21. Madelyn
MADELYN
Lunch time is the first time I can take a breath all day.
Instead of sitting in the teachers’ lounge with Hannah, I promise to catch up with her later and rush to my classroom.
The hangover is giving me a hard time, and I’ve barely been able to keep my head up. My temples are killing me. Hannah understands. She, too, has a horrible headache, despite showing up to work with a permanent smile.
Strolling the hallways, my head is scrambled. This doesn’t make sense. Yesterday was a big fuck you to my stalker. I broke our promise. A terrible move on my part, because he could very well keep his word about my punishment. But it seems that he didn’t. It was all talk.
Still, what happened last night…with Kayden…
My whole body’s still experiencing the consequences of those actions.
Once I reach my classroom, I’m startled out of my thoughts by the tumbler on my desk.
I—I didn’t put that there.
A few students are in the room, but none of them look up as I walk in, their heads in their phones, others talking loudly with friends.
I approach the desk with careful steps and lift the tumbler. A note stuck to it relieves my concerns. The handwriting’s different. It’s not him.
I had to leave early for practice, but I wanted you to have this. A little hangover cure I curated myself. It’s supposed to be healthy.
Promise it’s not poison.
I giggle at that remark.
Hope it helps.
-Kayden
A warm feeling makes camp in my chest. I open the tumbler and scan the contents. Overnight oats with ginger bits, bananas, and drizzled with honey.
I smile, butterflies filling up my belly.
I can’t believe Kayden made this for me while I was probably on my fifth wet dream about him. He had to have made it last night, after everything we did.
The thought makes my cheeks burn. He cares about me.
I rush out of the classroom with the tumbler, desperate to try it somewhere away from all the noise.
I find the perfect spot in detention.
Grabbing the front desk and sitting behind it, I open the tumbler and spoon a bite.
The sweetness of the honey mixed with the texture of the oatmeal and the bitterness of the ginger creates an explosion of flavors in my mouth. I find myself moaning. It’s delicious.
I close my eyes and savor every bite.
As wonderful as it is, I don’t know if I can face Kayden after this. It’s not that I regret it.
But I lost my mind yesterday. Let my feelings and frustration get in the way of my rationality.
A whirring sound forces me to look to my side.
Joseph’s wearing his usual cap, janitor jumpsuit, and headphones as he paces the room with the vacuum cleaner at full volume.
I shut the tumbler and head out of the room, not wanting to get in the way.
God, will I be able to sit somewhere in peace today?
Our gazes meet, and Joseph pauses the machine, taking off his headphones and giving me a weak smile.
He doesn’t seem happy to see me, or in general, and I have an idea of why.
I made a total fool of myself yesterday at the bar, and he probably was a witness. Though I lost sight of him after a while. Or maybe—it was him, my stalker, and he saw me trying to get with one of his friends.
I never got the handwriting sample from Hannah. Shoot. I should have asked her, but with everything going on, it slipped my mind. To be fair, I doubt she kept the note.
But if it was him, why wouldn’t Joseph say anything?
“I didn’t see you there,” he says, a low grovel to his tone. “Sorry. I thought the classroom was empty.”
“That’s okay.” I smile back. “I was on my way out.”
“Actually. Maddy…”
“Yes?”
He fumbles for words, his lips pursed.
I tilt my head. “What’s wrong?”
“Did you end up going home with Lucien? I saw you two together, but I went to the restroom and couldn’t find you when I came back. I wasn’t sure if you—”
“No.” I cut him off, a pinch of annoyance in my voice. “Actually, he stood me up.”
Joseph’s expression hardens. “That’s weird. So, you…haven’t seen him since last night?”
“No.” I frown. Why is he acting so surprised? “Why?”
“That’s the thing.” He pauses. “He didn’t come home last night. It’s still early, but we’re afraid he’s missing. And you might have been the last person to see him.”
My heart drops a beat.
Missing? What?
A silly thought rushes through my mind.
My stalker.
What if he took Joseph’s friend out of my sight?
What if Lucien never stood me up, but someone made him do it?
I shake the thought away. No. My stalker is deranged, but he’s not that deranged.
He wouldn’t do something so dangerous to get to me.
“I-I’m sorry about that.” My previous annoyance vanishes, worry replacing it. “That’s awful.”
Joseph nods. “Yeah. Anyway, if he contacts you, would you let me know? Or better yet, call the police. They’ll probably talk to you soon, either way. We’re about to fill a missing person’s report.”
I didn’t even exchange numbers with Lucien, so I doubt he’ll call me. But I don’t want to say that to his possibly grieving friend. So, instead, I go along with it. “Of course.”
“Thanks. Take care of yourself, okay?”
***
I’m about ready to head home but remember I forgot my tumbler in class.
My mouth opens as I catch sight of a new surprise. Right there, in the middle of my desk, next to the tumbler, is a small black box.
Bile rises up my throat.
There’s no way it’s a present from Kayden this time. It matches the previous gifts from him—my stalker.
My jaw tightens. How the hell does he keep getting away with this, and no one ever sees a damn thing?
My whole body goes rigid. I pick up the sturdy box with the familiar ribbon and open it.
A scream escapes me, and I bring both my hands to my mouth as the box drops on the desk again, the contents of it rolling out and onto my desk.
What the fuck?
I wait a minute to see if someone heard me, but no one bursts in, so I’m guessing not.
Most kids must have gone home already.
I focus on the box on my desk, tilted with the contents spilled out of it.
A finger with a ring. A thick silver band that somehow stands out to me.
I laugh nervously.
Part of me thinks it might be a prop, while the other part thinks it’s anything but.
I lean closer and poke the finger with my own. I’m met with a sturdy, icy structure that startles me.
Okay. We did buy some things for the haunted house.
I don’t know if Kayden picked out anything else without me, or if Hannah joined in and did a little extra shopping.
As I tell myself this, my chest falters. Maybe it’s one of them playing a joke on me. It’d fit Kayden, after giving me an amazing orgasm and a delicious lunch, to add a childish prank as a cherry on top.
Yes. That’s it. It’s a joke.
I put the prop finger back in the box it came in, growing accustomed to its icy texture. I shove the box into one of the drawers on my desk, and right after doing so, I see the note folded on top of my desk.
It must have been under the box all along.
My breath hitches again.
Please, don’t be it. Please don’t be it.
The words that appear on the sheet of paper in front of me make the lump in my throat resurface. The feeling of choking that never completely leaves me, is back again.
My wife,
You said you wanted a ring, so I got you one.
How’s that for romantic?
I had a lot of fun picking it out for you…can’t say the same about the guy I got it from.
But, hey, this is what happens when you play with my feelings, Madelyn.
People get hurt.
You should be more aware of that.
He touched what’s mine.
And let it be clear, I won’t let others touch you.
Last night, it was his turn. Next, it might be someone you actually care about.
Start behaving.
Love,
Your husband.
I lick my lips, but my mouth is completely dry.
What the fuck does this guy want? Why me? From everyone in the whole damn world?
I refold the paper and toss it into the drawer along with the very real human finger in the box.
The ring that seemed familiar before is now crystal clear. Lucien was wearing rings.
The same Lucien that Joseph was asking about, fearing he had gone missing.
Fuuuuuck.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Pressing my hands to my temples and massaging them, before realizing I’m touching my face with the same hands I touched a severed human finger.
I jump out of my seat and stand up, rushing through the halls and into the bathroom.
My stomach swirls. I open the tap and push as much soap out of the dispenser as I can, rubbing my hands clean until they hurt.
He has crossed a line. The psycho that’s following me killed someone.
Because of me.
I keep rubbing the soap, trying to scrape away every single memory, every single thought that’s haunting me.
The silver lining, if there is any, is that Joseph isn’t my stalker. He wouldn’t hurt Lucien and then come to me asking about him if he did it. That’s fucked up.
There are things he’s done that have made me wonder if he’s that bad. If he weren’t so creepy, I may have even found it thoughtful. But this last trick crossed every line possible.
I have no idea what to do. I can’t go to the police. I’ve got no suspect, and I bet you anything I was the last person to see Lucien, as Joseph said.
It could all fall on me. After all, they say that often, criminals try to insert themselves into the investigations.
No. I have to keep my mouth shut.
To the world, that is. But not to him, that is pretty much impossible.
I go back to the classroom to pick up my phone and send a quick text.
Madelyn:
I think it’s time for us to meet.
Except once I hit send, an error message pops up.
Failure to deliver.
The number doesn’t exist anymore. It’s deactivated or something.
Of freaking course.
“You know what?” I say, like a lunatic. “Fuck you, hubby.” Making sure I emphasize the captivating nickname, so that he knows I’m talking about him. “You want me so much? You think we’re meant to be? Then come and get me. I’ll be here, waiting for you.”
Dead serious, I stare at a corner of the room, the ceiling, where I remember there’s a school security camera installed, something about making sure our students are safe at all times. There’s one like it in every single classroom.
And bingo. A small black round camera stares back at me.
I hold myself from giving it the finger.
I want to express my feelings for him. I’m sure he’s got the cameras hacked, but I can’t risk anyone else looking at my indecent behavior during working hours.
An idea that didn’t occur to me before flashes through my mind, bringing a snicker to my face.
There’s one thing I’m sure about now. I’m not letting this motherfucker win this game. Not without a fight.
I’m going to bust his ass.