Trying Hard to Ignore You

Understand?

Don't kill me

The house is still. Silent, but I can't sleep. Spencer is passed out cold next to me.

I have a sickening feeling about tonight that I can't quite place.

I'm playing a game on my phone, and when it pops up with a text from Ashton, I feel pissed off.

I sigh, clicking on it.

It's a picture of Spencer's parents house.

I stare at it.

When I read the message, he starts typing.

And then he sends a picture of a gun.

I knew Ashton was crazy, but this crazy?

I shake my head. There's no way he could know where Spencer's parents live.

He starts typing again.

Bitch ex Ashton: I have a gun. You have a boyfriend. I'll make this plain and simple. Delete the chat if you decide to do as I say, understand?

I shut my eyes and look at Spencer.

He's sleeping so beautifully.

Anxious, I type.

Me: yes

He starts typing.

Bitch ex Ashton: come outside and leave with me. If you don't, I'll come inside and kill everyone in that house except for you, including that dog and Spencer. I'll see you in five minutes. Pack your shit. I'm setting a timer from the moment you read this message. If you aren't outside in five minutes, I'm coming in.

I feel like I'm going to puke.

I'm wearing sweats and a tank top.

I take a screenshot of the chat and then delete the chat. I go into my settings and shut off my screen lock timer, so the screen will stay on forever until it's shut off by the button. I close the messages app and go into photos and open the screenshot. I get out of bed, silent, and unplug Spencer's phone from the charger, plugging mine in, so whenever he wakes up, my screen will still be on. Just to be sure, I use markup to write password: 7664 and then I set it as my lock screen.

I grab my bag, put my shoes on, and look at Spencer.

I'm fucking terrified as I lean down and kiss his forehead, and I slip out of the bedroom he grew up in.

I tiptoe down the stairs with my bag, and out the front door, into the night.

There's a car waiting outside.

I walk up to it and put my bag in the back, getting in the front seat.

"Hi." Ashton says.

Spencer

I wake up, expecting to see my beautiful Juliet sleeping next to me, but she's not.

I stick my hand under her pillow, and it's completely cold.

The clock on the side table says 9:44AM.

Sighing, I go downstairs, into the kitchen.

Everyone is in here.

Except for Audrey.

"Can you wake Audrey sweetie? We have to go meet Daniel's parents in two hours." Ms. Robbins says.

I frown.

"Audrey isn't in my room." I say.

"What?" Mom asks.