Third POV
Pictures littered the floor, ornaments created in Emma’s name, Jake sat on the chair watching Emma sleep through his laptop.
‘Time sure runs slowly when I watch you sleep Beloved and I like it. I get to admire you, take note of all your features, guess what you are dreaming of…’
He sighed longingly and zoomed in on her face. Leaning closer he kissed the screen and sighed again.
‘I want to kiss you. I want to hold you in my arms but you seem to be avoiding me lately. Why?’
Suddenly Emma stirred and moaned. Jake watched in horror as she tossed and turned under the sheets. Taking out his phone, he dialed her number and watched his laptop.
Emma woke up with a start and grabbed her phone but whoever it was ended the call before she could answer. Jake watched all this unfold and began to send her a series of texts.
‘Are you okay?’
‘You look scared.’
‘Say something!’
‘It seems you had a nightmare.’
‘What is it about?’
‘Who is it about?’
‘Tell me.’
‘Please!’
‘Talk to me.’
Emma groaned, put the phone back on the floor, and lay on the bed. Then as someone struck by thunder, she bolted back up and sent him a text.
I am fine.
He heaved a sigh of relief.
Did you put a camera in my room?
Face red with embarrassment, he bit his bottom lip and chuckled.
‘No. What makes you think that?’
She stood up and began to search the room. Jake giggled at her fruitless attempt to find the cameras he installed along with the mechanism he used to control the windows in her room and sent her another text.
‘Try as you might Beloved.’
‘You are not going to see anything out of the ordinary.’
She shuddered and looked around her.
‘You have school tomorrow my love.’
‘Get some sleep.’
‘Not until you tell me where the cameras are.’
He giggled again.
‘Sorry, my love.’
‘I can’t do that with the current circumstances you are in.’
She shuddered again.
‘You don’t have to worry.’
‘I am always watching you.’
‘Get some sleep.’
‘You are going to need it.’
He watched her crawl back to the futon and smiled.
‘Oh, my love. Why are you afraid of me? Can’t you see I am trying to keep you safe? Is there something wrong with that?’
He leaned back on his chair and looked up at the ceiling. ‘I don’t think so. I don’t think it is unusual. Besides, I love watching you sleep. It's one of the things I will cherish for the rest of my life.’
He leaned back recalling the first time he watched her sleep and smiled. Not only did he get to see her up close and physically, but he also stored her 'essence' inside him. Looking back at his laptop, he watched her scroll through her phone with sleepy eyes and was about to send her another text but caught himself just in time.
‘I scared her enough for one night.’
So he dedicated the next few hours to watching and documenting everything about Emma until it was 5:30 AM. When he went to the bathroom to do his morning duties, he took his phone with him, he watched her brush his teeth while brushing his with her toothbrush.
‘Something is off about this brush.’ He spat out the foam and stared at it. ‘I can’t taste your essence anymore. It’s gone.’
Emma had just put her toothbrush back in the cup and walked out of the bathroom.
He smiled. ‘Looks like I have another toothbrush to steal.’
He went into the kitchen and made coffee while she put the bread in the toaster and brew some tea.
“It’s a little small but it will do until lunchtime.” She said.
He spat out his coffee in shock. “Oh no! I have to make lunch for her before she…oh she already made lunch the night before.”
He laughed at his stupidity as she buttered her bread with the knife but his eyes glowed when she licked it.
‘I MUST HAVE THAT BUTTER KNIFE IN ME! NOT ONLY DOES IT HAVE HER ESSENCE, BUT SHE ALSO RAN HER TONGUE ON IT!'
After ‘eating breakfast with her, left the apartment to ‘ambush’ her on the way to school. Normally, they would walk to school together but he decided to surprise her.
But as he drew closer to her, an idea struck his mind. Taking out his phone, he sent her a text.
‘Beloved. I am so sorry.’
‘Something came up so I won’t be in school today.’
‘Please forgive me.’
He watched from afar as she looked at her phone and heaved a sigh of relief before typing, ‘Okay.’
‘Wait that’s it?’ His heart sank as she put the phone in her bag and continued to walk like it was no big deal.
‘Why?’ he asked walking behind her. ‘Why are you acting like this Beloved? Don't you care about me?’
“I can’t. There is someone behind her?”
Jake's eyes widened and he walked faster entering an alley by the right.
“Okay, he is gone now.”
He waited as the footsteps drew closer.
“Yeah. I can see her…Yeah…No boss I…”
Then he reached out and grabbed the man by the neck making him drop his phone. After dragging him into the alley, he snapped his neck with one swift move and dumped his body in the dumpster.
“Leo. Leo are you there? Leo?” the voice from the other end yelled as he picked up the phone. Turning it off, he put it in his bag and ran to catch up with Emma before she walked into the school.
‘You see Beloved.’ He thought as she changed her shoes. ‘Something bad would have happened to you if I wasn’t there.'
The bell rang for class and he watched her walk into the room. After looking at his phone, he ran to the window outside her classroom and watched her take notes as the teacher talked.
‘My Beloved is studious as always.’ He cooed in his heart. ‘I hope the teacher won't give her trouble today. I made the last one pay for giving her a bad grade on purpose.’
“Hello, Emma. You look awful. Is everything alright?”
The male voice brought him back to reality and noticing the four-eyed imp standing before his Beloved’s desk, he crouch underneath the window to get a closer look.
“Yeah. Everything is fine Brutes.” She replied with a yawn.
He pushed up his glasses and looked squarely at her. “Say, you haven’t seen Jake around have you?”
“No. He told me he couldn’t attend school today.”
“That’s good to hear.”
‘WTF?!’ he leaned closer to the window.
“I would like to talk to you alone in the school’s garden after school. Okay?”
Emma looked into Brutes' eyes and finding no sign of foul play, she agreed to create a crack in Jake’s heart.
‘What does he want to tell her?’ he thought as they walked out of the room.
Then he heard footsteps coming his way. Standing up from his crouching position, he pretended to walk into the school building and hid behind a huge flowerpot near the door.
There he watched someone walk past him.
‘Who’s that?’ He stood up and followed the person’s trail which ended up on the school’s running track. ‘Who are you looking for?’
The little ‘follow the leader game’ continued for an hour and Jake was starting to get bored with it. He was about to leave when the intruder began to run.
‘What are you doing?’ He followed until they got to the garden where the martial arts club members practiced. There, the intruder hid behind a tree and watched Emma talk to Andrew.
“Say, Andrew do you know if Sensei knows how to use a knife?”
“A knife?” Andrew sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “I don’t know. Let’s ask him.”
Then they walked deeper into the garden. Jake sneaked quietly behind the intruder, keeping a clear distance between them until she stopped behind a shack and leaned close to the wall in an attempt to eavesdrop on their conversation.
‘I don’t know what you are up to Mrs. Yamada but that is a terrible way to spy on someone.’ He took out his phone and tapped on it.
“Thank you for seeing me Sensei.” He heard Emma say.
“It’s a pleasure.” there was a pause. “So you want to learn how to use a knife eh?”
“Yes sir.”
The old man coughed, “Well, I can squeeze time into my schedule to teach you the basic techniques.”
“Really?”
‘Schedule? You have no f*cking schedule, you old geezer!’ Jake gritted his teeth in fury and turned off his phone. ‘Why didn’t you ask me Beloved? I know how to use a knife! You saw it yourself! Aren’t I good enough for you?’
A tear rolled down his eyes and he wiped it off looking straight at Ayano who snuck away from the shack as soon as Emma and Andrew walked out.
“Thanks for the help,” she said.
Andrew smiled filling Jake with rage. “No problem.”
She bid him goodbye and went to her next class with Ayano on her tail but he didn’t follow them. Instead, he looked for Stan and his search failed for he was nowhere to be seen.
‘Looks like the delinquent decided to skip school today.’ He thought leaning on the railing on the school’s roof.
His phone beeped with a notification. Emma was coming his way!
‘Cr@p! She shouldn’t know I am here!’ the thought of hanging by the side of the railing crossed his mind but it was too late for the action. Out of options, he hid behind the ventilation system and prayed she wouldn't see him.
Luckily, she stopped a few meters away from him and sat on the bench with her phone in her hand.
Ayano hid behind a corner and watched her.
“Hello?”
“Hello? Is this Emma Cross-wood?”
Jake’s eyes widened because the person at the other end sounded like a man.
“Yes. This is she,” she replied.
“Thank Heavens. I thought he gave me the wrong number.”
Emma cocked an eyebrow. “Who is this?”
“It’s me. Mr. Yamada.”
The surprised look on her face said it all.
“Wait! Don’t’ hang up!” he yelled.
“Don’t hang up eh?” Jake whispered with a sadistic grin on his face.
“H…how did you get my number?” she asked.
“One of your co-workers gave it to me. I think his name was Ral or something.”
His grin grew wider the minute while Ayano’s eyes filled up with rage.
“So how are you?” he asked.
“Mr. Yamada, why are you calling me?” she asked back.
There was a moment of silence from his end. “Well, I got worried when I didn't see you at work.”
Emma stood up. “Mr. Yamada, I am a student.”
“Student? You mean a college student?”
“No! I am a high school student!” she was pacing back and forth.
“Oh. I am sorry I didn’t know.” He paused. “But I want to…”
“I am sorry Mr. Yamada but don’t call my number again.” with that, she cut the line and walked towards the railing in front of her.
“Geez. What’s wrong with me? Before I was attracting perverts and bullies now I am attracting psychopaths and married men.”
Ayano snuck up behind her.
“What I’m I going to do? If he figures this out…”
She was just about to push Emma over the railings but Jake emerged from his hiding place and stopped her.
“No. I shouldn’t tell him.”
They stared at each other.
“The next time he calls, I will tell him he is married.”
He grinned and wagged his finger at Ayano who tsked and took out her knife.
“I will say, ‘Mr. Yamada, you are a married man with kids…”
Jake took out his knife and brandished it in his hands.
“…..and I don't like what you trying to do.”
Ayano posed for a fight.
“Please stop calling me.’ then I will hang up and block his number. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.”
Her ears picked up a sound and she looked behind her. “That’s odd. I could have…”
The bell rang and scared she might be late for her next class, Emma ran to the doors.
Meanwhile, Ayano stared at Jake with her hands balled into a fist. The pupils in her eyes had shrunk, her body shook and her lips were twisting into a smile.
But none of that fazed Jake who licked the blood off his knife.
“That was just a warning Mrs. Yamada.” He pointed at the injury on her thigh. “The next time we meet, I will send your head to your husband. Understood?”
Ayano could only stand there shaking violently as Jake walked passed her. The minute he closed the doors, she threw her head backward and laughed evilly.
Jake heard her laugh but shrugged it off.
Why?
He was in a good mood.
Why?
He witnessed Emma rejecting his rival’s advances.
‘This means she has approved of me being her boyfriend.’ He walked down the hall in glee. ‘But I need to strengthen our relationship or she might fall into temptation.’
Soon classes were over and he followed Emma to the school’s garden where the four-eyed imp was waiting for her.
“I am glad you decided to see me, Emma.” He said.
Jake hid behind a small bush and recorded their conversation with his phone.
“You wanted to talk to me about something?” she asks.
“Yes. It is about your relationship with Jake. How is it?”
Emma rubbed her right arm. “It’s…great.”
“You don’t sound so sure.” Brutes took off his glasses and started cleaning them with his shirt. “Is he abusing you?”
“What no! He isn’t.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Yes. I am sure.”
“I don’t see it that way.” He put them back on. “You guys should break up.”
Later…
The droplets of water beat down on Jake as he looked at the picture of Emma pinned on the wall. The water was cold but it did little to his temperature as he recalled the conversation between Brutes and his Beloved.
“He is lusting after you,” he said. “I see a spark in his eyes when he looks at you and it is not a good one. He nearly nosebleeds when you are close to him and tries everything to get your attention not to mention some details about his life are vague and incomprehensible.”
Emma was shocked. “Really? What did he tell you?”
“Nothing. What did he tell you?”
“Well…he…I mean he…”
“Your stammering speaks the truth.” he walked closer to her. "Or does it breathe lies?"
Emma adverted her eyes.
“Plus things are moving fast in your relationship. So fast, I am surprised you haven’t had sex but…”
There was a moment of silence after that and Jake recalled the sad look on Emma’s face.
“Do you love him?” Brutes asked.
“I…I am not sure Brutes.”
“Then it's not too late the break things up.”
She bit her bottom lip while he pushed up his glasses and walked passed her.
“I know this is none of my business but to tell you the truth, I don’t see any chemistry between the two of you.” he stopped and looked back. “So take my advice and break up with him. In my opinion, it's guys like him who dump girls after sleeping with them.”
Jake could recall the doubtful look in his Beloved’s eyes as she looked back at him and it made his blood boil.
“Lusting? Yeah right! Like you are a gentleman yourself with those porn magazines you have been reading!”
Remembering all of this erupted an unknown emotion that made him laugh. As his voice echoed through the bathroom, a strange ringing tone was heard.
With the notion that Emma might be calling him, he rushed out of the bathroom and grabbed his phone only to find it inactive. Realizing it was the stalker's phone, he reached out to grab it from the pocket of his school pants but it stopped ringing going straight to voicemail.
“Leo, why haven't you picked up my calls man? Whatever your reason is, the boss won't be happy about it. Listen up! We are going get that b!tch tonight. She is in her apartment right now and there is no one in there but her. We are waiting for you near the Middle Belt of town. Hurry up! Time is money.”
There was a click and Jake looked up in horror. Emma's place was in the Middle of Town famously called the Middle Belt. Grinning evilly from ear to ear, he quickly dressed up, grabbed his weapons of choice, a katana and an army knife and he opened the front door.
"Just wait Beloved. I am going to prove my love to you. I swear it"
He kissed the picture of Emma on his phone and ran out of the house.
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