Aftereffects

Aftermath

The days that went by were all a blur. I watched the news as they spoke of the explosion and how a missing woman had been found. I had tried reaching out to the group, but no one had replied. I looked down at my phone with tears falling onto my screen as I reread Jake's and my messages over and over hoping a new one would appear but it never did. My breath hitched as I put my phone down on my desk wiping my tears with my sleeve. Opening my laptop I signed into my zoom call with my doctor trying to put on a fake smile.
" Good morning Sam, how are you feeling today?" I shrugged
" I'm doing alright" he nodded
" I heard you haven't been speaking to your sisters for a while'' I sigh
" I'm just dealing with some things" he nods again as I hear the clicking of his keyboard
" How's your sleep? I fight back a laugh
" Great" he looks at me and I can tell he's trying to read me
" So what has been going on that is making you isolate yourself ?" I shrug
" Nothing just feel like sticking to myself" another nod then he looks at me
" I heard the last time you spoke with your sister's they said you seemed very distressed and temperamental" I scoffed
" Did they?" he sighs
'well that's their opinion not mine" I lean back in my chair as he stares at me
" Then why not tell me what's on your mind then?" I freeze I couldn't, I couldn't tell him about how I befriended a group of strangers to save a woman's life or how I one of them ended up being the kidnapper or...I feel the tears stinging my eyes
" Sam I think whatever is going on I feel that a therapist would really help". I shake my head
" You know what I don't think it will and I don't think this is helping me either "he looks at me confused
" Thank you for all the help but I don't think I can do this again" he leans forward
" Sam you are in a danger zone right now everything is pointing to that" I ran my hand through my hair
" I'll be fine I just need time to think " he looks at me concerned
" Are you taking your medications?" I nod knowing I was lying. He sighs
" Alright well I will call you in two weeks" I nod
" please answer when I call" I nod again
" Thank you" then I ended the call. After everything that had happened I needed a distraction so I had joined some college courses. But as I began my cyber security program class.
I realized how fake people were. Seeing the irritation on the professor's face when students would ask questions . Now I was stuck between the world Jake had brought me into and the life I was trying to live. I inwardly shook my head as I listened to the professor speak. I heard my phone ding and I looked down, my heart racing as I looked at the message. My shoulders slumped seeing it wasn't Jake . I put my phone down and tried to pay attention.

As the class ended I sat back in my chair and looked over my notes and assignments. I sighed, grabbing a bottle of water
" I might be over my head in this cyber class" I take a sip of water before signing into my general arts and science course
I had decided on these two classes on a whim or at least that's what I told myself but deep down I knew I chose the first class because I wanted to understand Jake's world more...maybe a part of me felt closer to him this way. I sighed as the course began looking down at my phone as it dinged again

~Beware those in black suits.~

I screamed as I sat up in bed panting as sweat ran down my back like a cold hand. I shivered moving my hair over my shoulder looking at the time I sighed. Getting out of bed I headed to the kitchen turning on my coffee pot looking out at the grey sky
" Looks like it's going to be a crappy day" I mumble, grabbing my coffee cup. I had started a job at a local coffee shop once again to distract myself from this hollow feeling. Hearing my coffee pot beep I poured my french vanilla creamer in my coffee inhaling the aroma as I headed into my bedroom looking down at my phone. I glare throwing it on the bed. I had to stop doing this, had to stop looking hoping there would be a message from him. I sighed sadly as I looked in my closet crossing my arms then I heard my phone walking over seeing it was from one of my sisters. I walk back to my closet grabbing a black tank top and black jeans. I get changed and see that there's a voicemail I put it on speaker
" Sam call me we haven't heard from you in a while" I scoff
" You know you can talk to us if something's wrong" I glare at my phone then hit end grabbing my coffee as I sit down on my bed looking out my window as I hold my cat Cleo.

As 7 o'clock rolled around I headed outside of my apartment looking up at the sky.
" Seems mother nature knows how I'm feeling today" I put my earbuds in hitting play as I head towards my job

I looked up at the For the love of coffee! sign grinning as I walked in seeing a red head at the till along with a black haired guy. I walked to the back signing in seeing my Facebook has opened somehow. I frown, closing the app as I put my phone in my back pocket.
" Hey !" The guy with black hair waved as I tied up my apron I nodded and got to taking orders
" Don't bother Issac, she's a bitch" I heard the red head whisper. I rolled my shoulders back ignoring them. I handed that customer their Americano's. Smiling as the customer paid me, taking as many orders as I could ignoring the others. Truth was I wasn't here to make friends. As my break came I grabbed my water and headed into the back sitting on the back step looking at a couple walking by holding hands. I feel the familiar ache in my heart and quickly look down at my phone. I sigh looking at the saved messages and I take a sip of water. Looking up at the sky I had been working here for a month and it was still the same thing. I chuckled remembering how my doctor had tried getting me to talk to a therapist about my changes in mood. I had told him no that there was nothing I would want to talk about. But the fact was I couldn't, not about how I had helped save Hannah, or how Richy had killed himself or...I felt my eyes burning as my phone went off telling me my break was over I stood up heading back in as my phone pinged I looked down to see a message from one of my sister's

Sam, someone called me today looking for you and told me it was important that they spoke with you asap!

I could tell she wasn't happy

So much for being an adult about things!

I put my phone in my back pocket heading back into the shop as my phone pinged again

Watch out for suits

I looked at the text, my heart racing as I looked up seeing a man in a suit. I stopped feeling a shiver run down my spine as the red head nodded. I saw Isaac walking by
" Hey you okay?" I looked at him
" No I'm not feeling so great" he nods
" Yeah you're as white as a sheet" he reaches out and I jump
" Sorry" I step back
" Maybe you should go home just in case you're coming down with something" I nod
" Thanks" I quickly hurry out the back seeing a black suv I turn the other way just as the man in the suit steps in front of me
" We have some questions for you"