5. Tuomo
CHAPTER FIVE
Tuomo
I t’s been almost six years since I spoke to Nerissa.
But I see her every day.
I follow.
I watch.
I wait.
We are meant to be together, so as soon as she turns twenty-five, I intend to keep my promise to marry her.
Over the years Nerissa has become more and more beautiful. She was always beautiful. The most beautiful girl in the world. Her thick dark brown hair, those gorgeous, big green eyes and her plump peach-colored lips - she has always been perfect.
But now she has filled out in different ways. She has grown from a girl into a woman. Her curves are more accentuated, and her features are more defined.
She is striking.
Mesmerizing.
I sit in the car outside her university. She has already graduated but today she came to fetch the last of her books from her locker. She has them in her arms as she walks, unknowingly, towards where I am parked. My windows are too dark for her to see into my car though. She has walked past me many times. The boy she likes is walking across the grass with her and I watch them, my fist clenched on the steering wheel.
He is getting too close. Too comfortable around my girl.
I waited, hoping she would lose interest in him once university was over, but this one she seems to really like and the last boy she really liked kissed her before I managed to - intervene .
Nerissa doesn’t know I follow her. She is blissfully unaware I play any part in her life at all. So, she also does not know that the last boy who liked her didn’t change to another university like the rumors stated. He was purposefully removed from the picture.
Because no one else should dare to kiss her. And no one else should dare to touch her.
And right now, I am watching as the boy reaches out and puts his hand on her lower back. His name is Riley. And Riley doesn’t know that soon he is also going to mysteriously disappear.
She turns to look at him with a smile on her face and a bright light shining in her eyes.
I snarl, my eyes darkening towards him.
I wish I could climb out of the car right now and slam my fists into his face until his nose splinters and his teeth crack.
But I can’t. I have to be patient.
Her birthday is coming up. In a week she turns twenty-five and as long as there is no boy she is in love with - and she is not married - then our pact will stand strong. Nerissa will have to keep the promise she made almost six years ago and marry me.
So, all I have to do is make sure that this boy doesn’t make it to her birthday.
Even though my father moved her out of the house, I could never let go of her. I have watched her throughout her life as she grew and changed and become more and more enticing to me.
I know all her favorite foods and her favorite color. I remember which sweater she loves the most, even though it has holes at the seams, she refuses to throw it out. And in the evenings, she curls up on the sofa to watch tv wearing that same black hoodie.
She loves popcorn, but without salt. She throws chili flakes on it.
She loves coffee with one spoon of sugar and way too much milk.
She loves it when it rains, and I watch her staring through the window, looking up at the dark gray sky with a smile on her face.
Sometimes at night, lying in bed right before she falls asleep, she talks to her mother.
Sometimes she doesn’t.
And some nights - she touches herself - and those nights are the most difficult for me, especially when I am in her room, standing in the dark, watching her from my hiding place behind her closet. Those nights are hard for me because all I want to do is be with her. I want to walk over to her bed and give her what she needs.
But I have to stay dead still, my cock rock hard against my pants, my breathing steady and silent while I watch her. That is self-control.
The self-control I have shown for six years, waiting for her to turn twenty-five, is something that most people couldn’t do.
It is true love.
Nerissa walks past my car and I hear part of their conversation.
“So, you are coming to my birthday, right?”
“Of course.” He laughs. “I wouldn’t miss it. And I have something really special to tell you - at your party, you have to wait.”
“Why can’t you tell me now?” She giggles.
“No, it’s - its special. I’ll wait for the right time.” He grins.
In my mind I picture the horrendous things I am going to do to him. I picture the terror in his eyes and how he will beg. They always beg, as though it will help them.
The images in my mind help to stop me from getting out my car and killing him right now.
In the rear-view mirror, I watch Nerissa hug him goodbye. Then she climbs into her beat-up little hatchback and I follow her to the mall. I know she came here today to get a dress for her birthday. She has been talking to her friends about it for weeks. I know which one she wants because she keeps looking at it in the window, but it’s not the one she can afford.
I’ve bought it for her, and when she goes to stare into the window today, it won’t be there anymore. Because it is going to be delivered to her apartment after she gets home this evening - from an anonymous friend wishing her an amazing birthday.
There have been so many times when I’ve wanted to confront her and tell her I still love her. To expose myself and show her how much I care. I’ve wanted to - but I haven’t because I will honor the pact that we made. I will wait until she turns twenty-five in six short days.
A t the mall Nerissa walks around, taking her time to go from store to store to find an affordable dress she can wear to her birthday party. None of them are ‘the’ dress, and she isn’t excited when she tries them on. I enjoy watching her try on the different styles, lengths, and designs - but I know that the one I got her is the dress that will not only make her body look like sin, but it will light up those fucking gorgeous eyes.
When she gets to the shop where the dress, she loves was in the window her face falls. She reaches up and touches the glass where her dress used to be.
Nerissa’s smile fades she sighs, then shrugs ever so slightly and walks away. I grin, watching her from a distance.
I can’t wait for her to see that dress, when the elegant gift box arrives, and she opens it. Her face will be priceless, worth every cent I paid for the dress.
After a while Nerissa chooses a short, pale pink tight fighting dress. It’s covered in glittering patterns and hugs her body just right.
She looks incredible. I will have to take her out on a date so that she can wear this one - but on her birthday I know she will wear the other dress.
After shopping she buys herself a coffee to-go and strolls back to her car.
I follow her through the afternoon traffic to her apartment and park in my spot, from here I can see inside her window on the second floor.
The dress is waiting for her at the front desk, through the glass doors I watch the security guard duck behind the counter and hand her the package.
She looks shocked, then examines the box which does not have any details on it, no name and no return address.
I wait until I see her in the window of her apartment.
She places the box on the table and opens it.
I feel a sense of excitement run through me. I wish she knew it was from me. Maybe she does. Maybe she has been waiting to turn twenty-five - waiting for me.
Nerissa pulls the lid off the box and gasps. Her hand is over her mouth as she stares down into the box and from here it looks like she might even be crying.
She brushes her fingers across her cheeks, then wipes her hands on her jeans before lifting the dress out of the box.
Fuck. It’s going to be incredible on her.
Pitch black, sequined, tight and short. The thin shoulder straps will show off those gorgeous collarbones of hers and her long neck - dipping into that full cleavage she often tries to hide.
She lifts the box, searching inside, looking for a card, or a note. But there isn’t one.
Nerissa picks up her phone and dials her friend.
I switch my phone to the app that tracks her calls so that I can listen in.
“Hayley, did you do this?” She asks with laughter in her voice.
“Sorry, what? Um - you are going to have to be more specific, Nissa. I do a lot of things.”
“The dress?”
“Still not following.” Her friend isn’t responsible for the gift.
“The one that I showed you in the window last week - you are the only one who I showed - and I just got home, and it was waiting for me at reception.”
“Someone bought you that dress and delivered it to your apartment?”
“Yes. that is what I just said.”
“Girl, it wasn’t me - you must have told someone else.”
“No, I only told you—” Nerissa didn’t tell anyone else.
“Dammit - I have to run - I’ll call later ok - Just try remember who else you told.” There’s a ruckus in the background and the call ends abruptly.
Nerissa stares from her phone to the dress, confused.
I love that I’m the one who made her eyes shine, and gave her the smile that still hasn’t faded away.