Chapter 13 Annie
ANNIE
I know I shouldn’t feel unsafe with my friend, but I do.
The way she’s looking at me. The way she’s so insistent that Josh is a freaking danger.
I’ve known her only a few weeks longer than I’ve known him, but he’s never once made me question his intentions.
From the very second I met him, he made it clear that he was looking out for my safety, my budget, and my best interests.
And that was before I practically stripped off my pajamas and threw myself at him.
I study Neveah’s face and try to ignore the fact that Josh can hear everything we’re saying. “I don’t get it,” I tell her. “Josh has nothing to do with any of this. Why do you think he does?”
Neveah shakes her head dramatically, her colorful buns falling a little looser over her ears.
“Girl, what’s this about?” She points to the mess in my room.
“People lose their keys all the time. I’d know, I have to help them get their asses back into their rooms.” She grimaces as if the mess that is my dorm room is obvious evidence.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.” She reaches out and rests a hand on my arm, and for a moment, I see a side of her that drops my defenses.
“Annie.” Her brows lower, and she sounds concerned.
Like she’s trying not to scare me off. “Sometimes the people we’re attracted to don’t treat us well all the time.
Most of the time, they are fun and loving, but when they get angry or feel threatened… ”
I close my eyes and draw in a breath. God. She really is trying to be a friend. She thinks Josh is violent. That he did this to my room?
I shake my head. “No, no,” I say, starting to bite my lower lip. She’s got it all wrong, but it’s not unreasonable that she would ask. Hell, even suspect it. This is her job. I’m sure she’s been trained to see stuff like this. I’m sick at the fact that she’s probably seen this and so much worse.
But that’s not the situation here. Josh is on my side, and I believe that, no matter what, I can trust him. And I desperately want her to do the same. I’m honestly still wrangling with the worry that I cannot entirely trust Neveah.
“He’s not…” I try to explain, but I’m at a loss for words.
I feel like the only way to clear Josh’s name is to tell Neveah about the notes I’ve been getting.
About what’s really been going on. But what’s the downside to telling her?
Will she go to the campus police? I mean, God.
They already know about what happened to my room.
Maybe the notes will make them take this more seriously.
At this point, I’m hiding out in a motorcycle club compound. I’ve made a police report. I probably should make sure that everyone who might need to know what’s happening is in the loop.
I try not to peek at my phone as I grab her hand and give it a squeeze.
“I think I understand what you’re saying, and I love you for caring.
But it’s not like that.” I get up and pace toward the window, hoping to draw her attention toward me and away from the phone.
“Josh had absolutely nothing to do with this. I’ve started bringing Josh around campus because of a problem I’ve been having. ”
She grows immediately serious. She stands, a scowl on her face. “What problem, Annie? What’s going on?”
I shrug and explain that I’ve received some notes that started out weird but ended up threatening.
I tell her that Josh is the one who insisted I go to the police.
That he’s been nothing but the shoulder I can cry on through all this.
“And worse,” I say, shaking my head, “whoever is doing this seems to know how to get to Josh too. That’s why I’ve been off campus.
He and I have been staying together someplace where we’ll be safe. ”
Neveah pinches her eyebrows between two fingers and curses under her breath.
She presses me for details about the notes.
When did they start? What did they say? Do I still have them?
She looks so sincerely distraught, I immediately start to feel relief.
She can’t have anything to do with the notes.
She looks like she’s about ready to punch somebody for me, if the speed of her pacing and the rapid-fire questions mean anything.
I don’t think she’s an actor, and I want to trust that her reaction is sincere.
“Babe,” she says, dropping back down onto the floor.
She sits cross-legged and sighs. “We need to involve the campus police. You’re right that you shouldn’t be here if you’re in any kind of danger.
But I have to report this. No matter who’s doing this shit to you, whether it’s someone you know or not, we need to make sure security is involved. There are protocols for this.”
I sniff hard and lift a brow at her, not even bothering to hold back my sarcasm. “Like the protocols they followed when they made the report about my room?”
She nods. “I know. They don’t exactly inspire confidence.
” She gives me a sad half smile, her pretty lips pressing together.
“But Annie, if they know what’s going on, they can request support from local law enforcement.
There are some good officers on the team.
I can put in a request to the Department of Residence Life for more security patrols, anything.
Until you know who’s doing this and why, anyone could be at risk. ”
I nod. I know she’s right. “Okay,” I agree. “So, what do I have to do?”
Neveah stands and points a hand at the mess in the room. “Let me help you. Let me in. I can be a friend to you here, Annie. Not just an RA.”
I instinctively grab her in a hug, pushing away the smallest part of me that still wonders if maybe, just maybe, she’s somehow in on this.
Maybe I’m not seeing everything there is to see.
Maybe she’s not someone I can trust completely.
But Josh will be back soon. And no matter what she says, does, or thinks, I trust him.
God, how I trust him. And I’m more grateful than ever to have him in my corner for as long as he plans to be there.
I release Neveah from the hug just as Josh returns with a cardboard to-go caddy filled with drinks.
“Ohh, sweet salvation.” Neveah leaps toward him and picks up her drink from the container.
“You’re a freaking angel.” She takes a long, deep sip and closes her eyes.
“Hmm-hmm that hits the freaking spot.” She turns to me and points.
“You. Talk to your man,” she says. “I promised I’d treat. I’m going to grab cash from my room.”
I don’t really care about Neveah’s money, but I’m glad she’s giving me a minute alone with Josh. I grab my phone off the floor where I had it facedown so the lock screen wouldn’t reveal there was a connected call. I quickly swipe, end the call, and jam the phone into my pocket.
“Hey.” I lower my voice and take the drink caddy from him. “You heard all that?”
He nods and pulls me close to him. His arms are hot from the Florida sun, and he holds me tight against his chest. I smell the warm heat of his body, the enticing hint of his cologne.
“You smell good,” I mutter, lifting my face to his. “You’re seriously distracting, you know that?”
He laughs and plants a light kiss against my lips. “You did good, babe. Really good.”
Shivers travel up my arms and legs at his voice, his praise. I close my eyes and rest my head against him. We don’t say anything until Neveah comes back and breaks up our cuddle by waving three five-dollar bills in her hand.
“This should cover it, I hope?” She looks at us and snorts. “You two keep doing you.” She walks over to my purse and jams the cash inside, then puts her hands on her hips. “So, are we calling the campus police, or what?”
The process of working with the campus police is nothing like it was down at the local police department. I fill out forms and give a statement.
There are several very nice officers and an admin to whom I email the photos of the notes I’ve received since I left the originals back at the compound.
They ask me about everything you could imagine—my routine, my schedule, my dating life.
Any enemies I might have. They have me mark on a campus map which studio is mine, even though the studio was assigned by the college and they already have that information.
I try to be patient with every repeated question, every moment that I feel like I have to rehash the smallest of details again and again. I create a timeline of the last few weeks so many times, it all starts to blur.
They agree to communicate a confidential message to the Department of Residence Life indicating that they are aware that I may stay off campus while the matter is being investigated. When they ask where I intend to stay if I’m not in the dorms, I look to Josh.
I don’t know what the right thing to say is.
If I say my father’s house, that puts him right in the middle of whatever is going on.
I would rather face my stalker alone than put my father in harm’s way.
So, I sigh and give them the address of Josh’s office.
While it’s not a residence, the campus police just need an address.
The building has security cameras, and I notice Josh pull out his phone and send a few texts after I give that address.
I hope he’s telling Alice to be watchful. I hate, literally hate, not knowing who I can trust. Worry that other people might be in danger because of me settles heavy in my chest.
By the time we finish with the campus police, I am exhausted. We never did eat lunch after those coffees, and now the sun is going down. We walk back to Josh’s truck, his fingers lightly laced through mine. It’s wild how right this feels. How normal.