CHAPTER FOUR
Jacob
I watch Anya leave and I can’t shake the feeling that something is definitely off. Anya got a text message that visibly rattled her. She looked scared, but when I asked, she brushed it off, claiming it was from Lana. I haven’t known Anya for long, but I know Lana has never once sent a message that made her go pale. Why won’t she let me in and let me help her? What is she so afraid of that she refuses to share?
The unease gnaws at me, so I turn my car around and head back to Anya’s house. I can’t leave until I find out what’s going on.
Nana walks out as soon as I pull into the driveway. “Oh, hello, Jacob dear. I thought you were going home?”
“I was, but I decided to surprise Anya by staying here and waiting for her to get home.”
She smiles widely. “Oh, that’s so nice of you, dear. She will love that.”
“Do you mind if I stay here until she gets home?” I ask.
“Oh, of course not! The spare key is under the lighthouse to the right of the door should you want to leave,” she says with a knowing smile before driving off.
I walk inside, and it feels strange being here without Anya. I lie down in the guest room, thinking I could probably nap before she gets home, but sleep eludes me. I can’t relax—one, being here alone is unsettling, and two, I can’t stop thinking about this morning. My stomach growls, and I take it as a sign. I get up and head out the door.
After what feels like an eternity, I pull into the Lonestar Mex parking lot. Anya’s car is nowhere in sight. I walk inside, scanning the area but don’t see her.
“Howdy, how many in your party?” a short redhead asks in a fake country accent.
“Oh, umm, I’m actually looking for someone. Is Anya here?” I ask, feeling a surge of anxiety.
“Anya? Umm, I’m not sure, sir. We don’t have anyone named Anya here,” she says, glancing at her screen.
“She works here,” I insist.
“Oh, umm, we don’t have anyone named Anya working here either,” she says, batting her eyes at me.
“She does work here. I just need to know where she is,” I say, my tone growing more intense.
“Sir, I’m sorry, but no one by that name works here!” she snaps, dropping her fake accent.
“I’m sorry, who are you looking for?” A tall guy in all black with dark brown hair asks, stepping forward.
“Anya. Anya Parker,” I explain, my frustration boiling over.
His face twists with disdain. “She isn’t here. She took some time off,” he says gruffly. “And if I were you, I’d stay as far away from that bitch as possible.”
“Oh, is that so?” I growl, feeling my blood begin to boil.
“Yeah, she’s not worth the lay,” he says, nudging me with a smug grin.
I fake a laugh, then grab him by his shirt and slam him against the wall.
“Whoa, what the fuck, man!” he yells, eyes wide with fear.
“What’s your name?” I ask evenly.
“It’s… it’s… Joe, my name is Joe.”
“Well, okay, Joe! Before you start talking shit, know who you are speaking to,” I say, my voice a dangerous whisper.
“Oh, word! You fucked her too?”
I slam him harder against the wall. “Not another word from you, Joe, except to tell me where she is!”
Joe raises his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, dude, chill. I honestly don’t know where she is.”
I push him away and make my way towards the door, ready to leave, but before I can escape, Joe's voice stops me cold.
"She’s a whore anyways. If you can't find her, she's probably off screwing some other guy."
My face turns red with anger and I storm over to him. He laughs in my face and right as I'm about to punch him, a hand grabs my arm.
"What the hell, Jacob!" Lana exclaims with a look of shock on her face. She releases my arm and looks at Joe. "You wish Anya would sleep with you, but it wouldn't be worth her time since your dick is smaller than the finger you tried to shove up her!"
"What the hell?!" I yell again, trying to go after Joe. But Lana steps in front of me. "Jacob, for God's sake, what has gotten into you?" She looks behind her, then back at me. "Joe isn't worth it, trust me."
I turn and walk out the front door, slamming my hand against the car hood in frustration. "Jacob!" Lana calls out after me. I take a deep breath and turn around.
"Can you please tell me what that was all about? I've never seen you lose your cool like that before." She asks, concern etched in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," I say, feeling guilty for losing control. "You're right, I shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me. But did you hear what he was saying about Anya?"
Lana puts her hands on her hips. "Joe says a lot of crap about Anya, mainly because she rejected him before we went on the cruise. He's just throwing a tantrum like a child."
“But that wasn't the only reason why you snapped, I can tell something else is bothering you," Lana says with crossed arms. “She lied about having to work! She has never lied to me before” I exclaim.
"That's a conversation you need to have with Anya. She's on her way back home now, she was just at my house." She says, defensive of her friend.
"Okay, thanks," I say as I get in my car. But before I can drive away, there's a knock on my window.
"Listen, be understanding when you talk to her. She has a lot going on and it's weighing on her," Lana says with an empathetic expression.
"I would never hurt Anya, you know that," I assure her.
"I never said you would. But your emotions are running high after what just happened with Joe, so I suggest calming down before talking to her."
"Okay, I will," I say.
"And remember what I said on the cruise - if you make her cry, there's nowhere you can hide from me. Army or not, I will find you," Lana says with a smirk.
"I remember," I say with a slight grin. Then I pull out and head towards Anya's house.
I use the few minutes it takes to get to Anya’s house to calm down. Lana was right; I haven’t lost my cool like that in a long time. By the time I pull into Anya’s driveway, I’m back to normal. I walk up to the door and knock, but there’s no answer. I pull out my phone and call Anya, but it goes straight to voicemail. I look behind me and see her car in the driveway. Anxiety fills me as I knock again, still no answer. I reach under the lighthouse for the spare key. I unlock the door and slowly open it, glancing around. “Anya?” I call out, but there’s no response.
I walk toward the back of her house to where her bedroom is and hear water running. I open her bedroom door, “Anya, it’s Jacob. Are you here?” Still nothing. I head toward the bathroom, and just as I’m about to open the door, she comes out.
“AHHHHH!!!!” she screams, stepping back and slipping on the puddle of water. Just before she hits the ground, I catch her.
“Anya, breathe! It’s just me!” I say, holding onto her as she flails and screams. She opens her eyes and then hits my chest.
“What the fuck, Jacob!” she yells before leaning into me. Her whole body is shaking, and she’s breathing hard. It’s then I notice she’s crying. “Baby! I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I did call out and I called your phone,” I say, wiping her tears.
“I was in the shower…” she sniffles and takes a breath. “I didn’t hear you and my phone died,” she says between sobs. I hug her tighter. “I’m really sorry, baby.” She wraps her arms around me and begins to sob uncontrollably. Guilt fills my chest.
“Anya, please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to.” She shakes her head, “It’s... it’s not that,” she says, burying her face in my chest. I let go of her, but she just hangs on tighter. So, I grab under her thighs and pick her up. She immediately wraps her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck, tucking her head into my shoulder. I sit on her bed with her straddling me.
“Anya, talk to me,” I say, gently bringing her face up to mine. She looks at me, her eyes red and swollen, and takes a shaky breath.
“I... I got a message,” she starts, her voice trembling. “They’ve been sending me messages since before Caleb showed up at the house. Every time my phone dings now, I’m scared to look at it” She begins to sob again, her body trembling.
“Who, Anya? Who sent the message?” I ask, my voice soft but insistent.
She swallows hard, her eyes filled with fear and pain. “I…I…I don’t know who it is, Lana thinks it's Paul but I don’t want to believe it” she whispers, her voice barely audible.
Anger and protectiveness surge through me. “What did it say?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady for her sake.
“The messages are just things like they are watching me or things about where I’ve been” she says, her voice breaking. “I’m so scared, Jacob. I don’t know what to do. I feel like I am falling apart all over again.”
I hold her tighter, my heart breaking for her. “Anya, you’re not alone. I’m here, and I won’t let anything happen to you. We’ll figure this out together, okay?” I say, my voice firm and calming.
“But what about when you leave, what if it is Paul? I want to say that I can handle him but deep down I’m not so sure!” she says as tears stream down her face.
“We’ll figure it out baby, I promise” I say trying to set her mind at ease. “But how come you waited to tell me all of this?”.
She bows her head, “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to involve you and have you worried about me before you left for basic training” she whispers. I lift her head with my finger. “Anya, you are my world, and there isn’t anything that will stop me from thinking about you. I will do anything for you my love”.
She smiles and leans her head on my chest, “Thank you Jacob”.
I kiss her forehead, holding her close. “We’ll get through this, my love.”