Chapter 220

The next few days, Aimee, Nicole, and I had our study sessions in Asher’s room rather than the library. With the looming threat of Joseph around every corner, we thought it best to limit any contact I had with the outside world.

For the most part, this seemed to be working. There had been no more near misses with Joseph. Things more or less had been quiet.

The only problem was I was starting to go a bit stir-crazy.

I loved the room that had so easily become my home, but never being able to leave it was starting to make me feel a bit lethargic. I missed the outside world, even if only to see the sky and feel the wind.

I wasn’t willing to risk my safety, but I hated how much control Joseph maintained over my life. This was no doubt his intention, that I would be crippled by fear.

“I don’t want him to keep winning,” I told Aimee, Nicole, and Asher as we finished up a morning study session and were trying to decide what to do for lunch. “He’s made me feel like a prisoner in my own home.”

“It would be dangerous to go out, though.” Nicole worried her bottom lip with her teeth.

Aimee tapped her chin. “Maybe if we all stayed together, and stayed in very public places.”

I glanced at Asher. I expected him to be the most vehemently against going anywhere, but he had been quiet so far. When he caught me staring, he sighed.

“I’m not a fan of going out, no. As I’m sure you’ve already guessed. But I don’t like the thought of him having this power over you either.”

“If we stuck together…” Aimee said again.

“Maybe we can just try going out for lunch?” I offered. I was scared, of course, but I was so tired of letting that fear dictate my whole life. Surely I could go out for lunch? “Asher, I know you will protect me.”

“I will,” he said, without hesitation. “With my life.”

Nicole frowned at us both. “Well, hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”

“It won’t,” Aimee confirmed. “Because we’ll all look out for each other.”

In agreement, we decided to go to our regular café for lunch.

Once there, we claimed our usual table and ordered our usual selections. Everyone was tense, but as the meal progressed, we each slowly began to relax – except Asher, who always remained on high alert.

With the transfer exam just around the corner now, I had more than just Joseph to be worried about.

“You really came a long way since we started studying, Cynthia,” Aimee said. “I have no doubt that you will be able to pass the transfer exam.”

“You’ve been acing those practice exams lately, too,” Nicole added.

Even Asher nodded. “I know I had my doubts in the beginning, but there is no question now. You have the determination and the ability. I truly believe you will succeed.”

He had apologized for his past doubts before, but to hear him believe in me now, so confident and proud, helped smooth over any lingering hurt that remained from our previous split.

He locked eyes with me, and I could see the sincerity shining in his. “You’ve come so far, Cynthia. I am truly awed by you.”

Aimee and Nicole both made an aww noise.

I ducked my head, embarrassed by my reddening cheeks.

We continued eating, chatting about anything and everything, when the barista stepped away from the counter to pass me a note.

“A gentleman asked me to pass this note to you,” the barista said with a wink. “He seemed quite taken with you.”

Asher’s good mood soured. He openly glowered at the barista, until she swallowed hard and nervously shuffled away.

“She’s not the one who wrote the note,” I chastised him lightly.

He grumbled. “I’ll apologize later.”

I placed the folded note in the center of the table. We all stared at it.

“What should I do with it?” I asked.

“Throw it away,” Asher said.

“I don’t know. I kind of feel bad for the guy.” Nicole picked at what was left of her salad. “He apparently has no idea that you are in such a… er… committed relationship.”

I wasn’t sure how he couldn’t tell, with the love marks marring the entire column of my throat. Asher liked his claim to be well-known. Even know, he stretched his arm across the back of my chair.

I liked it.

“Maybe if I read the note, I could find out who it’s from and then turn them down gently,” I said. “I wouldn’t want them to wait around and hope, when they have no chance.”

Aimee shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt anything to just read it.”

Decided, I reached out for the letter and slowly opened it. What I saw made my blood run cold.

This was no love letter.

This was a note from Joseph.

It held only a few simple words but they made fear strike through my heart. Only by looking at Asher was I able to quash a Lamar apparition before it had truly taken shape.

“What is it?” Aimee asked.

Asher reached for the note. His face immediately hardened, his eyes frosting over.

The note read, I see you. Joseph.

It was his handwriting. I recognized it from previous notes he had written to me long ago, before I knew who he really was.

“It’s Joseph,” I said.

Nicole gasped. Aimee covered her mouth.

Asher stood from his chair and rushed to the barista, ignoring the customers in line. “Where is the person who wrote this?”

The barista held up her hands. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a love note.”

Asher showed her the letter and her face paled.

She looked around the room then, suddenly much more compliant. “I don’t see him anywhere.”

Angry, Asher hurried back to the table. “We have to get out of here. Now.”

We all stood up at the command.

“Asher, it’s okay,” I said, trying to calm him down some.

“It’s not. He was here and I didn’t even know it.”

Ah, so that was the root of Asher’s fury. He was most mad at himself.

“When I get you back home safe and sound, then everything will be okay.”

I nodded.

“We’ll all go,” Aimee said. “Safety in numbers.”

He returned to Asher’s dorm room as quickly as we could without me putting a strain on the baby. Yet as we approached the door, we noticed a second note tucked into the gash that had been made by the knife.

How did he get here so fast? Had he run, knowing we would come here next?

It almost felt like he was too places at once. Like he could be anywhere and everywhere at once.

No place was safe.

Asher reached for the note, but I was quicker. I knew if he got to it first, he would try to keep the contents from me. I had to know what we were dealing with. He couldn’t protect me from this.

I flipped open the note.

“What does it say?” Aimee asked. She and Nicole were glancing up and down the hallways like Joseph was going to magically appear.

Who knew? Maybe he would.

I swallowed down by budding fear, and read the note.

“You can’t escape from me.”