by Kate Dunbar
“I’m sorry to bother you with this.” I clamp down on the sob threatening to spill out.
“No, no, dear, don’t apologize. Are you okay? You sound shaken up.”
“I’m fine. It just scared me. The message is slightly ominous.” I clear my throat again and try to sound braver than I am. “I don’t know why someone would do such a thing.” I mean, I do, and I know who did it. But I can’t tell Alice that.
I look in my rearview mirror for any cars that might be following me into the school entrance as I pass the welcome sign shouting MOUNTAIN VIEW UNIVERSITY to the world.
“Oh Sabra, I hate you had to start your morning with something so terrible,” Alice breathes out at me. She’s a beautiful fifty-something woman with bright red hair, green eyes, and a kind face, but she looks much younger than that. I’ve always admired her smile and zeal for life. “What does your day look like? We’re going to need to call the police for a case of vandalism. They might have a few questions for you.”
“I’m headed to school right now. I have one class, and I’ll be working at the lodge this afternoon until tonight.” I hear a drawer open and close.
“And can you tell me what words were on the wall?” My heart squeezes at the concern in her voice. She’s no more than an acquaintance to me, but she clearly cares for the people who live in the complex. There are still kind people in the world.
“Yes.” I pull into a parking spot and shift the car into park with trembling hands. “It said I SEE EVERYTHING.”
There’s a gasp and then silence on the other end of the line for a moment. “Wow. I can see why that would throw you for a loop.”
I lean my forehead against the steering wheel and sigh back at her. “Yes.”
“Okay, I’ll get Ralph out there to look at it, and we’ll call the cops immediately so they can come out here as well. As soon as we know more, if anything, I’ll give you a call. I’ll have to give the police your phone number in case they need to speak to you, okay?”
“Of course, that’s fine.”
“Try not to worry about this, Sabra. We’ll get it worked out.” There’s a pause and I hear more papers shuffling. “It was probably some teenagers playing a dumb prank,” she consoles me.
“I’m sure that’s it,” I say, trying to sound upbeat. Inside, I want to die, though. “Thank you, Alice. I appreciate it. Have a good day.”
“You too.”
I turn the keys still in the ignition, slide them out, and open the car door, reaching for my book bag. It’s already nine ten, and my class starts in twenty minutes. There’s no way for me to make it both to the Coffee Haus and then across campus in time now.
Yanking my bag through the car, I slam the door and listen to the beep of the locks going into place before marching toward Psychology 301. My emotions shift, turning into a mix of fear and anger.
I have a front row seat to what clinically insane looks like. Any doubts Lucas was done with me are long gone now. He’s not going away, no matter how much I want him to disappear. He’s back, and he still wants me. The question is where and when will he show next?
“Ms. Valentine,” a raspy voice calls across the room, and I pause packing my books, spirals, and pencils to look in the direction of the white board. My professor leans against the front of the desk watching me with shrewd eyes.
“Yes, Dr. Evans?” I grab the last of my things and drop them in my bag before walking toward him.
“Are you feeling okay, Ms. Valentine?”
“Yes, sir, I am. Why do you ask?”
Dr. Evans walks around the desk and starts erasing his notes from the board, preparing the room for the next class of students who will soon be entering through the doors. “I couldn’t help noticing today’s lesson didn’t seem to capture your attention like normal. Usually, you’re furiously scribbling notes.” He smiles at me over his shoulder before wiping over the last words on the board. “If I were a betting man, I’d put money down you only wrote a few words in that notebook of yours today instead of the few pages you normally do.” He turns to look at me pointedly. “Which leads me to ask again, is everything okay, Sabra?”
The kindness and concern in his face is overwhelming, and my eyes sting behind my eyelids. I’m so tired of crying.
“Thank you for your concern, Dr. Evans. I’m fine. I haven’t been sleeping a lot this week,” I confide. “I’ll call Kirby and grab the full notes from her when I see her next.”
“I’m not worried about you getting the notes, Sabra.” Dr. Evans slides back around the desk and peers at me.
I duck my head and look out the door anxious to get away only to find Trevor standing outside waiting for me. He lifts a cardboard cup and waves it in my direction. I smile at him, drawing Dr. Evans’s attention.
“Seeing that I’ve made you appropriately uncomfortable.” He chuckles and looks back at me. “I’ll let you get to Professor Collins. But Sabra …” He waits until I look him fully in the eyes. “Do try to get some rest this weekend. You’ve done an outstanding job this semester. I want to see you finish just as strong. Understand?”
“Yes, sir. I understand.” I nod at him and take a step toward freedom. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He waves me off with one hand and goes back to cleaning the room and gathering his things.
Trevor hands me a still warm cup. I step up to the spot where he’s leaning against the wall, and he bends to kiss me. “Everything okay?”
The smell of Earl Grey hits me as I take a sip and wrap an arm around his waist. “Fine. Dr. Evans had a question for me. Nothing to worry about.”
“Still enjoying the class?” He pushes the door to the stairwell open, allowing me to walk ahead of him, along with a few other students who rush through when they see an opportunity to slide ahead. Once he catches up with me, he pulls the strap of my book bag off my shoulder and tosses it over his own. “So? Still liking it?”
“Yes, I am. It’s interesting.” I step off the last stair. “Today, we watched documentary and video clips of people suffering from several types of disorders. Schizophrenia, psychosis, delusion, insanity, hallucination … you name it, and we saw it today. It was a bit overwhelming, to be honest.” I pull my jacket tighter as we walk outside into the chilly air and then turn to him.
“Say.” Trevor wraps his arms around me and crushes me against his chest, surrounding me with his warmth. “You okay? Did it get to you?”
“What?” I watch concern flash in his eyes. Everyone seems to be able to see right through me today.
“The videos.” He peers into my eyes. “Did they freak you out?”
“No, I really am good.” I laugh at him and squeeze his side with the hand not holding my favorite drink. “I think I need a nap.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Trevor whispers in my ear. “Your place or mine?”
I push him in the chest, laughing at him, and take a step backward. “For some reason, I don’t think much napping will be going on if that happens, Trev. And besides, I have to get to work and try to catch up on my assignments. I’m behind and need to get caught up.”
“Fine.” He grabs my free hand and starts walking again. “Your loss.”
“What are you doing here anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be teaching a class across campus right now?”
“The air went out in the building, so all the classes were canceled this morning. Figured I’d take the opportunity to head to the Coffee Haus and get my girl her favorite drink.” He winks at me, murmuring, “And it was a good excuse to see you.”
“Thanks.” I smile at him again. “It was a lovely surprise this morning.”
“I also had a question to ask you. And you know, I hadn’t seen your pretty little ass in a bit.” He laughs, running his hand over a cheek before guiding me over to a bench nearby. We’ve made it back to the fountain in the center of campus.
“Hilarious,” I deadpan. Sitting, I look at him standing next to me, shifting his weight bac
k and forth. “Okay, what’s up, Trev?”
“What do you mean? Why does anything have to be up?” He sits next to me and throws his arm around my shoulders, keeping our fingers linked together and resting them on my chest where my heart is beating.
I turn my head, so my face is buried in his neck and inhale while humming at him. “You’re acting mysterious, Trevor.” I snuggle closer to him.
The water cascades over, creating a cocoon of sound and surrounding us while I’m tucked away in the safety of his arms. It soothes my raw nerves. I push up to kiss the underside of his jaw and feel his scruff rasp across my face. “I can’t decide if I should be worried or not.”
“If you keep doing that, Sabra, something is definitely going to be up.” He shifts over, grinning at me, and puts a little space between us.
“Okay, you have my attention.” I lift an eyebrow at him and wait.
“What are you doing this Saturday? Do you have plans?” The look of hope in his eyes melts my heart.
I mentally flip through the next two days. “No, I’m scheduled to work today and Sunday. This is the one weekend of the month I have Friday night and Saturday off. My plan is to get caught up on all the things by Sunday night.”
“Can you manage to do it all tomorrow night and Sunday and save Saturday for me?” He dips his head and places his forehead on mine. “I’d like to take you out, but I’ll need you from sunup and into the night for my plan to work.”
“Wow, Trevor,” I breathe at him. “Are you sure you can handle me that long?”
He smirks at me. “I keep telling you I can handle whatever you want to give me.”
Warmth spreads through me and deepens in my core as his words wash over me. I can think of a few things I’d like to give him.
“I’m yours.” I lean in and brush my lips across his. “At least for Saturday.”
“I’ve been waiting a long time to hear you say that, Sabra.” He smiles and tugs me up to stand with him. “And you’re mine for more than Saturday, but we’ll discuss that later. Be ready at six thirty a.m. on Saturday. I’ll pick you up.” He smacks me on the behind and drops my hand. “I do love your ass,” he murmurs, eyeing my backside appreciatively.
“A.m.?” I gasp, watching him walk backward in the same direction we came while grinning at me like a cat who ate way more than one canary. “Have you lost your mind, Trevor?”
He laughs at the stunned expression on my face. “Wear layers, Sabra. And don’t be late,” he yells over his shoulder, turning to jog to his office.
I stand there, watching him disappear down the sidewalk until I hear the bells in the clock tower ring. I’m going to be late for work again if I don’t get a move on.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The exhaustion is real. I plant my butt in the leather seat of my car and turn the key in the ignition, flipping the knob all the way to red hoping the car will warm quickly. The temperature dropped this afternoon. I can feel the cold air in my bones, making me even more tired than I already am. This day has been over-the-top ridiculous.
My phone buzzed as I was walking out of work with a message from Alice. They had news for me, and she wanted to know when I would be home so Ralph could meet me at the “scene of the crime.” My nerves are stretched as tight as they can go. The body aches, from clenching my muscles and trying to push through my long to-do list all day, pulse through me.
It’s been nice to have short bursts of distractions here and there, but the thought of Lucas is never far away. He’s always present. One step ahead of me and consuming my thoughts. I keep asking myself what he wants. But I know the answer to that already. It’s always been me.
The only moment I haven’t struggled to erase Lucas from my mind was when Trevor was front and center. Those moments were bliss. A time of respite from my churning thoughts and worries. He always calms me. It only takes a simple touch like his hand on my back guiding me, a finger on my cheek, or his lips brushing against mine. Trevor seems to know what I need before I do, and I wish he were with me now.
I pull my phone over and type out a short message to him, so he’ll know I’m thinking about him.
SABRA: Thank you for making a special trip to the Coffee Haus and bringing me tea today. It was a sweet surprise. Looking forward to Saturday.
TREVOR: It was my pleasure. All worth it to see your smile. You’re going to love what I have planned next.
SABRA: You won’t even give me a hint?
TREVOR: Nope. Just be prepared for the RIDE of your life. ;)
SABRA: Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Trevor…
TREVOR: I keep all my promises. Get some sleep tonight.
SABRA: I will.
I toss my phone into the passenger seat, slide the gear shift into reverse, and pull out of my spot to head home, trying to mentally prepare myself for what I’m about to hear. A flash of brown catches my attention as I’m about to turn out of the parking lot, and I slam on my brakes, causing the car behind me to do the same. The guy driving the SUV waves his arms at me in the rearview mirror, giving me a one-finger salute. Grimacing, I crane my neck to try to see what caught my eye, but nothing’s there. You are paranoid, Sabra.
I watch in my rear and side view mirrors for anything unusual—something out of the ordinary or a car following me—while I sit in traffic and stop at red lights on the short trek home. I know it makes me crazy, but I can’t get the thought out of my head. Something terrible is right around the corner.
My car jerks when I slam it into park as soon as it glides into my assigned parking spot and I cut the engine. Ralph’s sitting in his parked work truck next to the curb of my building, trying to stay warm while he waits since the wind popped up. I hop out with my bag in hand and watch Ralph clamber out of his truck to head in my direction.
“Hi, Ralph. I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with this today.”
He shakes his head at me and waves a hand, shooing my apologies away. “No, no, little lady. We won’t have none of those I’m sorry statements coming my direction. This is my job.” He puts his sun-weathered hands on his hips. “But Sabra, we’re a little concerned here.”
“That’s what Alice said in her message. That there were some concerns.” My fingers run through my hair. “I’m a little freaked out myself. What’s going on?”
Ralph turns and leads me up the stairs to the landing in front of my door, telling me the latest news. “We called the police, and they came out to look over the area. You know, take pictures of the vandalism and whatever else they do.” He tosses his hands out wide before crossing them over his chest. “I thought it was important after I realized that wasn’t no paint on the wall.”
“What?” I stop a few steps below him.
He steps on to the landing and looks back at me.
“What do you mean it wasn’t paint? I saw it there this morning.”
Ralph turns to me, nodding. “Oh, I know what you saw, but I also know it wasn’t paint. The police confirmed it when they came too. They’re going to be coming by to talk to you after this.” He motions to my apartment door. “Are you coming up here?”
Not sure if I want to continue but knowing I can’t ignore what’s in front of me, I climb the last couple of stairs. “If it wasn’t paint, what was it?” I take the last step and come up next to him when Ralph dips his head in my direction.
He looks me directly in the eye. “It was blood.” The frown on his face deepens. “You okay, Ms. Valentine? Sabra?” A warm hand grabs my elbow and helps me sit against the railing. “You look mighty pale. You gonna be all right?”
“I’m—” But I don’t know what I am. And I don’t have the words to finish that sentence. Because I’m not fine. Not at all. Who could be fine when they find out someone has written a gross message to them in blood? On a wall of their home.
Wait. What kind of blood?
“Ralph.” I look over at where he’s crouched beside me. One hand holds on to the railing, steadying him. “What kind of bl
ood was it? Does anyone know?”
He stands, walks over to the wall, and slides his hand over the spot where the message was this morning. The words are gone, but if you look hard enough, you can still see the outline of them. A different shade of white compared to the rest of the stucco. A reminder. Of course.
“They’re not sure yet, but they think it was animal blood. The two policemen who came took a sample of it. They snapped a bunch of pictures before giving me permission to clean it all up. Said they’d be in touch with more information before they took off.” He turns in my direction.
I use the railing to pull myself back up and stand on shaky legs.
“You don’t know why anyone would do this? Someone trying to scare you?”
“No, I have no idea,” I lie to his face, walk over to my door, and pull my keys out of the side pocket of my bag. “Are we sure it was meant for me?” I ask, hoping against hope a mistake has been made.
His face fills with pity. “There’s no one in 4213 across the way, and the cops talked to everyone else in the building.” He steps in my direction. “All signs point to you. Although technically, I guess it could have been meant for anyone. Are you going to be okay tonight? Do you have someone you can call to come stay with you?”
“No, no.” I slip the key in the door and twist. “I’ll be fine tonight. Thank you for all of your help.” My eyes take a last look at the hint of words still etched into the wall across from me as I wave my hand toward them.
“Not a problem. The police are going to be patrolling extra the next few days until we figure this out. If you need anything, you call the management emergency number, you hear? I’m on call tonight, so it will go to me directly.” He gives me a small smile and wave as he turns to go back downstairs. “Say the word, and I’ll come running.”
“Have a good night, Ralph.” I shout at his retreating back to make sure he can hear me while he’s walking downstairs. “And thank you again for everything.”