The Boy Next Door

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Days passed. Then weeks, months. Matthew was gone.

Summer vanished too quickly, leaving me as captain of the cheerleading squad, in senior year, and applying for the veterinary schools I'd been looking at my whole life.

Evan and I had no classes together but home room this semester. I'd been labeled halfway through the summer when we had discussed it: I was Evan's girlfriend.

Mom was worried about me falling in love and having my heart broken. I was not falling in love. No.

We were the star couple. The soccer captain and head cheerleader were dating, and seniors. It was the typical cliche thing, although it wasn't yet soccer season.

Today was Saturday, Madelyn was at a sleepover, and Mom and Dad were gone on an overnight for their anniversary, so I was home alone. With this knowledge I popped in a movie, put on pjs, and curled up under a blanket.

About halfway through there was a knock at the door. I paused it and stood, nabbing my pepper spray off the table by the door. I never liked answering the door, especially not at night when I'm alone.

The porch light flicked on (automatic motion sensor) and I leaned over into the window on the side of the door. No one there. Frowning, I opened the pepper spray and shook it slightly. Not much in there, but probably enough.

I opened the door slowly and peered out. Nothing. Then all of a sudden a man dressed in black leaped from the shadows and launched himself inside my house. The door slammed.

"Why'd you call the police?" shouted Matthew.

"I-I," I stuttered out, but I wasn't fast enough. He grabbed me and shoved me to the ground. My phone! If I could just reach it...a searing pain shot through my left arm as I tried to grab it. He was stepping on my wrist, the bones cracking under his weight.

Screaming, I struggled to get him off of me, but his foot held ever strong to my wrist.

"God," I yelled, "save me! Please! Help!" Tears ran down my cheeks and there was a sting. He hit me. I could taste copper in my mouth.

With a start I remembered Brianna and Erika were on their way over. I'd called them ten minutes ago when I was making popcorn, so they should be here any minute.

I screamed louder as his foot moved and blood rushed into my hand. He was putting hardly any weight on his foot now, but it was on my throat. "Why did you call the cops," he asked again.

"BRIANNA!" I shouted. "ERIKA!"

Pounding feet were evident, as was the removed weight from my neck and a whispered, "Oh my god."

When I woke up, I could feel a pulse in my left hand and my eyesight was blurry. Madelyn was sitting on Mom's lap, both asleep, to my right. I was in the hospital again.

"Mom?" I moved my right hand, uninjured, over to nudge my mom's leg. Almost immediately she came to life.

"You're awake. How do you feel?" She put the back of her hand to my forehead. "You're warm."

"I'm a bit stiff-feeling, but otherwise okay."

She nodded and carried Madelyn out. "Your father's at work right now. The second he gets here I'll send him in. Evan's waiting outside too."

"Can I see him?"

"I don't think he'd let me keep him out." She chuckled and let the door click closed.

I took a moment to think. What happened? One moment I'm watching a movie, the next Matthew is inside my house beating me up. Now I'm here.

Evan was through the door in seconds. "Liliana," he breathed, rushing to my side. I gave him a hug before he sat in the plastic chair. "No one told me anything. What happened? How are you feeling?"