What He Left Behind [edition 1]

What He Left Behind - Eight

Chapter Eight

He Must Stalk Me

          "Why did you make plans with Brian for lunch?" He asked. I shook my head as soon as I heard him say this. How did he know about Brian, anyway? What was he doing to figure all this shit out? Stalking me or something? 

          "H-how the hell did you know about that?" I asked and he groaned. 

          "You didn't answer the question." He growled out through the phone. At the tone of his voice, I felt intimidated and worried. I didn't know what to do or say to him. I had no idea what the guy had turned into when he left for England. 

          "I don't have to answer the question, Jared." I said and he chuckled a humorless laugh. I felt my body grow tense with fear. I wanted nothing more then' to hang up and just forget about everything that just went through my head. 

          "Yes, you do." He growled out again. "Why did you make plans with Brian? The guy is nothing! I mean, come on! He doesn't even have a stable job, he's a drinker and he can't stick to one girl. Everyone thinks they can change him. They can't!" 

          "Jared, don't call me, again." I said before hanging up the phone. 

          Suddenly, I felt clausterphobic. A feeling of eyes on my back made me jump up and run to Suri's room. I dived to her bed and snuggled her small body, my own shaking feverishly. Little did I know I had awoken my daughter from her peaceful slumber and she turned in her bed. 

          "What's wrong, Mommy?" She asked and I gave her a weak smile. 

          "Nothing, Ladybug." I said, my voice just as shakey as my body currently was. "Just go back to sleep, okay?" 

          "Mommy, you're shaking. What happened?" She asked and I sighed, kissing her forehead. I didn't want to worry her, so I held her tighter and said the first thing that popped into my mind. 

          "Mommy just had a nightmare, okay? Nothing to fret about, sweet-pea." I whispered and she nodded, throwing her arms around my neck and quickly dozing off. I knew I wasn't going to be getting any sleep tonight, so I just held her and sang softly to her sleeping body. 

          The night was agonizingly long, but the sun was peaking through Suri's ladybug curtains in no time. Breathing a sigh of relief, I stood and managed to escape Suri's room without waking her. She stayed happily asleep and I was in the kitchen cooking up a storm in just minutes. 

          I made Suri's favorite breakfast - blueberry pancakes in the shape of clouds. Why it was clouds she preferred, I wasn't completely sure - but then again, I never asked. Before long, she was standing in the kitchen next to me, tugging on my shirt. 

          "Mommy, what was your nightmare about last night?" She asked and I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment before flipping another pancake. 

          "Just a scary phone call..." I said and she nodded before smiling and telling me that it'd be okay. I was surprised when she didn't press for me to tell her anything else, but left it alone when she climbed onto her chair. 

          "How many pancakes do you want, Ladybug?" I asked and she sighed, looking down at her empty plate. I heard her stomach rumble and knew she'd want at least two. 

          "Two it is," I said before putting them on her plate. I kissed her head and let her butter her pancakes before putting some syrup on the side of her plate. She was the cleanest, most dantiest eater I had ever seen. She rarely ever made a mess on the table or herself.