Unseen Strings

Chapter 6

Angelina

"You left me with a total stranger?" I exclaimed, disbelief washing over me.

Marcus attempted a laugh. "Not a total stranger," he said, "One of your friends!" He beamed, seemingly proud of his actions.

"Rosie doesn't have any male friends," Laci interjected sharply.

Marcus paled slightly. "Oh. Well, how was I supposed to know that? He knew her name, and she didn't seem to object."

"What name did he use?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing.

"Angel," he replied.

My blood ran cold. "Angel?" I repeated, my gaze locking onto Laci. Anger surged within me.

"Son of a bitch!" I exclaimed, rising to my feet.

"Rosie!" Laci called after me, but I kept walking. "Rosie, wait!" she shouted, catching up to me. "I'm sure we can figure this out..."

"Figure out what?" I snapped, turning to face her. "He's obsessed with me! I'm stuck with him forever!"

Laci threw her hands up in exasperation. "No, Rosie, it's not like that. I've been doing some research..."

"And?" I demanded, wiping a tear from my cheek.

"If he's getting more...courageous...like what he did last night...then that means maybe he won't be able to resist himself and he'll just appear in your life somewhere!" Laci smirked, her eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Laci, that could be literally anyone," I pointed out, my gaze sweeping across the bustling campus. "There are at least ten guys within a ten-foot radius of us right now."

"No, no, no," she countered, "it has to be someone you interact with! This guy seems obsessed with you, so he'll find a way to be where you are." She clapped her hands together, her excitement palpable.

"Yeah, I guess..." I murmured, my gaze drawn to a familiar figure approaching. "Oh fuck!" I cursed under my breath, my voice slightly louder than intended.

Laci's eyebrows shot up. "Rosie?" she questioned, following my gaze. "What the hell is he doing here?" Her tone was a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.

JJ's car pulled into the parking lot, a sleek black vehicle that seemed to exude an air of effortless cool.

The driver's side door swung open, and JJ stepped out, his presence commanding attention.

"Angelina!" He called, "You ready?"

I felt my skin turn white as Laci's lips smacked.

"Rosie? Have anything to say?" Laci's voice held a distinct edge.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words caught in my throat as JJ approached.

"Your bag," he said, effortlessly slinging it over his shoulder.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, a challenging glint in his eyes, as Laci stared at him with thinly veiled hostility. "What're you looking at?"

"You," Laci retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "What're you doing here?"

"Picking up Angelina," he replied, his tone casual, yet laced with a subtle undercurrent of possessiveness.

"Why?" Laci scoffed. "We can take her home."

"Who's 'we'?" he questioned, his gaze sweeping over Laci and John. "She's with me."

"Me and John," Laci insisted, her hand instinctively moving to her hip. "We will take her home."