PATRICK

I spent the whole day at Penelope's office, waiting for her to finish work. I was not going to let her out of my sight. The stalker, Ben, had a history of violence. I had to be careful, and I had to protect my sister.

When Penelope finally came out, she was surprised to see me.

"Ricky? What are you doing here?" she asked, a frown on her face.

"I'm here to pick you up," I said, a smile on my face, but my eyes were scanning the area for any sign of a threat.

"You don't have to do that. I can take a cab."

"Nonsense. I'm taking you to The Sweet Books. Elisa's waiting."

She looked at me, a glimmer of suspicion in her eyes, but she didn't argue. She knew when I was serious. As we walked towards my car, I saw a familiar face from the corner of my eye. It was him. Ben. He was standing across the street, staring at Penelope with a menacing look. I quickly ushered my sister into the car and drove off, my heart pounding in my chest. This was not a game. This was real.

Flashback

Patrick: "El, can you help me with my math homework?"

I was a nerdy kid, and I always looked up to Elisa. She was the smartest girl in our class, and she was so kind. She never made me feel bad for asking for help.

Elisa: "Of course, Ricky. Let's go to the library."

We spent hours in the library, and she patiently explained every equation to me. I would often get distracted, staring at her, admiring her. I admired her intelligence, her kindness, her everything. I was just a kid, but even then, I knew I was in love with her. I knew I had to be patient. I had to wait until I was worthy of her.

I remember one time, I was trying to impress her, so I challenged her to a game of chess. Of course, she beat me.

Patrick: "You're so good at this, El!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide with admiration.

Elisa: "I'm not. I just read a lot of books. You should try it."

I never got to tell her how much I admired her, how much I loved her. I was too scared. She was my sister's best friend, and I was just her "little brother."