23. Relationships
Relationships
T he package arrived the next day, and my heart was hammering so hard against my chest, I thought for sure my ribs would break.
The camera only required batteries, and connecting it to my phone was the easiest thing in the world.
Once I was at Jack’s place, all I needed to do was connect to his Wi-Fi―which I had the password for already―and find a good spot to hide it.
I checked the time; he’d be at work. My pulse sped as I checked my bank account and made sure I’d have enough money to cover a taxi all the way out to his place and back.
I’d mentally noted the address and was just about ready to leave when I remembered something vital.
I didn’t have a key to get in. I muttered a few choice words as I paced my living area, trying to think.
He opened the garage door with an app on his phone, but at one point, it hadn’t worked properly, so he’d gotten out of his car and pressed a button to the side.
It was hidden under some vines. All I needed to do was get into the garage, and from there, apart from the basement, nothing else required keys from what I’d seen.
My stomach churned the whole drive there. I clutched at my messenger bag hard, the hard lump of the camera beneath my fingers. Making sure it was still there.
Forty-five dollars later, I stood in front of his home, the floodlight the only thing I had to illuminate me in the darkness of the night.
I wasn’t going to waste any time, though, so I strode down the slope toward the garage door. The vines were skeletal, most having only a few red leaves left, but the button was still well hidden.
“Not unless you know where to look,” I said in a sing-song voice as I pressed the button.
I winced at the loud scraping of metal as the door opened. Not that there was anyone around to hear; most places around her were businesses that were closed at this hour. But still, sneaking into a serial killer’s home―Jack’s home―was one hell of a risky move that could end very badly for me.
Only if I’m caught, which I won’t be.
I snuck inside, heart pounding. The door leading to the main area wasn’t locked, as predicted, and I smiled ear to ear.
So far, so good. I rushed inside, then froze.
What if he was here? He could’ve left work for whatever reason, and if I was caught here.
.. I trembled, not wanting to imagine what he’d do.
I didn’t think he’d kill me―not for something like this; he’d consider it too light a consequence.
No, he’d just hurt me a lot for it. At the thought, my body tingled, and I pressed my thighs together.
“Seriously?” I whispered to myself. My body really did have a mind of its own, but I couldn’t argue I didn’t enjoy pain. Not when it was Jack doing it.
I shook my head, trying to focus. I had a mission, and I needed it done sooner than later. Definitely before he returned home.
Stopping in front of a bookshelf, I turned my back to it and looked around. From this angle, I’d get most of the main area―apart from the bed―which would be perfect considering the camera could move up and down and side to side remotely. All I needed was to hide it well enough.
I grabbed one of the stools and carefully stood atop it, reaching the last shelf.
A few plants decorated that section, and I grinned when I realized I was right about them being artificial.
No way would he water them constantly from this height, no matter how tall he was.
Which was perfect since it meant he wouldn’t snoop around this area too much.
The stool wobbled a bit, and I clutched at the shelf, grimacing as a few of the items below toppled over.
“Shit...” I placed the camera, angling it already where I was pretty sure he was hiding something. A large black desk with a locked middle drawer. Every time I went near it, he’d tensed up and watched me more intently. It might not be the trophies, but it must be something.
I bent down, placing the trinkets that had fallen over back to their place or where I thought they went from the markings of dust surrounding them.
It didn’t take long before the stool was back in place, and I was all done.
All that was left was connecting it to the Wi-Fi, and.
.. Voila! With a few taps on my phone screen, it was done.
Turning on the camera, I checked to make sure no lights were visible, and I relaxed when there were none.
I’d checked ahead of time, but with my luck, once it was connected to the internet, suddenly, there’d be one.
I placed myself in front of the ominous desk of secrets and waved up at the camera while staring at the feed on my phone. Perfect. This had been so easy.
My stomach knotted again, and I shivered. Too easy. And even if I didn’t get caught, I was spying. On Jack, of all people. The man I trusted more than I should. And cared for more than I should.
I pushed the thoughts from my mind. It was already done, and I wasn’t about to change my mind after all this effort. Instead, I took off, making sure to properly close the garage door behind me and leaving everything as it was.
The taxi took longer to arrive than I cared for, but as soon as it left his lot, I relaxed in the backseat.
Despite everything having gone perfectly, I kept replaying everything in my mind, trying to find a mistake I’d made.
The only thing that kept me from going insane was repeating to myself that even if I had fucked up, it was too late anyway.
Back home, I was restless, checking the camera feed every few seconds.
He wasn’t even supposed to come home for the next four hours.
I was being stupid. Instead, I texted him a quick message about perhaps revisiting the topic he didn’t want to talk about last time.
I needed to put it in his head to think about the trophies and hopefully look at them.
The knock at my door made me jump, and I gasped as my phone fell to the floor with a clang. I picked it up and ran to the door, half-expecting Jack to be standing there. Had he found out somehow?
I checked the peephole and rolled my eyes as I opened the door a bit. Martin stood there with a charming smile.
“Hey, good lookin’,” he said with a wink.
I frowned. “What do you want?”
He dropped the act and motioned over my shoulder. “Look, can we talk?”
I stepped aside and let him in.
“So what do you want to talk about?” I asked, crossing my arms.
“I was getting worried. You weren’t returning any of my texts anymore...”
“Maybe because the last time I texted you, asking for help, you shot me down without so much as an are you okay ?” I didn’t mean to sound so angry, but apparently, it was still a sensitive topic.
His eyebrows shot up. “It wasn’t personal. I just said I couldn’t, and then I went to sleep almost right after. It was late.”
I scoffed. “Sure. And the next day, you couldn’t pick up your phone to make sure I was even still alive?”
“You’re being a bit dramatic, aren’t you?” Sarcasm dripped in every word. “You’re acting as though we’re in some kind of relationship―”
“I thought we were. You know... friends?” I shook my head; how had I never realized until then just how one-sided this was. “That’s where the fuck- friend bit comes in.”
He raised his hands. “Okay, okay. I screwed up. I should’ve checked on you. But the longer I waited, the weirder it got, so I just―”
“Waited until you were horny enough to finally have a reason to check on me? Yeah, thanks.”
“Don’t act as though having sex isn’t what you wanted out of this too. I was horny, so I contacted you just like you text me when you want some.”
More like when I needed favors. “Well, there won’t be any more texts from me. I’m with someone now, and―”
“Found someone who could do more things for you?” His smile had turned cold.
My hands curled into fists. “It isn’t like that.”
He took a few steps closer. “You look me in the eye and tell me this isn’t another one of your transactional friendships, as you call them.”
I opened and closed my mouth, wanting nothing better than to scream at him. Tell him to go to Hell. Instead, I opened the door and pointed at it. “Get the fuck out of my place. And never contact me again.”
“Fine.” He marched out, glancing over his shoulder. “Stupid fat cow,” he muttered under his breath as he went down the corridor.
I slammed the door before the tears fell.
I didn’t care what he thought of me, but it still hurt.
He’d been a friend for a long time, and to know this was how he’d really felt all those years.
.. No wonder he always closed his eyes when we were intimate in any way; he couldn’t stand to look at me.
I locked the door, then trudged to my bed as I continued crying. I hated him.
His words repeated inside my mind; transactional friendship.
Was that all I was to Jack, too? Someone he kept alive to keep his secrets from coming out?
I asked questions, and he got something in return.
We both benefited in our own way, but it was an exchange nonetheless. Is that all I’d ever be good for?
I sobbed into my pillow, exhaustion lulling me to sleep.
A beeping noise woke me up, and I squinted through one eye, trying to find the source of the noise.
I grabbed my phone, staring as the security camera app popped onto the screen.
My heart picked up speed as I tapped it, trying to make sense of what was happening.
It didn’t help that my eyes burned from crying myself to sleep.
Jack walked into frame, and I sat up, watching intently. I glanced at the time, noting he must’ve just gotten back from work, and there was a text notification at the top of my screen. I lowered it just enough to read and grinned when I read his reply to my earlier message.
Jack: Not a chance.
We’d see about that.
He opened the top drawer on the right and then the two bottom ones to the left. I frowned as I watched, but when he opened the middle one, I realized that’s how it unlocked. Smart.
Whatever he pulled out wasn’t very clear at the angle, so I moved the arrows, trying to get a better view.
The zoom in function wasn’t great, but it looked as though he’d taken out a red binder.
I held my breath, watching as he flipped through it, but before I could adjust the angle, he put it away.
It didn’t matter; I knew where it was. All I had to do was go back to his place tomorrow while he was working to check it out.
I’d take a few photos of whatever the content was, excited at the prospect it might be notes.
My cheek muscles hurt with how much I was smiling.
Maybe it wasn’t the trophies I was hoping for, but whatever that thing was, it was important enough to keep it hidden.