The Boy Next Door

4.

(Tasha)

The next few weeks were hell. I was afraid to go outside of my own house because of the chances of seeing Jacob. The few times that I did go out,he somehow always appeared, and he always gave that same creepy smirk. Well,I can't stay inside my house forever,and I was starting to get bored. I had decided to get a job,as a teacher at the nearby preschool. I absolutely loved kids,and it would definitely keep me busy and not bored. Chresanto had also gotten a job,only 10 minutes away from the house, working for a very successful business. They practically gave him the job very easily,and he doesn't have to stay gone a lot,but he's definitely almost always busy doing something,mostly on his laptop. I tried not to let it bother me,but it just seemed like we were sort of drifting apart.
I silent cooked a small breakfast for both me and Chres as I hummed softly. I was dressed for work,in some black slacks,a blue blouse,and black heels. I had on some gold accessories. Even though I worked with children,I liked to look professional. Chresanto was still sleep,being that he had a long night at work yesterday, but he would soon wake up after I left. I wrote him a small,loving note by his plate of food,and smiled to myself as I grabbed my bag and walked outside to the car. I looked around nervously,then was surprised when I didn't see Jacob anywhere. I didn't even get the creepy feeling of being watched. Maybe he finally just let go. I silently drove to the school,then got out of the car before greeting some of the teachers. I walked to my classroom,and unlocked the door,then walked over to my desk before grading some papers I didn't get to yesterday. A few minutes later,parents started to drop off their kids,and it was silent,as it always is first thing in the morning. The kids looked around,still sleepy, and some held a small breakfast, a bagel,yogurt, or fruit,in their hand,chewing on it slowly. I decided that today would be a fun,chill day. I passed out coloring sheets to start it off,and afterwards we had a contest to see which one looked the best. The children really seemed to enjoy that,so I made a mental note to do it at least once a week. Afterwards we played games and had a small dance session. Soon after it was lunch time,and we all sat around in a circle, eating lunch and sharing stories. I laughed at how outrageous their imaginations are. Some told stories that they swore were true,but they weren't fooling me. Afterwards,they took a nap,and I decided to text Chresanto to see how he was doing. He responded saying that he was in a business meeting,promising to talk to me later. I sighed,then made a schedule for the rest of the week. After an hour, nap time was up and I took the kids outside to recess. I sat with the rest of the teachers, and one of my friends,Tasha and I were having a conversation. She was a very funny,high spirited person,and we clicked as soon as I started working here. She also has a sharp tongue,and she keeps me laughing. One of the kids walked up to me,handing me a small white folded paper,and I smiled down at her.
"What's this,Emily?" I asked. She smiled shyly,then played with her fingers. "A man told me to give this to you." She said in her adorable tiny voice.
"A man? Where?" I asked. She pointed over by the fence that was around the playground. There was no one there,but before I could ask any more questions,she'd run off to join some more girls in a game of double dutch. I opened the paper,a small frown on my face.
"What does it say?" Tasha asked,looking at me.
I read it slowly.

I just want you to know how gorgeous you look today. I would love to see you...alone,sometime soon. I want to apologize about how I acted. I don't regret doing it,but I do regret how it made you feel. Whatever,you'll love me one day. Forever yours...
                                        - J. P.

Ps. The breakfast you left for me this morning was delicious. And the note was lovely. Maybe I can cook for you again sometime..?

I gasped,my eyes widening. This man was insane! He had the nerve to come to a children's playground to harass me. This note was really disturbing. And to think he snuck into my house and ate the breakfast I left for Chresanto. This really has to stop. I made a mental note to go over to his house tonight to put an end to this. I didn't want Chresanto to know about this,because it would only add stress to him.
"Well?" Tasha waited,interrupting my thoughts.
"Oh,nothing." I laughed falsely. "Just Chresanto telling how much he misses seeing me during the day." I tried my best to make that sound convincing,but Tasha's expression told that she didn't believe me.
Soon,the parents of the kids came to pick them up,and when they were all gone,I packed up and got into my truck. I went to town to get takeout from the Chinese restaurant before going home. When I arrived home,I glanced at Jacobs house,and saw that he was home. Once again,he wasn't outside,but I felt his stare on me. I rushed inside of my house,locking the door. I saw Chresanto sitting on the couch,working on his laptop. I put the food down,then walked up to him,greeting him with a long kiss.
"Hey,babe." He shut his laptop,putting it off to the side,then pulled me onto his lap.
"How was work?" He asked,playing with one of my curls. "It was actually a good day today." I said,putting on a fake smile.
"What? No fights? No 'accidents'?" He chuckled,looking at me.
"No,today was very smooth." I laughed,then kissed his cheek.
"How was work for you?" I asked.
"I didn't feel like going in today so I worked from home." He chuckled. "I got dressed for nothing because I got lazy at the last minute." He glanced down at his work clothes.
"Not for no reason. I love seeing you in your work clothes." I smiled,resting my head on his shoulder. He chuckled,then started to play with my hands.
"I brought dinner." I said,standing up and making us both a plate. I brought him his and sat beside him,starting to eat mine. I turned on the tv,but I was barely paying attention,as much as I was zoning out and thinking of the letter that Jacob left me. Chres finished and took both plates into the kitchen. I went upstairs,took a long shower,and changed into some sleeping clothes,then came back downstairs to see that he was knocked out on the couch,his laptop on his lap. I chuckled,then closed the laptop. I gave him a quick peck on the lips and put a blanket over him. This is the perfect opportunity to go confront Jacob. I put on one of Chres's hoodies and snuck out the front door silently,my pajama pants blowing in the wind. I threw the hood over my head,then walked across the street and knocked softly on Jacob's door. In a few seconds the door opened,revealing him and that creepy smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes at him and went into his house,shutting the door behind me.
"Wow,you came to see me." He said,smiled,and tried to pull me close. I pushed him away,frowning.
"I didn't come to 'see you'. I came to confront you. Jacob,this needs to stop. You're really creeping me out and the last strike was going into my house and eating something I cooked for my boyfriend."
"You hurt me when you say things like that. I wouldn't say that if I were you." His expression changed to anger.
"Well Chres is my boyfriend. Which means your childish games have to stop,like now. I'm perfectly fine with keeping a distance from you,and I hope you'll do the same."  I looked at him seriously.
He looked down at the floor,then slowly stepped up closer to me before looking into my eyes. His whole vibe changed,and he seemed much scarier now. He grabbed my wrist roughly,then chuckled when I tried to pull away.
"It's funny that you think I'll keep a distance from you. In case you haven't noticed,I get what I want. I will never treat you wrong,but if you push me to that limit I might have to go to extreme measures." He said with honesty in his voice.
"As of that little boyfriend of yours..." He flared his nostrils, frowning a lot. "He's going to have to go..." He said,making chills run down my back. I stood there,frozen,and he took this opportunity to crash his lips into mine. He had me pushed against a wall,so I couldn't move. I finally built up enough strength to push him off,and he pulled away with a crazy grin on his face.
"You're fucking delirious." I said before slapping him. I quickly walked out of the house and ran back to my own,closing the door behind me. Chres was no longer on the couch,and I found him laying in the bed upstairs. He had changed from his work clothes,and I snuggled up close to him. He pulled me closer.
"Where were you?" He mumbled sleepily before kissing my cheek.
"I went to the store for something." I lied,then soon heard his soft snores in my ear.

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