stockholm syndrome

chapter three; friendly visit

jermaine's pov

I looked towards Anayiah and saw the confusion in her eyes. I frowned at the door, wondering who could be there. I reluctantly opened the door and revealed my friend Kyle.

"Yo bro, wassup?" He exclaimed.

"Hey, now's not a good time." I said while rubbing the back of my neck. He sensed that someone was next to me so he opened the door wider and there stood Anayiah.

"Oh. Wassup, shawty."

"It's Anayiah." She rolled her eyes and walked towards the couch with crossed arms.

"She's a feisty one. I came to check if you got the job done but you obviously did." He said, gesturing towards Anayiah.

~

anayiah's pov

After Kyle mentioned me, I started to get suspicious. Why was Jermaine so strict with the fact that I had to oblige to rules? And why was I mentioned in some kind of 'job?' My thoughts were interrupted by the front door slamming shut. Jermaine smiled at me and walked towards my direction.

"Wanna go bed now, babygirl?" He asked, giving me a kiss on my forehead. I nodded and gave him a genuine smile. He swiftly picked me up like a mother cradling her child and that instantly made me giggle. He chuckled at my reaction and gave me a peck on the lips. He walked up the stairs and entered the 2nd door on the left and I was invited by a huge and spacey room. It was decorated gently and in a modern way; similar to the downstairs area. There was a desk, a bed, the door to the bathroom, a walk in closet and a huge balcony.

"Woah." I gasped in amazement.

"This is all yours, baby. What's mine is yours."

I stared into his eyes. I couldn't believe that this man was the man I called my boyfriend. My lover. I could tell that he was in love with me. He would do anything for me. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me. I kissed him slowly, allowing the both of us to savour this moment.

~

noelle's pov

After my shift, I went to go get my stuff. I grabbed my phone, expecting some missed calls from Anayiah. Nothing. I shrugged it off, thinking that she might've fallen asleep. I grabbed my stuff and ran out the door, waving goodbye to my colleagues. I stopped by an ice cream shop to get her some ice cream; cookie dough flavour to be exact. I then walked to her apartment that she shared with her boyfriend Aiden. Since she gave me her extra key, I unlocked the door and took the elevator to Level 4. I walked out the elevator and stopped at House 38. I unlocked the door and was welcomed by an empty apartment.

"Hello?" I called out. After a while, Aiden came out looking extremely rough.

"You okay?" I asked him.

"Anayiah isn't home. Have you seen her?"

I set down the ice cream pot and my bag and looked at him in confusion.

"The last time I saw her was when her shift finished. But when I finished, I didn't see any missed calls from her either."

"Yeah, I haven't seen her since this morning before she left."

"She probably just went to go buy some food or something." I reassured.

"Yeah, well you're welcome to stay until she gets here if you want. I can see that you're starting to worry too."

"Thanks. I'll sleep on the couch. And I'll borough Niyah's pyjamas." I said while walking towards Anayiah's closet. I picked out an outfit and walked to the couch. I fell into a deep sleep with my bestfriend on my mind.