“You’ve been crying?” He looked intently into
my eyes.
“None of your business.” I turned and continued walking.
I took another step, and he grabbed my hand.
“What do you want?” I glared at him,
exasperated by his presumptuousness.
“You told my cousin you like me. How is that none of my business?”
“That’s not what I meant.” He’d overheard my conversation with David. There was no way to explain myself now.
“I need to get to class.” I tried to pull my hand away and headed towards the building.
He followed. He was tall, and in his basketball
clothes, he drew a lot of attention. His
presence, combined with my own, fueled the whispers.
“Isn’t that the girl who was kidnapped and trafficked to Myanmar for three years?”
“So pathetic. I heard she was… you know… How
can she even find a boyfriend?”
“The guy behind her is so hot… what does he see in her?”
The whispers were like needles pricking my brain.
“Can you please stop following me?”
Alex stared at me, silent, looking annoyed. He turned and walked towards the girls who were gossiping
“So, you think I should be with you instead?” he asked one of them, a smirk playing on his lips.
He bent down, looking directly of her “Dons
your family not own a mirror
Should I buy you
“Your” The all burst into tears
He straightened up, his gaze sweeping over the
Conlookers. “I don’t hit women, but don’t mess
with my girl. If you do, I have a thousand ways
to make you regret It Gol (19”
He threw the basketball
Smash!
The glass door of the building shattered.
Iveryone gasped and scattered. I was terrified. I
saw a flash of Jake’s ruthlessness in him. I’d
seen it firsthand – one minute he’d be joking with you, the next he’d kill you without a second thought. My instincts screamed at me to stay
<
I turned and hurried upstairs. He followed, his
pace unhurried.
At the classroom door, I finally lost it. “You
don’t even go here. Don’t tell me you’re
attending this class.”
“Who said I’m here for the lecture?”
“Then what are you here for?” I blocked the
doorway.
“To keep someone company in class, eat with
them, make them happy… want to hear more?”
He looked down at me. “Don’t you want to
know who that someone is?”
“You’re insane.” I blushed. “I don’t want to
know.”
I hugged my books and walked into the
classroom, choosing a seat by the window. Het
followed, unceremoniously telling the student
12:31
“Switch seats?” he said to the student.
“I’m covering for someone. There are no other
seats,” the student said awkwardly.
“How much are they paying you?”
“Thirty.”
“I’ll give you three thousand. You can go.”
I sat there, listening to their exchange, my blood boiling. Was he crazy? Three thousand dollars for a seat?
He sat down behind me. I struggled to stay
awake during the long, complicated philosophy lecture. He listened quietly. Whenever the professor called on me, he’d stand up and answer. If anyone tried to talk about me, he’d walk over and toss their books onto the lectern.
Thanks to him, no one dared to even look at
15
“Do you realize this is going to make everyone
hate me, isolate me?” I hated this self-
righteous “help.” It was only causing me more problems.
“Why do you need them to like you?” he asked.
“We live in a society. How can we completely ignore what other people think? Only monsters live in their own worlds!” I was furious.
“So, people like me are monsters.” He looked down, a bitter smile twisting his lips.
“I didn’t say that!” I couldn’t reason with him. I stormed off towards the cafeteria.
He followed.
“Why are you still following me?” I was
genuinely baffled. “I go to class, you follow me
to elace Teame to the cafeteria you foll
<
to class. I come to the cafeteria, you follow me
here. Am I supposed to expect you to follow me back to my dorm later too?”
He stopped and laughed. “Can I?”
Seriously?!
“Stop following me. If you follow me again, I’ll…”
“I don’t have a meal card. I’m starving, and I
can’t find my cousin…” he started playing the
pity card.
“I’m not swiping you in.”
“So cruel.” He chuckled, then softened his tone.
“Can I at least sit with you?”
I sighed. Whatever.
He sat beside me, staring as I ate, making me
incredibly uncomfortable.
<
“Why aren’t you eating? No appetite?” he
asked.
“How can I eat with you staring at me?” I said,
exasperated.
“Fine, I won’t look. Eat.”
I took out my meal card and handed it to him.
“Swipe yourself in.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Just give me the money after. We’ll be even.”
We spoke simultaneously.
“Fine, fine. I’ll give you the money. Anything you say.” He took the card and went to get in line.
I finally relaxed and started eating. I’d barely taken a bite when Sarah showed up.
“Emily! What did you say to David? He came
home and yelled at me!”
“We’re best friends, and I’m pregnant! Are you
trying to steal my boyfriend?!” Her voice was loud, drawing everyone’s attention.
“I’m not stealing anyone. I didn’t before, and I won’t now.” I gripped my chopsticks.
“You’re not stealing him? David and I spent three years searching for you while you were gone, running ourselves ragged. You don’t show any gratitude, and now you’re trying to steal him back? Do you even have a conscience?”
She started crying, making a scene.
“Oh my god, what a snake. And they call each
other best friends.”
“Yeah, trying to steal her boyfriend while she’s pregnant. No morals!”
<
12:31
32
“She deserved to be kidnapped. Shouldn’t have
come back.”
