I Don't Love You

005

"You're sure?" Julia asked, staring at him wide eyed. "You're completely sure?"

Matt nodded. "Every day. Every day I've seen him Julia, for nearly two weeks now. I just... I thought it was nothing at

first. But now I'm sure he's watching me. Everywhere I go... I see him. I can't get away from him."

"Matt, if it's true, if this guy really is following you and you're not just imagining it, you need to report it to the police."

He paled. "But what if I really am just seeing things? I don't want to go to the police about him and then find out I'm

going crazy and nobody has been stalking me."

"And that's partly why you want to leave Boston?" Julia asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it'd be better this way. I'd be able to get rid of him without having to say anything to the

police."

"What if he followed us?"

"I don't think he would... but I... I don't know, I'd change my name, cut my hair and dye it, lose weight, put weight on... I

don't know, I'd just change how I looked."

Julia bit her lip. He was clearly scared. He wasn't talking any sense, he couldn't just leave Jersey and change who he

was because some guy was following him. It wouldn't work. The only way he'd get rid of him was going to the police

about it. If this guy really was a devoted stalker then he'd follow him wherever he went. But it didn't make sense. Why

would Matt of all people be watched by a stranger?

"And you're sure you don't know him?" Julia asked.

"I've swear I've never seen him before in my life. And I'd know if I had. He's pretty hard to forget."

"What does he look like?"

"He's... he has dark brown hair, it's pretty curly and he... he's tall and really pale and his eyes are dark," she described

slowly, frowning. "I've not seen him close up properly so I can't really say what he looks like. But I'd be able to point him

out if I saw him."

Julia's heart dropped and she stared at Matt. The man sounded exactly like that weird guy who'd come up to her in the

store the other day. She shuddered and then quickly reminded herself that there must be more than one guy around

here that fit the description Matt had given her. Surely there were plenty of other people out there who had dark hair

and dark eyes and pale skin. But it didn't seem right that the description fit the guy Julia had met. Something was

wrong with the whole situation.

"I don't know why he's doing it Julia," Matt said shakily, his voice thick and tears forming in his eyes. "I'm scared.

I don't know if he'll ever stop. Why would he pick me to fucking stalk? I'm nobody! He... I-I'm no one important Julia,

why's he doing this?"

"I don't know Matt, but I wish I did. Are you sure you've not done anything to offend anyone or upset them?"

"What?! No! I've done nothing but go to school and work on the weekends and see you and my friends Julia! I've not

done anything out of the ordinary, I've been acting like a normal person my whole life!"

Julia shrank back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like that. I'm sorry, okay? Look, if it carries on I really think you

should report it Matt. You want to end it before it gets any worse."

He scrubbed at the tears dribbling down his face. "Okay... okay, I'll just see if it carries on."

Julia gave him a reassuring smile. "Look, I'll stick with you through this Matt, I'll help you out. I don't want anything

to happen to you. You don't deserve this."

"Thank-you Julia," he mumbled through watery tears, giving her a weak but relieved smile. "It means so much to

me."

Across the street, a figure stood under the glow of a streetlamp, watching the window of the front of the house before

him, watching the two teens sit there embracing each other and the girl wiping away the boy's tears.

His lip curled up in anger and disgust before he turned away into the shadows and vanished into the night.