UNCONDITIONALLY YOURS

Ugly truth // 36

Riley

We drove home. Home. That was a nice word. A word I hadn't been able to use in a long time because my house was never a home. It didn't have the right people in it to be a home, and I was never happy there.

When Parker and I had planned what do so we could be together unconditionally, I had no choice but to live with Parker. I had no where else to go and I couldn't afford somewhere for myself. I felt guilty seeing as we hadn't even been together that long, but he assured me he would rather me be with him that anywhere else.

It felt like I had known him for years and I wanted to be with him too, so it didn't take too much convincing from him.

Parker

Riley was laying on the sofa watching TV, while I was finishing some work on my laptop just across from her. I looked at her on the sofa wrapped in a blanket. I knew I needed to finish the bit of work I was doing, but I had just a strong urge to lay with her and hug her.

I never felt more complete than when I held her. I never even knew a simple hug could have that effect until her. Her phone buzzed next to me.

"I'll check that." I volunteered, seeing as she looked so comfortable. At first, she didn't say anything, so I began to check it, but then all of a sudden like she had realised something she jumped up.

"Wait!" She urged. But it was too late. I had already seen the message.

You are really stupid if you thought you could be happy that easily. I told you to stop seeing Parker and now you live with him? And after you found out just how far I will go to take you down, you still don't do anything about it. Maybe you thought that because I haven't messaged you recently that I am not a problem anymore. You are wrong, it has just been more time to plot my next mood. Good luck, you are playing a dangerous game.

She was waiting in an awkward silence as I read it. My heart sunk in my chest. She was in danger. But she didn't tell me?

By the sound of it, the messages had been going on for a while. After everything she still thought she couldn't trust me. After I had proven myself, she wouldn't tell someone, anyone, about something that important?

"Can you please elaborate on this text?" She stayed still, just staring at me in shock. "You are going to have to answer me! I don't want to get angry with you, but this is serious!" I said harshly. I felt bad for her, genuinely. She had been through a lot, but this time it was just a stupid move. She had put herself in danger and put me in a tough situation.

"Please don't be mad at me I was going to tell you I swear! I'm sorry, I'll tell you now." She was almost in tears, and my heart was tearing in half from seeing her like that. But I had to stay strong because I needed to be annoyed. I waited for her to go into detail.

"I started getting them the same day we met each other. I didn't tell anyone because at the time I thought it was empty threats. I began getting more and more texts, they always knew things. Things they shouldn't know. Like whether I'm awake or asleep, or where I am even when no one else knows. I wanted to do something for myself, without needing someone's help, so it became an investigation and I tried to figure out who it could be sending me these strange messages. At this point I still didn't see it as too much of a big deal..." She breathed deeply.

"It started getting worse. They were the ones who told my father about the café. They threatened to tell him about me and you, but we got there first. And they insisted that I met them. They threatened that if I didn't meet them, they would come to me which I barely believed. My father's house is pretty high security. I didn't want to do something that stupid as to meet them, but I did something almost as bad. I snuck out, and I watched from a distance. That night I figured out I was in serious danger, because the person waiting for me had a knife in their hand. Not only that, but when I got home, there was a letter written on the bed saying that they knew I was there watching them. I wanted to tell you, I promise, but I was scared you would be angry. And I never found the right time, until I began to not get messages, and I thought they had left me alone."

She finished and there was immediate silence. I didn't quite know what to do or how to act, I couldn't even tell how I was feeling. It was a mixture between sadness for her, anger as whoever was putting her life in danger, and some sort of annoyance at her for not telling me.

It was barely annoyance, in fact, just more disappointment. I turned away from her because I couldn't face seeing the sadness in her eyes. When I saw her eyes, I would just want to hold her, but I knew I needed some time to take it in. She gently placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Parker..." She murmured in the sweetest voice that it pained me to not turn to her.

"I want to be here for you. Honestly. Especially after tonight. But I cant face you right now." My words were strained, and I somewhat hoped she could tell it was hard for me too. "I think it was really irresponsible of you not to tell me, by the way. I'm going to sleep, you can take the guest room."

I walked away to my room, and as I felt her presence fade, I didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't know how to feel. But even though I was sad for her, I was angry too.

Sorry for the long dialogue :-)

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