Page 16 of Mortala
“I didn’t tell you because I was scared,” I admit. “The more you know, the more danger you’re in, and if anything happened to you because of me…I’d never forgive myself.”
I still don’t know who threw the brick through the window. Austin is all the way in Alabama, and he didn’t know I was leaving. He doesn’t even have a car, let alone a job to pay for a plane ticket. Whoever I saw outside had to be someone else. Maybe the beer blurred my vision, stitching Austin’s face onto a complete stranger.
But that still doesn’t explain the text message from the blocked number.
I debate whether I should tell Kaitlin about that too. I’ve already dumped enough on her today, but then again, if I’m being honest, I might as well tell her the whole thing and not just bits and pieces of it.
I let out a slow breath. “There’s one more thing…”
She eyes me suspiciously, her eyebrows pulling together.
“Right after the brick flew through the window…” I hesitate, suddenly wishing I hadn’t opened my mouth. “I got a text message from a blocked number.”
She sits up straighter in her seat and leans in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. “What did it say?”
I stare down at my hands, twirling my fingers together as if that’s going to make this any easier to admit.“It said the next time Miles touched me, the brick was going to go through his head.”
Kaitlin’s eyes grow wider as she sucks in a sharp breath. A few people inside the little coffee shop start to peer in our direction, and I suddenly become painfully aware that maybethis isn’t the place for a conversation about my new stalker. Kaitlin realizes it too when she whispers ‘sorry’ to the onlookers and takes another sip of her coffee.
“Maybe we should talk about this when we’re not out in public?” she suggests, setting her coffee down.
I nod in relief. As much as I want to talk to Kaitlin about all of this, I really just want to get my mind off of it for the time being.
My phone buzzes from where it sits on the table, a text from Miles illuminating the screen. We exchanged numbers last night when he took me home. His excuse was, “I want to make sure you’re safe, so you need to be able to call me whenever you can. And you better call me.”
The sudden flutter of butterflies twists at my insides and I can already feel myself melting just from seeing his name on my phone. I pick it up quickly before Kaitlin can take a look at it, but there’s literally no point because she can already tell who the message is from, just by the grin that’s plastered across my face.
Miles: I want to see you, I shouldn’t miss you already.
Heat rushes to my cheeks the moment I read the message, and I duck my head, trying to hide the smile that’s threatening to grow on my face. Kaitlin doesn’t say anything about the message, she just sits there, unsuccessfully fighting her grin as she takes slow, obnoxiously loud sips from her iced coffee until the cup is empty.
“Well, I guess I’ll go get another one of these,” she announces, shaking her empty drink at me. “Try not to make a mess of your seat with your soaked panties,” she giggles, leaving me to sink lower in my seat while a few nearby students snicker at her comment.
In the short time I’ve known Kaitlin, one thing has stood out to me the most. She doesn’t care what people think of her. She’s loud, outgoing, and unapologetically herself. It’s one of the things I already admire most about her.
I, however, am the exact opposite. I’d rather blend into the background than have any attention on me at all. Maybe that’s why we become friends so fast. We just work well together.The second Kaitlin walks away, I type out a response to Miles’ text message.
Me: You just saw me a few hours ago. Do you not have any self control?
A wave of nervousness crashes over me as my finger hovers over the send button. Before I can overthink it, I tap it. Almost instantly, the three little dots appear, letting me know he’s already responding. Butterflies erupt in the depth of my stomach as I stare at my phone, waiting for his response.
When his message finally comes through, my heart pounds heavily against my ribs.
Miles: Not when it comes to you, Princess.
I haven’t known Miles for very long, but the feelings he’s managed to stir up in such a short time scares me.
Is this normal? To feel so strongly about someone you barely know? How do you trust someone when you know they shouldn’t trust you?
This isn’t fair to him. I need to keep him at a distance.
Me: I don’t think it’s a good idea if we see each other after everything that happened last night. It would be safer for the both of us if we just kept our distance.
Miles: No one is going to keep me away from you, Maddie. Not even you.
Miles: Did I mention you look absolutely beautiful today?
My breath catches in my throat. Eyes widening, I glance up from my phone and spot Miles standing across the street from the coffee shop, his phone in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other.
