A Little Mad

Chapter 3

Jeremiah glanced up as Ecco returned to his study after the man left. He was busy putting things away in his desk and on his shelves. Ecco slowly walked over to his desk cautious. He glanced up again with no smile but slight annoyance. 

"What do you want Ecco?" 

His voice made the woman cringe slightly. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. 

"I just came to check on you before bed. Anything else I can do for you?" 

Jeremiah rolled his eyes. He looked her in the eyes and saw slight fear. 

"You are very loyal to me Ecco, but you interrupted me tonight. You will go to bed without play time. I will not being playing with you tonight." 

He paused to exam her up and down. She was wearing sexy lingerie. He was not in the mood at all. 

"And if you think that slutty outfit will help you, it will not." 

Pausing again he looked in the young woman's eyes full of hurt and sadness he could see. He knew how Ecco felt about him. The jealousy she held over others near him. How she would do any and everything he asked without question. How she would act out any sexual fantasy he could come up with just to please him. He even knew that she possibly loved him, but he didn't care.

"You were never very attractive." 

Jeremiah walked past the woman without another word leaving her in his study. He paused at the door, hearing her crying. After another moment, he continued on his way to his bedroom. He was exhausted and sleep was calling him. 

It had been three days since Mercedes, her brother Ethan, or TaTyana stepped foot out of their homes. Mercedes and TaTyana were on the phone constantly. Mercedes tried hard, but couldn't get Jerome's face out of her head. Something about it was slightly intriguing. She wondered what happened to him and how his face got that way. 

"TaTyana..?" 

TaTyana stopped mid-sentence to acknowledge her best friend.

"What is it Cedes?" 

Mercedes swallowed hard. She knew: if she told this to TaTyana, she would think she is crazy. Mercedes spoke carefully. 

"I can't stop seeing him." 

"Him who?" 

Mercedes cleared her throat and exhaled. 

"The guy from the news." 

TaTyana coughed as if she was drinking something when Mercedes said it. 

"That crazy psycho Valeska dude? Mercedes, what is up with you?"

Mercedes slightly laughed and sighed. 

"His face." 

TaTyana cleared her throat. 

"Mercedes.." 

This caused Mercedes to really laugh. 

"What? I mean it's interesting. How did it get that way? You can tell he was probably handsome at one point." 

TaTyana laughed back. "I can't tell if you are being serious or your sarcastic self that I love." 

Mercedes whispered almost too faint for TaTyana to hear it, but she did. "I don't know though. His face isn't that bad now. After all women do love battle scars." 

You could physically hear TaTyana choke on her own air. She took a few moments to catch her breath and responded. 

"Girl.. You know I am with you and love the psycho maniacs and what not, but those are in movies, TV shows and stories. They aren't real." 

Mercedes laughs. "You act like I will seek him or some shit. Give me some credit. All I said was he is attractive." 

TaTyana laughed and Mercedes could tell she shook her head. "I know you. His appearance is going to keep your mind on him." 

Mercedes suddenly heard a call from her mother downstairs. "Dinner!" Mercedes sighs and returns to her call. 

"I will call you tomorrow. I have to go downstairs and eat dinner. Love you." 

"Love you too. Text you first thing in the morning." 

Mercedes had no idea that later in the night while she was sleeping, her entire world was about to change.