His Brother's Obsession

Chapter 14: Changes

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Y'all this part is bad. Just saying.
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Every day I am trying to avoid this man. He doesn't understand boundaries most of the times. He often finds ways to be around me and annoy me, he is like a child. I just pretend he is incompetent and then it feels a bit easier to move along. I assume he's doing what he's doing to get under my skin. It's working.

I am waken up around 2 AM from a television that's too loud. The voices and sounds radiating from the TV are so loud I can hear every single word the actors are saying! That's a big pet peeve of mine. Wake me up from my sleep and we've got a huge problem! Of course it's James. Who else could it be? I walk down the hall and see the lights flickering underneath the door. Why did I even give him a TV? I knock on the door but it's already cracked so I push the door aside as quietly as possible. I don't know if he is asleep or not but I'm going to have to turn this down anyway. I need my sleep!

I glance over at the bed and he's out like a light. So I tip-toe toward the TV and scramble my fingers around it's frame to find the buttons. I accidentally change the channel and the show has people laughing extremely loud and I wince. I look over my shoulder and James is tossing and turning under the sheets. After I find the volume button I turn it down to a sound low enough that I won't hear and I put an hour timer on so that it's not on all night. That's too much for the cable bill!

I exhale a sigh of relief and then get up to leave. To my surprise James is standing up behind me just staring me down.

"Oh my gosh! James what the hell!?" I jump backward and nearly knock the TV from its stand. I held my chest where my heart is and it's pounding through to my fingers. He lifts a brow.

"Why are you in my room?"

"First off...your TV was so loud it woke me up just now so I came to turn it down. Secondly, this isn't your room."

"Don't try to be all tough. I saw how you just nearly had a heart attack just because I'm awake and you didn't think I would be," James says this laughing. He's walks backward toward the bed and sits at the foot of the bed. He crosses his arms. "You just wanted to come into my room to see if I sleep naked, huh?"

I don't say anything I just speed walk past him and out the door. I kept thinking like why was he just standing there? I saw that he was asleep! Or was he watching me the whole time? Did he only turn his volume up so that I would come into his room late at night? I'm thoroughly freaked out at this point. I go to my vanity mirror and open the drawer at the bottom. I reach under the dresser and grab my handgun. It's a Glock 19 Generation 4, 9mm Luger and I only got it after my first situation with James. I locked my bedroom door and laid in bed the rest of the night. I couldn't sleep.

The following morning I watched the door as the sun rose. Checking to see if he'd leave his room the same time he always does. I heard a loud annoying yawn and then loud footsteps passing my door. Then they stop. I see shadowed feet  in the crack of the door and at that moment I hope it was a ghost. I stop breathing for a second then a knock.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*.

He's seriously knocking on my door right now. I don't answer so he thinks I am still asleep.

"I know you're in there Alyssa. It's nearly noon...it's not normal for you to still be locked in your room. It's not you."

You don't know me. I say in my head

"I know by 9:30 you're up and making coffee. Then you go back into your room to wash your face, brush your teeth and put on some comfy clothes."

What the hell? How does he know my entire morning routine? I'm freaking out now.

"I want to apologize for the creepy thing that happened last night. I was trying to scare you. Then I realized that wasn't the right context. Too close and too personal. I'm sorry if that brought up old memories. I'm trying to change my habits I promise. I haven't had a drink since I got here. Well besides the wine you and your friend left on the table that night."

I get up from the bed and grab my robe to make sure it's completely closed. I tightened the wrap and go to unlock my door. James is standing there with his hair all over the place and is actually wearing a shirt. I'm surprised. I look him in the eyes.

"I was terrified last night. Because I thought you were asleep. Maybe you rolled over on the remote and turned the TV up too loud."

"I apologize for making you fee uncomfortable and if you like me to keep my distance I will." He said, head down in shame. He took a step back and turned a bit to the left.

"Just find a job, today. No excuses. Take the train and find some shops that are hiring and ask for an interview today." If you don't find a nice paying job, you're out of here!" I turned on my heel and slammed the door in his face. Excited about my new found courage I cheerfully went to my bathroom to get ready for work. This was an enlightening experience for sure!

*************Sorry for the late upload************