“Excuse me,” Jackson offered as he stepped to the side. Then he took another look at Alex, studied him from head to toe.
Alex returned the stare before finally sticking out his hand.
“Hi. Alex Walker. And you are?”
Jackson’s eyes narrowed, and his back stiffened. He slowly took Alex’s hand and gave it a firm shake.
“Jackson Carter.”
They stared at each other for what seemed like eternity before Lily cleared her throat. Alex broke the silence first.
“Well, excuse me. I need to get going.” He glanced back at Lily again, and she saw an unfamiliar coldness in his eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
When he left the room, she finally exhaled. Jackson stepped closer to the bed, his brow furrowed into a scowl. He looked over at her dad and practically growled.
“What is he doing here? For all we know, he’s the reason-”
“Now, Jackson.” Her dad raised his hands. “We don’t know anything for certain yet.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked. “What do you mean we don’t know anything yet?”
“I told your dad about the pictures.” Jackson leaned over and rested his hands at the foot of her bed. “And that they came from Brunswick.”
“You think this had something to do with those pictures?”
“I think someone’s trying to send us a message. And you could have been hurt, or worse. I already told the police what I know, but a lot of good that did.”
She sat up and her head swam. For a second she thought she might fall out of the bed. She reached for the small metallic rail beside her for balance. This had to be a mistake somehow. Who would want to hurt her? Why?
“Is the doctor sure it was bee venom? Maybe I’m allergic to something else. Maybe I developed a new allergy. Maybe it wasn’t in my drink. There’s got to be an explanation.”
“There is,” Jackson said. He gripped the foot of her bed so tight his knuckles were white. “Someone wants to hurt you.”
“But who?!”
“Alex!”
“That’s not possible!”
Her dad stepped forward and shot Jackson a warning glance. “Hey, let’s calm down. We’re all confused and upset.”
“I’m not confused.” Though Jackson had regained control, fury still lurked in his voice. “And I’m not going to let him get away with this.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” her dad said. “You’ve told the police everything you know. And I think Lily’s right. I’m sure Alex didn’t do this, and it sounds like he might be able to help. We just have to let the police do their job.”
Jackson pushed away from the bed and threw his hands in the air. “He’s one of them! You can’t trust him.”
“Stop it!” Lily’s whole body trembled. “You’re not helping. It’s not Alex.”
“The pictures came from Brunswick.”
“That doesn’t prove anything!”
“It proves he’s involved. Even if he didn’t send them himself, he’s connected to all this somehow.”
He paused while his words sank in. Then he pointed toward the door and raised his voice again.
“And how did he get here so fast? Brunswick is more than six hours from here. He had to have already been here following you around.”
“No-“
“He saw us talking and he got jealous. So he put something in your drink.”
“Just stop!”
She couldn’t take any more of this. It was impossible. Alex loved her.
“Jackson,” her dad said. “I understand how you feel, believe me. I’m frustrated too. But upsetting her isn’t a good idea right now. Let’s just take a walk.”
“I’m not leaving her alone. If he comes back-“
“Just step outside with me for a minute, son.”
Her dad placed a hand on Jackson’s shoulder and led him toward the door. Though their voices were lowered, she could still hear pieces of the conversation.
“…she’s okay now…let her get some rest…”
Jackson’s exhale seemed to fill her entire room.
“Okay. But please let me know if I can do anything.”
Then he stepped around the corner of the doorway and walked over to her bed, leaning down till their eyes were level.
“I’ll check on you later. Please, promise me you’ll be careful.”
She gave him a nod, and held his gaze for a moment longer. So many conflicting emotions swirled around inside of her. She wanted to reach out for him, like he held some part of her that was still true and safe. The instinct was so familiar, and yet it completely surprised her. In that gaze, for just a few moments, she was a kid again, and he was the boy she had given her heart to.
As Lily got out of her dad’s car, Alex pulled into the parking space next to her and climbed out, slamming his door shut. His conversation with the police still had him agitated. She’d been surprised he hadn’t been able to do more, but her dad had been right. The police just simply had nothing to go on.
She wasn’t convinced there was anything more to be worried about anyway. She couldn’t believe anyone would seriously want to hurt her. She couldn’t even think of anyone that could be angry with her.
“I still think you should come home until this gets sorted out,” her dad said as he came around the back of his car and joined them.
“He’s right, you know.” Alex darted his eyes toward a guy jogging by on the sidewalk.
Lily longed for an escape. She’d give anything to be able to practice today, but Coach had said no.
“I can’t go home. I have classes, and a huge game tomorrow night.”
Alex rolled his eyes. “You can’t be serious. Your life is more important than a stupid volleyball game.”
She jerked her eyes up to his, shocked he would say something so callous. Didn’t he understand her at all? She crossed her arms over her chest, determined to stand her ground.
“Nothing is going to happen.”
“Something already did.”
Her dad pat Alex on the shoulder, and she could see him stiffen.
“Look, Alex. I think she’s all right as long as she stays on campus.” Then he shifted his gaze to Lily. “You promise you’ll stay on campus until we figure this out?”
“Yes. I’ll stay here.”
Her dad pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head.
“Call me if you find out anything or need anything at all. I’ll see you at the game tomorrow.”
He shook Alex’s hand again, and Lily could have sworn she saw a hint of a smile in the corner of her dad’s lips.
“Looks like you have your hands full. Good luck with that.”
She watched him drive away then turned her glare on Alex.
“What?” he asked.
“Stupid volleyball game?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-“
“This game is important, Alex. And not just to me. There are other people depending on me.”
He reached out and pulled her waist toward him, his scent filling her head.
“I get that. I do. I just don’t want you getting hurt again.”
“I’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
Her anger softened and she reached her hands behind his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her gently, but it did nothing to sooth the doubt and fear still roaming through her. A shiver sent goose bumps up her arms.
“You cold?” he asked.
“Just a little. I’ll be fine.” She tilted her head toward the bridge heading over to the main campus. “You want to get a bite to eat? I’m starving.”
“Sure.”
She took his hand, and they started down the sidewalk toward the bridge. A blast of wind picked up several leaves from the wooded area beside them and sent a colorful mini-tornado across the parking lot. From above, birds chattered back and forth, occasionally swooping down to sit on nearby bushes. Alex walked in silence, still brooding.
/> “What are you thinking about so hard?” she asked.
He let out a long slow breath, and still he didn’t look at her.
“Just trying to figure out what’s really going on.”
“What do you mean?”
He stopped as they reached the old chapel and faced her, his lips pressed into a frown. It had been so long since she’d seen the carefree twinkle in his eye. He hadn’t cracked a joke in weeks. He looked tired, drained—the same way she felt.
“Why were you with Jackson last night?”
“I wasn’t with Jackson. I was with Emily and some friends-“
“This guy T.J.?”
“Yes.”
“Another basketball player.”
“Yeah. Why does it matter? I was there with some friends, and Jackson came over to talk to me about the pictures he got in the mail.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Did you see the photos?”
“Yeah. Why are you questioning me like I’m a criminal or something?”
He ran his hand through his hair and shifted his weight from side to side.
“This isn’t easy for me. I just want to figure out what’s going on. Asking questions is what I do.”
“I get that. But I’m not a suspect. I’m your girlfriend-“
“Are you?”
The question blindsided her, and she took a step back. This was the last thing she needed right now. She started to speak but he cut her off.
“It seems like you’re trying awfully hard to shut me out lately. You haven’t been yourself. Going out to clubs, dancing with strange men-“
“Strange men?”
“I got a picture too.”
She froze again. Not more pictures.
“It was of you and some guy dancing it up at one of these clubs.” His eyes burned with more accusations, but he stopped short of saying them.
“You got a picture of me? In the mail?”
“No, on my phone. Now I want to know what’s going on, Lily.”
So did she.
“I don’t know what’s going on any more than you do. I have no idea who would do this.”
He exhaled again. “I’m not talking about that. I want to know what’s going on with you. Something just doesn’t feel right here. It’s like your drifting away from me.”
“Nothing is going on with me. I’m fine.”
“Then why are you hanging around with Jackson again?”
She threw her head back and groaned. “I told you, we ran into each other at the club. It wasn’t planned.”
“Maybe not by you, but he certainly planned it. I don’t trust the guy. He’s probably the one that tampered with your drink.”
“You have got to be kidding!” She almost had to laugh at the absurdity. “There’s no way Jackson’s involved in this. He got pictures too, remember.”
She continued down the sidewalk. Alex caught up to her and matched her stride.
“Did he have the envelope?”
“No. But that doesn’t mean anything.”
“He could have taken those pictures, and then pretended like he got them in the mail. Wasn’t one of them from your high school yearbook?”
She stopped again. “How did you know that?”
“The officer I talked to this morning told me.”
“Wait, do the police think Jackson did this?” No answer. “Did you tell them that he did?”
“Listen, Lily. I don’t think you really know what that guy is capable of.”
Her heart raced with her growing anger, nearly spilling words she knew she’d regret. She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.
“So you think he followed us to Charleston? That he took pictures of me, of us? There’s no way he could have done that. Besides, Jackson would never hurt me.”
“Why? Because he still loves you?”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Just forget about Jackson. He isn’t the one doing this.”
“You still love him too, don’t you?”
She saw the pain behind his eyes and wanted to explain, but her anger and fear still clouded everything. The truth was so complicated.
“Yes, I do love Jackson, but not the way you’re making it sound.” He started to speak, but she cut him off. “Let me finish this. I want to be absolutely clear. Jackson has been my best friend since we were kids. I can’t just suddenly stop caring about him.”
He looked away for a moment, and she thought he might actually walk off. He took a few steps toward the library, but then he turned back.
“I don’t want to argue with you, Lily. I wish you’d just trust me. Jackson is bad news. I know you think he would never hurt you, but he already did. You spent the better part of this year hurting because of him, and now he’s taken things too far because he can’t let go. Don’t let this guy back into your life.”
A raindrop hit her cheek, and she looked up at the clouds moving in. Perfect. They were probably about to get soaked.
“We better get over to the student center before the sky opens up.”
He looked up as well, and nodded in agreement. Then they finished their trek in silence. By the time they reached the side door of the student center, the sprinkles were steadily dampening everything. Alex held the door for her as she scooted past him.
He followed her inside, and he looked at the surroundings like he was assessing the risk. She wished he’d just relax. Her nerves were getting raw.
“You hungry?” she asked. “The food court is just over there.” She pointed into a large open area to her left.
He looked over at the eating area, but turned to the campus post office behind him instead.
“You got a box here?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Which one?”
Her stomach dropped. She hadn’t even thought about checking her mail box.
“This one.”
She showed him and turned the combination before stepping away like a bomb might explode when the door opened. She stood behind him, agonizing while he sifted through the mail. Then he turned around with a single envelope in his hand. It was small, and the address on the front was written in block letters. He held it on the corners as he turned it over in his hand.
“It’s got your name and box number on it. Nothing else. No stamp or anything.”
He walked over to the window where a lanky guy in jeans two sizes too big stood behind the counter.
“Excuse me,” Alex said. “What’s your name?”
“Harold.” The young man pushed several strands of his long, black hair behind his ear. He looked a little shaky, especially when Alex whipped out his badge and slid it across the counter.
“Can you answer a question for me?”
Harold nodded, his eyes wide.
“How do letters with no stamps get delivered?”
“Oh, well if you bring it to the window it doesn’t need a stamp. We just put it in the mailbox. Do you need me to deliver something?”
“Ah, no. But does this look familiar to you?”
Harold leaned over and studied the envelope then looked back at Alex.
“No, sir. Sorry.”
“Thanks anyway.” He turned back to Lily, his brow furrowing. So much for returning to normal.
“Should we open it?”
“Might as well.”
He took out his pocket knife and slid it slowly along the edge of the envelope. He still held onto the sides as he pulled the slip of paper out. Before he even unfolded it, Lily saw the dark block letters, and her stomach knotted. Then he used the knife to lift the top open.
Dear Sweet Lily,
Your hero saved you last night, but don’t worry. You will reap what you’ve sown. You may have fooled everyone else into thinking you are good and pure, but I know the truth. You will get a hypocrite’s just reward. -God
She shuddered with the ripple of fear that went through her. This person—whoever it was—seemed to know her very thoughts.
“We can’t just dismiss this as a bad joke anymore,” Alex said.
“So what do we do?”
“We take this to the police and hope they’ll take it seriously now. Whoever put the bee venom in your drink has been here. Today.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
November 2
Birmingham, Alabama
When the whistle blew, the referee signaled a time out and Lily jogged over to the end of the bench to grab a cup of water. This was it, and this was exactly where she wanted to be—the ball in her hand as she served the final point of the match. GSU could try to ice her with a time out, but it wouldn’t matter. She never missed her serve on game point.
A few feet away, the rest of the team huddled around Coach Hampton as she laid out the strategy for the final play. Music blared over the sound system, and the basketball team had started stomping the bleachers, led by T.J. of course. Coach Hampton patted Emily on the back, a hearty blow that shook her ponytail.
“Let’s get Em a good set outside,” she boomed, “and she’s going to put it down the line.”
That shot had been working all night, but Lily had no intentions of the play ever getting that far. She reached her hand into the middle of the huddle and yelled with the rest of the team. Then she caught the ball from the line judge as she trotted back to serve.
She bounced the ball three times, pulled it up in front of her, and surveyed the court. The crowd in the stands went crazy, chanting and stomping coming from the basketball team to her right. Then they fell silent when the referee blew the whistle and signaled for the serve.
She eyed the left back corner, pictured the serve landing there, and then tossed the ball out in front of her. She took a broad approach, put everything she had into one last jump, and then snapped her arm through the ball. As soon as she connected, she knew it was an ace, and the ball streaked into the left back corner. No one even touched it.
Her entire team jumped into the air and came together in the middle of the court, their arms raised in celebration. Lily ran to the center and joined them, slapping hands and hugging her teammates. The crowd cheered, and she relished the exhilaration flowing through her. She could take on anything right now. Anything.
Love's Providence: A Contemporary Christian Romance Page 27