Page 2

CHAPTER TWO

After school, I said a quick goodbye to Aaron and ran home, all the while trying to see if the strange man was still following me. As soon as I made it into my house, I slammed the door shut behind me.

My eyes searched the living room as I panted, leaning against the door. "Mom, you're home," I said in relief as soon as I spotted her coming out of the kitchen with a napkin in hand. "Why?" I scrunched up my nose in confusion as soon as I realized she wasn't usually home at this hour.

"Oh, I finished work early, so I decided to come home," she replied with a smile. "We never really hang out anymore," she said with a pout, her pretty brown eyes shining with feigned sadness.

"Oh," I said simply, my breathing slowing returning to normal.

My mom walked toward me carefully with a raised eyebrow before gently placing a hand on my arm. "Is everything okay, bebé?" she asked, worry dripping from every word.

I swallowed and shook my head frantically before pushing myself off the door. "We have to move mom. Away from this house, away from this town… From everything," I whispered as I gazed up into her eyes.

Instead of giving me a reply, my mom simply watched me with sadness and a hint of worry before dragging me to the couch, where she sat me beside her.

"I know you think I'm crazy, but mom, I'm not. This man keeps following me everywhere I go, and it's too… I'm scared, mom," I whimpered.

"Oh honey, I don't think you're crazy. I think seeing Mason's brother get killed that day must have scarred you deeply, and I wish you’d talk to Dr. Martin about it. He says you only come into his office and stare at the walls for an hour…"

I sighed, frustrated that she still didn't believe me even after all we've been through. "How can you not believe me, mom? One of those men is coming after me, and they want to kill me. Please…"

"For God's sake, Katrina, these men have been arrested! All three of them, and you identified them yourself... including the dead one," she waved her hands erratically around, then her voice softened. "The police have it under control, darling. I promise you."

I nodded, even though I was sure I was being followed. The words in the letter I had received at Connor’s burial still rang in my head, but I was done making my mom worry. I was going to handle whatever issues I had by myself.

"I understand, mom. Thanks," I said and laid my head on her lap.

Her hand caressed my hair lovingly as she asked, "What about Mason? Have you talked to him?"

I groaned at the direction of our conversation, and sat up, dislodging myself from her touch. "No," I grumbled, looking everywhere but at her.

She sighed. "Bebé, you can't keep avoiding that boy. God knows what he's going through, seeing as his parents keep him under lock and key because of all the reporters swarming their house everyday…" She shook her head as she trailed on and on, not realizing how much I was getting crushed by her words.

Mason, the boy I claimed to be in love with, was having a hard time. Yet here I was hiding out in my house like a coward and whining about being followed by a man that apparently only I could see.

I picked up the satchel I had dropped on the floor earlier and stood up. "I need to finish my calculus homework, mom. I'll come down when dinner is ready," I said. There was no assignment, but my heart ached too much whenever anyone talked about Mason or even mentioned his name.

"Okay, darling," my mom replied with a smile and watched me head upstairs and into my room.

Seated by my desk, I pulled out my phone and stared at his contact - as I did every day since the incident - with my finger hovering over it. If only I dared to dial Mason's number and talk to him, then I wouldn't miss him so damn much.

Torturing myself further, I pulled up a picture I had taken of him during one of the school’s football games. It displayed a sweaty Mason as he pulled up his shirt to wipe his forehead and revealed a well-sculpted chest and tanned six-pack. I had run my hands all over it in the throes of passion just a few hours before I got his brother killed.

'Way to go, Kat,'I thought to myself bitterly.

In a fit of rage, I threw my phone across the room, aiming for the wall, but it was caught by a large hand instead. I raised my head to see Jake crawling into my window.

"Katrina…" he whispered as soon as his feet landed in my room, closing the window I had left open behind him, and I couldn't help myself.

I ran into his open arms and broke down in tears. "I miss him," I sobbed into his shirt.

"I know, Katrina," he said, his hand running up and down my back. "I know."