The Way You See Me

Chapter Seventeen

I couldn't believe it. As I put the pieces together, I realize that this man standing before me is the man from the phone store, I got that part. But, he's also the guy that was at the grocery store a couple of days ago, that freaked me out. The part that unsettled me is that he was working at the grocery store, but then also at the phone store? I mean, maybe part-time at both and it's just a coincidence? Then why was he here now?

Either way, I try to shut the door, but he sticks his foot out, stopping it from closing completely. I frown, drawing my eyebrows together a bit. 

"What do you want?" I ask, looking up at him as I hold my grip on the door, which is only open about an inch now, with his shoe wedged in. I realize I'm shaking a bit and try to calm myself down. Max is trying to shove his nose through the door, making me feel a little better. If this guy was going to try to come in, he'd have bigger problems that me. 

He holds up the phone case I had been looking at as a distraction in the store and I swallow hard. "I saw you looking at this earlier," He starts, "I was going to give it to you at that lady's house, but I didn't want to bother you guys,"

He followed me? How did I not realize? He knew I was at Lilian's house.. did he wait until I left? That was hours later...

"So I went to run some errands and wait a bit, then came here," He says. 

I feel like I'm going to throw up. How did he know where I lived? It was starting to seem like less of a coincidence that he worked at both the grocery store and the phone store. Then again, how did he know I would have went there. 

"C-Can you please leave?" I ask, continuing to try and push the door shut, but he wedges his foot in farther. Max barks and growls, now standing behind me. 

"I want to talk to you, baby," He says, smiling. I shake my head, but he continues. "I have big news! I have to tell you now," 

I feel my stomach churning. "I don't want to know, please, just leave," I repeat, getting nervous. 

He shakes his head, "No, no, no, this is good news. I went to visit your boy toy at the cafe again today and told him you had your eyes on me, that we're dating, and that he needed to leave you alone. He got the message, don't worry. You don't have to worry about seeing him anymore, it's just me and you now," He says. 

The scariest part about everything he said is that he sounded genuinely happy to be telling me this, like I actually wanted this.

Then my mind starts to process it all. He... He knew Dom worked at the cafe, he knew we hung out, he told him... Oh my gosh. Dom thinks I'm dating this freak? What the fuck? Again, he said again. How many times has he went to the cafe to see Dom? What else has he told him? 

I start to feel lightheaded and lean on the door for support. "Please, go," I say slowly, my mind racing. 

I start to get a migrain. What's happening? I can't see anything, it's all black. I think I'm passing out. No, no, no. 

The next thing I know, I'm lying on an unfamiliar bed with a blanket over me. I shoot up and my head spins. Groaning, I swing my legs over the side of the bed, stepping down. My feet hit the carpeted floor and I frown. This is certainly was not my house. Where the hell am I?

I hear footsteps and freeze. My body starts to involuntarily shake and I struggle to regain my composure. This perv freak took me home, and now I'm stuck in his room. Now he's coming and I have no plan, whatsoever. I quickly look around the room, but he enters the room before my slowed mind can think of anything. 

"Cali, thank God you're okay," It's Dom who walks over to me, not the freak that almost broke into my house last night. 

I'm at a loss for words as he wraps me in a hug. I blink a few times, shocked. "H-How am I here?" I ask. The last thing I remember is passing out, against the door that had the stranger on the other side. The stranger that has supposedly been stalking me. "Where is here?" I ask as well.