Emily's POV
As lunch time hits, I gather with my closest friends outside, seated at a weathered picnic table tucked behind the warehouse. The table, reserved for employees only, is well-worn and splintered, but it's a sanctuary of sorts. A place where the smell of pine and paint thinner gives way to fresh air and food truck tacos.
Lily is on my left, her greasy fries releasing a scent that mingles with the cool midday breeze. Hailey sits across from me, her face hidden behind a book as always. Victoria is to my right, her dark hair pulled back into a tight bun, her eyes scanning the yard with an intensity that seems out of place during our lunch break. But everything feels out of place these days. Ever since Mark's death and Dex's subsequent obsession with me. It all feels like a badly written novel - the kind that lands on the discount shelf at our local bookstore.
I look down at my half-eaten burger, suddenly not hungry anymore.
"You okay, Em?" Lily asks.
"You guys don't think Dex actually killed Mark, right?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
"With the way he's been treating you, who knows what that guy is capable of," Victoria retorts, her voice sharp as a fresh blade. "He's always been a bit....off." I wince at her words, feeling a pang of guilt. Mark's death wasn't Dex's fault. It was an accident... right?
The silence at the table stretches on for what feels like hours. No one knows what to say, or perhaps they don't want to say the wrong thing. Dex has been a staple in my life for so long - the tall, friendly manager slash friend who was always ready with a joke or a comforting word. But now...
"Look, how many times have we told you to to shut this shit down? I don't want to point fingers at anyone but this whole thing could've been avoided if you had told him 'no' from the get-go." Lily
interrupts, her tone harsh but not unkind. "You should've set your boundaries."
"Woah, Lily. A little harsh, don't you think?" Hailey interjects, pulling her gaze away from her book and looking at Lily with surprise in her eyes.
"Fuck, harsh. We've been going around in circles with this for too long. Dex won't stop until Emily makes him." Lily continues, her voice dripping with frustration.
Hailey shoots a quick glance at me before turning her attention back to Lily. "It's not that simple though. Emily can't just make him stop."
"Why not? She's the one he's fixated on," Victoria chimes in, her tone accusatory. "Emily. Listen." She takes a deep breath before continuing. "You're too kind for your own good and people like Dex? They take advantage of that."
I swallow hard and blink back the tears threatening to flood my eyes. Victoria's words cut deep but they're right. I should have set boundaries, should have told Dex 'no' when his friendly banter changed into something more... obsessive.
I feel my stomach twist into knots as I listen to my friends argue over me like I'm some kind of object. And deep down, I know they're right. Dex has been relentless ever since Mark died and it's all because of me. But how do you make someone stop when they can't see reason? How do you make someone understand that their actions are only causing pain and harm?
The sound of footsteps approaching interrupts our conversation and we all turn to see our coworker Rue walking towards us with a huge smile on her face. A classic comedian this one. We love her to bits
and she's just what we need right now. This tension was beginning to feel like a suffocating blanket, and I was about to choke.
Rue plops down beside Victoria, her usual cheer acting like a balm on our frayed nerves.
YOU ARE READING
ROGUE
Mystery / ThrillerDex, a hardworking and friendly manager at a hardware store, works in the lumber department alongside Emily, a cashier who he's grown close to over the years. Dex has harbored a secret crush on her, introduced to her by his younger brother Mark. Ho...
