Chapter One
Jolene-Six Years Later
" M ama, for the millionth time: Yes, I know the benefits of getting an education, but I don't actually have to be here at school to get it.
I've already got everything set up for next semester so that I can take all my classes online.
Actually, I'll be able to take more classes this way and will most likely graduate early, not to mention save on room and board.
Please don't make me have this conversation again. "
Mama huffs across the line, and I can't help but smile as I imagine her with one hand on her hip, tapping her toe impatiently.
"Besides, I miss you and Nana, and the city is loud as hell. I miss the farm. The fresh air, the dirt under my bare feet, and the crickets as they play in the wheat fields.
I'm homesick.
I moved away.
I took the chance.
“And now everything in me is calling for me to come home. Are you really going to ask me to stay away?"
"No, baby girl. I can't ask you that when I want you home with me and Nana more than anything. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing you a disservice by wanting you to stay here with me."
"Never, Mama. Besides, the earlier I come home, the sooner we can whip the house into shape and turn it into a B on more than one occasion, Boomer teased that I could give his buddies a run for their money.
I jumped on the idea and begged him to give me real-life experience.
I told him to ask some of his buddies to sneak up on me so I could see how I reacted in a situation I wasn't prepared for.
He was hesitant as hell at first, but I finally broke him down.
So far, I've managed to successfully fight off and evade two of his buddies. Granted, if they really wanted to, they could've defeated me, but it let me know I could handle myself in a stressful situation. And even better, they both coached me through a few things I could have done better.
I'm going to miss the guys when I go home—and Sammie, for that matter—but I have their numbers and demanded they visit me.
I'm packing up what little is left in my room when the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
The feeling of being watched makes my skin crawl, but I brush it off.
This has happened a few times since the beginning of the semester, but it's been getting worse the past few weeks.
Knowing that Boomer's friends could pounce at any moment has had me on high alert, so I've been chalking this feeling up to anticipating their attack.
Now, I'm not so sure.
If it’s some creep, at least I know I can handle myself. It’s what I’ve been telling myself to feel less panicked and more in control every time the sensation of being watched takes hold.
Finished with packing everything, except the clothes I plan on wearing home and my bedding, I flop on the bed and wait for Sammie to come back after her class.
We're going to go pig out at the cafeteria then binge-watch slasher movies at the dorm.
She doesn't understand my obsession with blood and gore, and I have no desire to explain it further than “I like it”.
In reality, I've had a morbid curiosity about the dark things of the world ever since everything with my daddy happened.
Sammie slams through the door and dramatically faceplants on her bed.
I hop up. "Hey, wench. How was class?"
"Awful. I'm pretty sure I failed that final."
"By fail, you mean you only got an A, not an A+?"
Sammie lifts her arm, her middle finger flipping me off as her face stays buried in her comforter.
I can't help but laugh at her dramatics.
"Come on. I'm starving, and I want to get to the caf before the football players eat all the good food." I swat at Sammie, making her jump.
"Gah, they're great to look at on the field and in their pads, but watching them eat half the buffet in one go makes me want to gag." Sammie fakes retching as she slides off her bed and throws her curly raven hair into a messy bun.
Dinner flies by as we gorge ourselves on all the delicious food the cafeteria has to offer. I know people always diss school- funded food, but our campus definitely doesn't skimp when it comes to feeding us.
The only thing that puts a damper on dinner is that constant feeling of being watched.
I discreetly scan the cafeteria and the path back to our dorm, like Boomer taught me, but my vigilance comes up with nothing. It isn't until we're back at our dorm and I find a bouquet of flowers leaning against the door that I pause.
Sammie is a stunner, so finding random flowers at our door any other time wouldn't be a big deal, but tonight something is telling me this is off.
Sammie goes to pick them up, and I lunge to stop her.
She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. "Bitch, what the hell is wrong with you?"
"Shut it. I'm probably overreacting, but don't touch those flowers. I've felt off the last few weeks, but today has been exceptionally bad. The entire time we were at dinner, I had that awful feeling like someone was watching us, but nobody stuck out to me. That wasn’t the only time today either. Hell, I’ve felt like I’ve had eyes on me all day. I haven’t been able to shake the feeling, and those flowers are like a red fucking flag, telling me to listen to my gut. "
"Umm, why the hell is this the first time you're telling me this?"
"Because I sound crazy as fuck. Plus, you know I told Boomer to challenge me. He's had two of his friends try to take me down, so I just chalked it up to being hyper aware and a little paranoid." I shrug as I use my key card to open the door to our room.
Going to our ensuite bathroom, I dig out a pair of disposable gloves from the first aid box.
What can I say? Nana instilled a large sense of preparedness in me.
With my gloves on, I pick up the flowers and discover an unaddressed envelope in them.
When I open it, there's a piece of paper with Mine scribbled in big block letters.
Behind the paper is a stack of pictures of me and different men.
Some are guys from my classes, but other pictures are of me and Boomer.
It's creepy as fuck, but I'm glad to see my instincts weren't wrong.
Nothing else is in the envelope and I have no use for some stalker's flowers, so I take a few quick pictures before I scoop up the bouquet and head towards the door.
"Jo, who are they from? What the hell are you doing?" Sammie is hot on my heels.
"Some asshat wannabe stalker, from the looks of it. I'm taking out the trash."
I walk out the dormitory and head straight to the dumpster, my head held high and my face filled with defiance.
I have no doubt that whoever sent these flowers is watching right now.
Flipping the lid to the dumpster open, I toss the flowers inside and then strip off my gloves, making sure to look as disgusted as possible.
Spinning on my heel, I act completely indifferent as I grab Sammie's hand and head back to our room.
To anyone else, it looks like I couldn’t care less, but thanks to Boomer’s training, I'm carefully analyzing my surroundings.
From the corner of my eye, I can see a person leaning on a black sedan parked in the shade of a tree.
They run a hand through their hair in what looks like frustration before ripping open the door and speeding away.
I try to catch the license plate, but it has on one of those covers that you can only read when looking at it head on.