by M. J. Perry
“It’s not silly being uncomfortable in there Grace, especially as we know the fucker was watching us.”
“I guess not. I hate that he saw us like that. I hate that he must have watched me get dressed and undressed a thousand times and I hate that even knowing that the camera isn’t there anymore I’m still scared to go in there. I’m not letting him win though, I’m going to grow a pair and go in there to get my things and once we’ve moved it all out, we are going to brick it up so I don’t have to see it again.”
“I don’t know about bricking it up but you never have to set foot in there again if you don’t want to, I promise.”
Grace grinned. “Ok that’s a deal then.” She walked with determined steps to the door; her hand was on the handle when Jason called her name. “I can come with you.” He offered.
“No thank you. I’m going to do it myself. You can put the coffee on though.” She replied.
Jason didn’t push her; he knew she wanted to prove to herself she wasn’t going to let Adam upset her life anymore. She was stubborn his woman. He watched her march out of his room and straight into Peter’s bare chest. He waited to feel anger at Peter when he saw him wrap his arm around her to steady her and he sighed in relief when it didn’t come. It was just John that he wanted to punch then.
“What’s the rush?” He heard him ask Grace before she shrugged off his hold.
“I’m getting my things out of my room.” She growled. Peter raised his eyebrows at him and he shook his head when Peter looked about to say something. They both watched her walk into her room and leave the door open and then they heard her moving about.
“You’re letting her do it alone?” Peter asked him quietly.
“Just the clothes she needs now. You know how stubborn she is. I’ll help her get the rest later. She’s proving that Adam doesn’t get to mess with her life anymore I guess.”
“She is stubborn.” Peter agreed.
“Oh yes she is. I need to put the coffee on.” Jason said turning towards the kitchen. Peter followed him and sat on a stool. “You know what she's like if she doesn’t get her coffee.” Jason said and Peter grimaced. He remembered when they’d ran out of coffee one morning and it was like Grace turned into the devil, he’d actually been worried for his life until Jason walked in the door with a takeout cup he’d got from a coffee shop on the way back. Jason chuckled at him causing him to scowl because he knew he was remembering too. “Next time I’m going to buy it, you can wait here with her.” Peter said.
Jason shuddered. “There can never be a next time. We’ll have to make sure we’re stocked up well.” Peter nodded. He could deal with Grace in a bad mood, he found it funny as it didn’t happen very often but Grace without coffee was fucking scary.
****
Grace marched into her room without giving herself time to think about it. She made sure she left her door open though not ready to be closed in there, no matter how daft it sounded. She knew Adam wasn’t in here and hadn’t ever been but it still left her feeling incredibly vulnerable and completely creeped out.
She opened her wardrobe and chose her favourite black skirt with gold hemming and her gold blouse to match and bent down to pull her black pumps out to finish her look. Her make-up was the last thing she got along with her toiletries and she high tailed it back to Jason’s room so she could run a bath.
With her hair pinned up on top of her head she ran a bath and relaxed as much as she could because when she stepped out of this room everything would be about her stalker, there was no running away from it.
Taking her time she cleaned herself, shaved her legs and under her arms and then reluctantly got out knowing she couldn’t put it off anymore. Real life was going to intrude and even the victory she felt at going into her room alone was fading.
After drying herself off she got dressed and brushed her hair out before deciding to leave it down today. Her make-up was a quick flick of mascara and lip gloss then she headed to find Jason and hopefully coffee.
Jason was waiting at the kitchen door and she gratefully took the mug from him taking a sip.
“Thanks.” She muttered and missed the knowing look that passed between him and Peter.
“You’re welcome. Drink up or we’ll be late dropping you off.” He placed an apple by her handbag along with a cereal bar. Grace hadn’t ever been able to eat breakfast, and it had always annoyed Jason so they compromised on it. She agreed to the apple and the bar so he’d stop giving her grief, he liked taking care of her so she didn’t moan too much and if she was honest, she enjoyed it a bit too.
Chapter Ten
Her day was so busy again; Grace didn’t have a chance to think about anything. She didn’t receive any flowers or phone calls from Adam and that was a huge relief. When all the reading groups had finally finished, she retreated back to her office, her feet were hurting a bit thanks to her shoes, she’d forgot they rubbed her and now she was suffering. She knew the cameras were on her and the uncomfortable feeling she expected wasn’t there it was actually a comfort knowing she wasn’t alone.
She sat down in her chair slipping her shoes off with a sigh letting her thoughts wander to this morning and Jason. Waking up in his arms was amazing, she felt so content, and she’d slept so well, better than she had done in such a long time. It was like her body knew it could relax now. She thought about her parents, her mum and dad had seemed in love but that fell apart when Grace was about six years old, her dad just left one day and that was it. Her mum worked two jobs and made sure Grace had food and clothes but that was pretty much it. She knew her mum had been hurting but she should have put Grace first, hell Grace would never treat her children like her mum did and she definitely wouldn’t hide from life by drinking herself silly. She had no love for her mum and it was sad. If it wasn’t for Peter and his parents she probably wouldn’t know what love was. Seeing how they are together and how they are with Peter and her they’d taught her how to be a good parent.
She couldn’t be a mother with her stalker around. There was no way she’d bring a baby into the world to put it in danger, so she needed her stalker to make a mistake and get caught. That’s her top wish because her life and everyone else’s was on hold until he does and she wanted this over.
She sighed when Jill called her name and slipped her shoes back on with a groan, she shouldn’t have taken them off.
“Are you ok?” Jill asked her as she walked through the door.
“Yes, just tired.”
“You shouldn’t have let Jason keep you up all night.” She teased.
Grace blushed and shook her head. “He didn’t keep me up.”
“Right,” Jill said with a smile. “We just need to finish up the tills and we’re done.”
“Ok, I’ll do them; I know how much you hate counting the money.”
“That’s why I love you.” Jill grinned. “I’ve locked the doors now.”
“Ok.” Grace walked slowly to the main room trying not to let her shoes rub more than they already did. She pulled out the coins and started to count. There weren’t a lot as the only money they get is from fines or when someone reserved a book. It was all in neat piles ready to be bagged.
Something banged against the front door making her jump, and she stared at it. It didn’t happen again, and she shrugged it off, it was probably a late customer not realising they’d closed. She scooped the money into bags and tied them off, turning to go back to the office but she jumped again when the phone rang.
Frowning at herself for being so scared she answered it. “Hello.” No one spoke, and she placed the phone down shaking her head. She had a bad feeling. The phone rang again, and she ignored it. It could be Adam; she didn’t want to risk it.
“Did I hear the phone ring?” Jill asked as she walked into the office.
“Yes but no one spoke.”
“Do you think it was him?”
“I don’t know I hope not.”
The phone rang again and Jill grabbed i
t.
“She’s fine Jason. She answered the phone earlier and no one spoke.”
“Someone tried to get in the front door too.” Grace whispered.
“What!” Jill screeched and at once she apologised to Jason on the phone. She filled him in and agreed to whatever he said before she said bye. “Jason’s on his way. Were you afraid?”
Grace shrugged. “Yes but then I realised it was probably a late customer.”
“You should have called me.” Jill scolded.
“Sorry.” Grace looked at the floor feeling like a naughty child. “I will next time.”
****
Jason turned up ten minutes later with Peter hot on his heels. They knocked on the outer door and called Grace so she wouldn’t be alarmed. She didn’t know if she’d ever felt so glad to see them, she still had such a bad feeling in her stomach and it wasn’t something she could explain. Jason pulled her straight into his arms and she relished his warmth.
Peter was watching her with concern and she smiled brightly. A bang and a phone call which could be perfectly innocent were not going to freak her out for long.
Jill cleared her throat, and they all turned to look at her. “I don’t want you to come in tomorrow Grace.”
Grace held up a hand to protest but Jill cut her off. “No, tomorrow you will relax at home and catch up on sleep then you will convince yourself that this is not your fault.” She ordered.
Grace blinked back her tears and nodded at her friend.
“You need to relax Grace, you may think today you were fine, but I saw you jump at every little noise, every time a male spoke to you I saw you flinch and it’s not good for you.” Jill gentled her voice.
“She’s right baby.” Jason said softly.
“Will you be ok alone?” She worried for Jill, not only that it could be busy but she might be in danger. At least when they were both here it was safety in numbers.
“I’ll be fine. There are cameras and Wednesdays aren’t that busy.” Jill said with a smile.
“Ok. I agree but just for tomorrow.” At least at home she wouldn’t have to deal with strangers and the threat of Adam because he wouldn’t get past the security system.
She hugged Jill and saw the relief in her eyes; she’d been worried Grace would fight her decision. They said their goodbyes and Grace grabbed her bag and let Jason lead her out to his car. Peter followed them close behind on the phone and when she looked at him she saw his face go deadly. It was a scary sight for her and she knew she hadn’t done anything to upset him. He sighed as he hung up and kept his eyes averted from her.
“Who was that?” She asked.
“John.” Grace felt Jason tense up. When was he going to get over it?
Jason helped her into the car and did her belt up quickly before closing her door. He made his way round to his side and Peter waited until he’d buckled up before he spoke.
“Adam was trying to get into the library earlier tonight.” He grimaced.
“How do you know?” Her voice broke as she asked.
“He was seen on camera, he left after he looked around the building and saw he had no way of getting in.”
Grace shivered. He’d been so close to her. God she couldn’t believe he’d been there. He’d been the one to bang the door. “What do we do now?”
Peter sighed. “Until he makes another move, we keep you protected and find the bastard and we will find him Grace.”
“I just want it to be over I’m so sick of feeling scared.”
“We’ll find him and then we can put it all behind us.” Jason spoke for the first time, his anger at the mention of John’s name forgotten as he reassured her.
“He better hope the police find him first.” Peter warned making Grace flinch.
“I don’t want any of you to get into trouble because of me. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Please.” She begged. She couldn’t stand it if they got arrested for hurting Adam.
“It will be fine.” Jason said. He didn’t agree and Grace wasn’t silly enough to believe that he’d listen to her. She wanted Adam to suffer for what he’d done but she didn’t want Jason or Peter to suffer because of actions they would do in their anger.
“John is out looking for him and believe me Adam would be lucky if one of us found him instead. John is on the warpath.”
“Why? They didn’t date very long.” Jason growled.
“He cares for Grace a lot, and he’s looking out for her just like we are. If I wasn’t routing for you guys, I would encourage him to get his girl. He’s a good guy.”
“Fucking hell.” Jason cursed because Peter pissed him off. Grace is his. She always has been and always would be. The thought of anyone but him touching her made him want to rip their head off. He’d rip John’s arms off so he couldn’t touch her again if he could.
His thoughts shocked even him, he wasn’t violent usually, well unless the situation called for it but this didn’t seem like him. He was thinking like a possessive caveman and he wasn’t sure it was a good thing. He caught Grace’s frown before she spoke quietly. “I didn’t realise John felt so strongly about me.” He saw how tense she was and realised she was waiting for him to flip out at her, taking a deep breath he reached to squeeze her thigh. He felt her eyes on him and smiled at her.
“You dated for a long while and you’re a good girl Gracie.” Peter said like it explained it and I guess it did she thought. John had fallen harder for her than she realised and that gutted her to know she’d most definitely hurt him. She genuinely liked him and she’d enjoyed his company and his kisses but she knew she hadn’t been over Jason and it wasn’t fair to John to lead him on. She felt ashamed of herself now, which was why she’d not wanted to speak to him when he came to the library, she hadn’t been sure of what to say. Now she knew she had to speak to him and apologise maybe he would jump off the warpath and she wouldn’t have to worry he’d do something stupid like hurt Adam if he caught him.
“Can I have my phone back please?” She asked them both as she was unsure who had it.
Peter pulled it out of his pocket and passed it to her. “I’ve linked it to my account so any incoming or outgoing calls and texts you have I will see too. So remember that if you two decide to have sexy time.” He teased.
Grace wasn’t sure if she liked the fact she had no privacy, but she didn’t voice her concerns because they were doing what they could to keep her safe. She was glad Peter had it linked to his phone and not Jason. She didn’t want him seeing anything from John, given his reaction at just his name mentioned.
“Thank you.” She said as she closed her hand round her phone. “Did I get any calls from Adam?” She asked curiously.
“Nope, none. We figure he guessed we’d have your phone now after that text you received.”
Grace nodded in agreement. Adam wasn’t as stupid as she wished he was. “If you look in your call log, you’ll see you’ve had a couple of missed calls. I didn’t answer as I thought you would rather return the calls yourself.”
Grace knew it had been John who’d rang her. He must have got her number from Jill or Peter. She noticed that Peter wasn’t telling Jason, and she smiled at him before putting her phone in her bag.
“What do you fancy eating?” Jason asked.
“I’ll cook.” Grace said.
“Do you feel up to it?”
“Yes. It will be nice to cook, it’s been a while and besides it will keep me busy.”
“No arguments here then, I’ve missed your cooking.”
“Me too.” Peter piped up and Grace laughed. She used to cook every night for them all unless they had different plans. Most couples probably would have liked privacy from their best friend but she never felt like that. She loved spending time as a threesome and she and Jason never missed out on their privacy as Peter always made sure to give them space.
“Good. I’ve missed your kitchen.”
“Our kitchen.” Jason corrected her and gave her a stern look befor
e looking back at the road.
“What you cooking?” She could hear the excitement in Peter’s voice.
“I’ll have a look at what we have in the fridge when we get back home.”
Home, the word meant everything to her.
“My mouths watering already,” Peter said with a sigh making her giggle and Jason chuckle.
“You always liked my cooking. I always guessed it was because you hated doing it yourself.”
“No it’s because your cooking is the best. I’ve missed your roast dinner the most. Everywhere I’ve eaten one just hasn’t come close.”
“Really?”
“Yes Gracie really.”
“Ah. I missed cooking for you guys too.” She smiled huge at him. Feeling incredibly flattered. She’d learnt to cook when she was small because her mother wasn’t around to do it and Grace would have had to eat cereal or sandwiches every night otherwise.
“Good. No more restaurants for us Jason. Grace can make up for lost time and cook every single night from now on.” Peter ordered.
“Not every night, some nights she'll be too busy.” Jason said, and she blushed.
“I do not need that image in my head.” Peter cringed. “Grace is like a sister and as far as I am concerned she is a virgin until her wedding night.”
“Ok. Sorry.” Jason said, but he didn’t sound sorry at all. The humour was evident in his voice.
“She can just cook before you guys go to bed to sleep.” Peter emphasised the word sleep.
Grace laughed. “Deal.”
****
The phone was ringing when they all strolled into the house. Peter answered it while Jason took her hand and lead her to the kitchen. He kissed her head before giving her a gentle push towards the fridge. “Get cooking woman.” He teased.
Grace giggled and took her coat off hanging it on the back of a chair along with her hand bag. She checked out the fridge and saw there wasn’t really a lot in it. They desperately needed a shop, and she knew she’d have to do the list because even now she could see they hadn’t changed in their eating habits, all she could see was meat in the fridge and chips in the freezer which was all they used to cook before.