REIKA

NINE

—How did he get my number?

My eyes were still fixed on the message as I mind linked Jules.

—It could have been from anywhere. So many people have your number.

Jules dismissed me, as if it wasn't a problem.

—No, not this one. Not my personal number.

I couldn't wrap my head around it. I clenched my jaw and felt sick to the stomach.

—He must be closer than we thought, then.

Jules said, again, as if it wasn't a big deal. He didn't sound surprised. Jules was calm, but I wasn't.

"Fuck!" I mouthed. This fucking phone couldn't stay in this house any longer. I ran to the bathroom with it and tossed it in the sink. My hands shook as I opened the faucet to drown that motherfucker.

—Ahh... Reik... I don't think that will help...

—It has to. I need to destroy it.

Taking it once more, I desperately pulled it apart, soaking each piece individually. My hands were still shaking. I couldn't tell if it was fear or anger or both.

—I think that's enough, Reik. I'm sure you killed the poor phone.

Jules mocked me, but I wasn't joking around. After picking all the pieces from the sink, I ran to the kitchen.

—Reik, you are freaking the fuck out. Chill woman, it will be fine.

—What if he can access the camera? The fucking memory. I don't... I don't know how much he knows, how close he has gotten to us.

I tossed the phone in the garbage disposal and turned it on. It screeched as it broke, before the fucking thing got stocked inside and stopped.

—And now the disposal, too. Any other electronic you want to fuck on this lovely night?

Jules joked again, but I wasn't finding any of it funny.

—I can't breathe!

I leaned forward and gasped for air. My head was dizzy and my chest hurt. I felt as if I was having a heart attack. I fell on my knees and gripped my pajama tank hard.

—Holy fuck! I'm gonna fucking die! I can't breathe, Jules.

I tried to hold on to the drawers so I wouldn't fall and broke into a cold sweat. My chest rose and fell hard as I tried to fill my lungs with air, but couldn't.

—Reika! Hey, Reika, listen to me. You need to calm down. You got to calm down, woman. Think about it. It's really not the worst thing that could happen. Arjun is safe. We are safe, too. It was just a message.

Jules tried to calm me down and I shook my head 'no'. I lowered myself further down and sat on the floor.

—No!

—Reik, you are safe. He can't reject you again. We already went through it once, we won't go through it again. If someone should be freaking out, it's him. It's he who will suffer when we reject him, not us.

Jules assured me as I felt tears fall and roll down my cheeks.

—We have it all Reika. We won this one. That idiot left us with the most wonderful thing anyone could ask for.

—Arjun.

I closed my eyes and thought of him, his smile. All the precious moments I have lived with him. I remembered the little chubby rolls when he was a baby, and the way he smells. Jules helped me find all those times he made me laugh, and I saw all of them clearly. In my eyes, he always seemed to shine.