's only so much you can do without money, and the residents are loyal to David."
Bit by bit, my confidence diminished and the spark in me started to abate. My body started to tremble and cold sweat pooled in my palm and back. My heart rate spiked and my eyes started to sting from unshed tears. It's over. Dad will punish me, I will be forced to marry that girl they chose, and my life will be over.
"H-Help me. Someone... please help." I covered my ears and curled against the car, making myself as small as possible to hide from them. Tears started to flow and I bit my lips to stifle the sobs.
It's just so frustrating. Being helpless with no way of escape... It's the worst feeling. I feel like no matter what I do, I always end up doing what my parents have planned. I'm stuck in a loop and there's no escape. Learned helplessness—that's what they call with my current situation. Because no matter what I do, the result is always the same.
I held my breath and my tears stopped almost instantly when I noticed a pair of black designer shoes in front of me. When I lifted my head slowly, praying and hoping that it's not one of my father's men, I was met by familiar amber eyes, wide as a saucer. I could see the instant flash of worry in his face as he crouched down to my level.
"Jesse." I won't even ask how he learned my name. I know he has his ways. "What happened? Why are you crying? Who did this to you?" He asked with gritted teeth, but my head began to throb and my eyelids become heavy.
Is he angry? Why is he frowning? Though he still looks so attractive with a deep frown. I don't know how he was able to manage that. Good-looking people have it good.
"Mr. Stalker. Help me," was the last word I remembered before darkness consumed me from intense relief. I don't care if he's a stalker. I would always choose him over my parents.
***
The next day, morning
My hands immediately gripped my temples when they throbbed and pulsed in pain. I reached for the alarm clock on my right and scrunched my face when I felt something hard, soft, and warm. Still confused and in a sleepy haze, I patted and rubbed the warm thingy and was surprised when it groaned.
"As much as I would like to accept your invitation, I'm sleepy as fuck, babe. Molest me later," came a husky reply, his tone deep and low.
It took one minute before realization dawned into me, and I blame it all in my aching head. I shot my eyes open, about to fall from their sockets, and just like any cliche movie, grabbed the nearest thing I could find, sat up, and hit the person beside me, with closed eyes.
I hope I don't see blood after this.
"Fuck. Jesse, calm down! Do you want to kill me?" I yelped when his strong hands gripped my wrist and removed the thing I used to hit him with.
"W-why? Was it a knife? Are you bleeding? If yes, can you umm... bleed somewhere else? I really don't like the sight of blood," I rambled nervously, my eyes clenched tight.
He sighed deeply and let go of my wrists. "No, I'm not bleeding. It would take more than a hardbound book to kill me, but I can tell you, I am in a lot of pain." The mockery in his tone did not escape me, but I could take it. Blood is so much worse.
I swallowed and released a breathy chuckle. "You are? I am so sorry, but please make sure that there's no trace of blood before I open my eyes. And before you react, that's a small price to pay for stalking me," I added with a false bravado that made him chuckle.
"Feisty. Stop making me fall for you even more, babe."
"Don't call me babe, I'm not a pig. You are not allowed to call me pet names until our third date, but that still depends if you surpass my standards. Before I say anything else, please make sure that there's no trace of blood on your skin. My eyes hurt from being shut tight. Have mercy on me."
Fudge. My mouth runs off when I'm nervous.
"Oh, you're fast. Do you already want to date me? I can say that I'm very honored, Jesse." The amusement in his voice and the way my name rolled off his tongue made my heart race.
"Please go. I was able to touch the lampshade earlier. This time, you will bleed to death, I assure you," I threatened the man with an exasperated sigh. The bed moved, indicating that he got up.
"We'll talk about our date later, Jesse. Don't go away," he warned and I nodded, not to the date, but to the talk. I don't want to waste my time explaining things to him.
"Just go, before I kill you."
He chuckled. "You don't like blood, remember?"
I scoffed and raised my brows. "I have so many methods of killing a person without drawing blood in my arsenal, so move your ass. I still need to talk to you about what happened last night."
"Sure. So, do I get a kiss?"
My brows drew together and my lips pursed in distaste. "I said I know so many ways of killing somebody, so keep that information in mind before you harass me, Mr. Stalker."
"Trevor, darling. The name's Trevor Hathaway," he said, truly amused with our conversation. I flinched when I felt something on my hand, but it turned out that he wanted a handshake.
"Jesse Anderson, which you already knew," I replied with a tired sigh and shook his hand. His hand was larger than mine, calloused, and enveloped mine in a firm shake.
"We finally made it official. You know, not a one-sided kind of getting to know each other," Trevor mused and chuckled softly.
I shook my head with a smile and shooed him away.
I have a feeling that I will be staying here for a few more days, so why not cooperate with him. Maybe he can help me. I just hope that I would be able to survive living with my stalker before I lose all of my hair from too much stress.
I opened my eyes when I heard a door clicked. It took a few seconds to adjust my vision and the luxury of his room welcomed me. I rubbed my face in frustration and heaved a deep sigh, as my mind takes me back to what happened two weeks ago.
Two weeks ago
Stressed from school and from my parents, I decided to take a break and headed to the park three blocks from our house. Mom and Dad are not around at the moment; they have some church-related engagements.
I should be happy because I'm free to do what I want without them breathing down my neck, but sadly, that's not the case. I feel so unsafe in our house. I don't want to be surrounded by bad memories.
A small smile cracked my face when I finally arrived at the park. It's not so big. It had three swings, a sandbox, wooden benches and tables, monkey bars, and things I can't name.
What's so calming about the ambiance is the number of trees littered around the area. Bushes of flowers were also part of the landscape to give it a relaxing vibe. I was about to cross the street when I felt a stare at me.
My eyes swept around the area to search for anyone or anything suspicious but the area is as quiet as it can be. You're just being paranoid, Jesse. Well, that's what living with a parental unit like mine will do to anyone.
It was a Saturday anyway, so I spent most of my time sitting under a large tree, with my favorite book in my hand. The library was also a good option, but I want to feel nature.
The following day, on my way to the bookstore with Arthur, I sensed that familiar, burning stare again. I elbowed Art to catch his attention, and he glanced at me, skimming through the books with a bored expression.
"What is it?"
"Did you feel it?" I whispered and subtly looked around the store. I used Art's large frame as a shield. When you have a jock best friend, you should take advantage of your perks. That's the reason I became friends with him. He knows it too, and he also uses his share of perks by making me do all his homework.
I can't complain; it's a give-and-take relationship.
Arthur placed down a book on emotional intelligence and frowned. "Feel what? My stomach rumbling? Of course. Finally, you noticed it too. I am starving, Jesse. Let's go," he beamed and dragged me out of the store.
Sighing, I let Arthur drag me away because my smaller frame won't be able to stop him anyway. I would just be expending needless energy. I choose my battles well.
A few days later, I have had it. Everywhere I go, I feel like every move I make is being watched upon. I should be creeped out, and yes I am, but more than that, I am very irritated. I almost have no privacy because of my parents, and the little time I have for myself, which is the entire way from school to our house, is being invaded.
Thus, after six days of tolerating the creep, I decided to execute my plan. As per my usual schedule during weekends, I headed to the park, with a book in my hand, and sat on my favorite spot.
If things come to worse, I am a black belt in taekwondo. I also have a pepper spray and stun gun prepared. I'm ready for a battle.
Remembering what my drama class taught me before I dropped out, I summoned the actor in me.
I should be able to internalize my role so I can express the right emotion. Think of your parents, Jesse, and the frustrations that come from being helpless. Well, it did not take long, because I was a sobbing mess thereafter. I even forgot the main reason why I'm doing this in the first place.
Bottling your emotions is not really good for one's physical, emotional, and mental health. After two minutes, I heard someone running towards me in a designer three-piece suit that hugged his strong and muscled frame. I blinked away the tears and got on my feet, then threw him the book, which he caught fluidly.
"Who are you and why are you stalking me?!" I pushed my hand in the back pocket of my pants, where I stuffed my stun gun.
The man's amber eyes twinkled in amusement and he cleared his throat. "I'm not stalking you. I would rather prefer it as observing someone I am interested in," he added with a wink that made me roll my eyes. It was hard with all the tears, but I'm Jesse.
I'm amazing like that.
I sniffed and rubbed my cheeks to dry my tears using the sleeves of my jumper. I let go of my stun gun because I sensed no malice or bad intentions from him. Halfway through, he stopped my hand and offered me a handkerchief. I stared at the fabric with a deep frown, then back to the man.
"You'll hurt your eyes. Have this. It's unused." He shoved the handkerchief into my hands and I swallowed all of my protests when he stared at me intently, showing off his dominance.
"Fine. I'll kill you if this smells bad," I retorted with a small pout and truly, the soft fabric with his intoxicating perfume was so addicting. Oh no, I almost got swept by the enemy.
I dried my cheeks and give him back his handkerchief. "Um, thank you. But you haven't answered my question. Why are you stalking me? It's irritating."
He put the handkerchief in his pocket and crossed his arms. I could see how his expensive clothes showed off his bulging muscles. Arthur is also muscular, but I never saw myself as fascinated as I have with this man. This stalker man.
Instead of answering my question, he glanced around the area and fished out his phone from his coat. He dialed a number and barked out his order with a cold voice, and in Italian. I still need to brush up on my Italian, but I vaguely understood what he said.
"No. I don't want a bodyguard. Fuck off." I flipped him off and went back home, stressed than ever.
TO BE CONTINUED
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