Filed to story: Crushing on My Enemy Stepbrother
Iris giggles, walking in front of me, and opening the door to step out, ‘it’s never a hardship to be around you Caleb’ she replies quietly.
I bark out a laugh, ‘I know what I’m like Iris’ I retort, ‘I’m an asshole, I’m actually surprised that you are comfortable with me walking you to your car.’
The woman’s laughter rolls around us as she turns bright eyes toward me, ‘I feel safer with you than on my own, I can promise you.’ She averts her gaze slightly as she adds, ‘you are a little rough around the edges, I won’t lie but I firmly believe that if I needed protecting, you would be the man who I could count on to do that.’
I try to stop my surprise from showing on my face at her words, it’s true, if anyone I knew needed help or protection, I would be there but I figured I’d done a pretty good job pushing everyone away that no one knew that now.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I push open the door, stepping out into the cold darkness and glance around quickly, before moving to the side so that Iris can follow me out. I stick close to her side as we cross the parking lot, reaching her car quickly where she pulls out her keys and unlocks the door.
Pulling it open, she stops, glancing up at me, ‘thank you for walking me out’ she murmurs.
‘Anytime Iris, drive safe and please buckle up’ I reply, holding the edge of the door until she slides behind the wheel, pulling on her seatbelt with a broad smile as she watches me. Once I hear the click, I shut the door, stepping back a few paces and waiting for the young woman to start her car and back out of her space. With a last wave, Iris heads toward the road and joins the lines of traffic, soon being swallowed up by the lights of the vehicles around her.
Turning back to the building, I walk toward the door, reaching for the large door handle before pausing. Something niggles at me and for some reason, I feel the need to check my SUV. Spinning around, I head over to my truck, frowning as my windscreen comes into view. Resting above my wiper is a small package, carefully wrapped in pretty paper with a silver ribbon around it.
Picking it up, I look around myself again, my neck prickling with awareness, but there is no one to be seen.
Making my way back to the office, I push open my door and walk in, shutting it behind me to give myself privacy. Taking a seat, I study the package, there is no name on it and a careful inspection of the wrapping shows no wires and no sounds coming from inside.
Pulling the ribbon, I remove it from the paper, before gingerly sliding my finger under the tape and opening the seam so I can slide out the small box from its wrappings.
Placing the black box on my desk, I frown, it’s only three inches square and no more than an inch tall. Peeling off the lid, I find a folded piece of paper inside, removing it, I unfold it and flatten it out. A growl of anger leaves me as I stare at the photo, it’s of Tessa, and from the grocery bags in her arms, I assume she was coming out of the store having stopped off to pick something up for dinner. Her head is down slightly as she rummages in her pocket for what I assume are the keys to her car which can just be seen in the corner of the photo. She is completely oblivious to the fact that someone is watching her and my skin prickles to know that some asshole was close enough to take her photo and what could have happened to her.
Flipping the photo over, there is some words written in the corner, ‘someone important to you?’ An anger unlike I’ve ever felt before curls through me at the thought that someone has been watching Tessa. Underneath that anger is another feeling, one I’m completely familiar with, a tendril of fear over why whoever is watching her sent me this photo and what does the message mean? One think I’m pretty sure about is, that whoever took this photo is a problem, one that I need to find and neutralise.
Tessa’s POV
Another day at college, followed by a few more hours in the library with Noah, working on our assignments. Well I worked on my assignment, Noah chatted up a brunette at the next table and threw bits of paper at me.
Leaving the parking lot, I wave to my friend who gives me back a mock salute, and I head out onto the highway. I immediately crawl to a snails pace and curse rush hour and every single vehicle that is in my way. I need to keep a better eye on the time and stop trying to leave when every person in Maine kicks out of work.
My phone vibrates in the cup holder beside me, and I press the button to answer on the steering wheel.
‘Hello?’ I call out loudly, never too sure about how loudly I have to talk when I’m using the hands free option.
‘Tessa?’ Mateo’s voice comes through the car’s speakers, ‘can you hear me?’
‘Yes, I can hear you’ I reply, ‘what’s up Matty?’
I smile as the burly football player chuckles at the nickname, ‘you are the only person I would let get away with calling me Matty’ he snorts, ‘well you and my sister, she could get away with murder with me. I’m not sure if that is better or worse than short stop.’
I laugh, ‘you suit Matty’ I tease, ‘what does the big bad jock want with little old me anyway?’ I push, indicating to change lane as I glance over my shoulder to check the gap.
‘It’s our game Friday, mine and Noah’s, he was supposed to ask you to come but I know that man, if he saw any pretty female he completely forgot that you were even there.’
‘Are you saying I’m ugly?’ I ask, feigning hurt.
‘What? No! You are gorgeous Tessa! Like volcano level hot!’ the jock quickly backtracks worriedly and I press my hand to my mouth to smother my sniggers.
‘That’s not what it sounded like Matty’ I reply, putting on my best hurt voice. ‘If I was pretty then no girl would ever take Noah’s attention from me!’
Mateo stutters for a few seconds before I burst out laughing, unable to keep it in.
‘Oh you little minx’ the jock huffs, ‘I’ll get you back for that little Tessa! You mark my words!’
‘Cant catch this fox Matty’ I sing song down the line as I giggle, ‘I’m to quick for you.’
Mateo grumbles loudly before returning to the previous conversation, ‘so’ he starts hopefully, ‘our game? Friday? The girls will be there in the stands and I swear you don’t even have to paint your face with the school colours or anything! Will you come and cheer on your guy friends?’
A warmth spreads through me at how keen Mateo sounds to have me at the game, at my old college and even school before that, I never had a friend who was sporty so I didn’t attend any of the football games, not wanting to be sat on my own with no clue what was happening in the game.
‘I don’t understand football’ I hedge reluctantly.
Mateo’s deep chuckle reaches me again, ‘don’t worry, Ruby is like a walking, talking encyclopaedia of football, she’ll hold your hand through the game.’