Attraction

18.

The windows have a glare from the moonlight shining in that reflect off of the tables at the diner. It's painfully empty tonight at work and even more so weird because Jessie still hasn't texted me back and it's been a day- I hope she's not upset with me.
I pull my phone out and check my notifications, nothing.

The bell to the diner rings and the door swings open. A pale looking Jessie walks in and her cheeks are lightly stained with black mascara that looks like it's been running down her face, she looks like she's been crying.

"Jessie, hey, are you—" But before I can finish my sentence Jessie cuts me off.

"Just don't." She shakes her head and sniffles, "Please, just don't." She pulls her hair up in a messy pony tail and rubs under her eyes with her fingertips.

"Oh—Okay. If you need anything—I'm sorry. I was worried.." My voice is soft and Jessie gives me an apologetic look.

"No" She sighs heavily before waving my off.  "I'm sorry, it's not your fault and you certainly don't know what's going on. He's got a girlfriend." Her voice cracks and she softly weeps before trying to compose herself to finish her shift and I do the same.

After Jessie and I clock out of work, we go to the back to take off our aprons. Jessie sits down on a old stool and sighs, her phone begins to ring and she gasps.

"He's calling me!" She exclaims as she answers the phone, she walks out of the back door and gives me an apologetic smile.

'I'll call you tomorrow' she mouths to me before the door closes behind her.

I finally get home from work feeling tired and relieved that Jessie is okay- I hope she ends things with Liam if he truly does have a girlfriend. I feel sorry for her because she's a sweet girl who doesn't deserve this. I turn on the shower and off my top and the rest of my clothes, as I step in the shower the warm water hits my skin relaxing my body.

After my showering I change into some shorts and a t shirt that Paul left here from earlier, as soon as I put it on it smells just like him- I smile feeling comforted as I lay in bed. My eyes soon become heavy and sleep finds me. I wake up to the sound of my phone ringing, tiredly I pick up my phone not bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hello?" I answer in a soft and hoarse from just now waking up. There's no sound at first on the other end of the line, then I hear what sounds like a few heavy footsteps and a door opening.

A soprano pitch muffled scream pierces my ears from the other end of the phone, my heart beats loudly in my chest as the muffled screams continue. I feel completely horrified at what I am hearing, this sounds very ominous.

A gasp leaves my lips as I quickly hang up the call, my eyebrows furrow together as I go back to look at the caller ID- it's an unknown number, figures.I assume it's just a prank call, some jerk kids trying to scare me, after all it is two am and it's probably just bored teenagers—I decide on closing my eyes and go back to sleep. No need to focus too much on it.

The knock at my front door awakens me and I frown tiredly, I get out of bed and open the front door to be greeted by Paul who's smiling happy to see me.
He noticed my tired expression and his expression goes to worried as he walks inside. He stops halfway and looks down at the floor in front of my apartment door as he bends down and picks up a dahlia.

"Paul- What is that?" I ask in a breathy voice referring to another dahlia. He senses my fear and tosses the Dahlia down the balcony stairs.

"It's okay, Will. I'm not going let anything happen to you" He sounds frustrated but I can tell he's trying to console me. He closes the apartment door behind us as a few tears pool up in my eyes, I hope my voice doesn't betray me.