Page 49 of Shattered Saint
I watched as she teared up. Threatening her grandma’s well-being would do that to her. One tear escaped and fell from the corner of her eye.
Iris gathered herself and continued. “He knows where she lives, and I know that because he was able to recite her address to me and, supposedly, he took a picture of her home. Hell, I don't know if I'm doing the wrong thing here by telling you right now. I can't afford to have anything happen to Gran."
I removed my hands from her forearms and pulled her toward me, hugging her as tightly as I could. I held her like that for what felt like forever, and I hoped it was providing even a small sense of comfort during this troubling time for her.
Iris sniffled and said, "I don't know what he wants, and I don't know why he continues harassing me. I have nothing to give."
"That's not true. You have plenty to give, and to the people that know you, you mean the world to them. Don't let him force you to question your worth."
She pulled back and looked at me but didn’t say a word. That might have been the most profound thing I’d ever said to her in the years we'd known each other.
I stood up and walked into the kitchen again. Iris was in the middle of finishing her wine when I walked back over to the couch with a paper towel in hand to help her wipe her face.
"I still think going to the police is the best bet here. We don't know how dangerous this guy is."
"I can't."
"I had a feeling you'd say that. Going back to campus security is an option. Maybe they can do more patrols near your dorm room and see if they can spot him at least. Have you seen him clearly and can describe him?"
"I’ve already talked to campus security, and they are supposedly working with the police to find him. And yes, I know what he looks like."
"At least we have that to go on, and the police do know," my voice trailed off as I swiped a piece of hair behind my ear after it fell out of my messy bun. "I'll talk to my parents about it. Maybe they know someone who knows what you could possibly do in this situation."
"If you're okay with doing that."
I wiped my hands on my sweatpants. "I don't like going to them for things if I can avoid it, but you clearly need help, and I want to do all that I can."
"Okay. Is it alright if I go…" she gestured to the bathroom instead of trying to finish her sentence.
"Of course."
I watched as she walked away before I grabbed my wine, and then I folded my legs under my body. I didn’t know what I could do about this outside of going to my parents for help. If the stalker was a member of this community, then the chances were high that my mother or father knew them. But would they be willing to help, given them not caring for my relationship with Iris?
Not to mention we didn’t know her stalker's name.
Times like this made me wish that she either attended Brentson, or that I’d gone to Westwick. Being on the same campus would be beneficial when it came to this, not to mention we would get to see each other more.
I took another sip of my wine and sighed. The seriousness of this weighed on me and I couldn’t imagine how Iris was feeling about all of it. I told myself I would do whatever it took to make sure that she and her grandma didn’t get hurt, but we were battling the unknown, with no end in sight.
20
BIANCA
When I walked into my psychology class, something felt very different. I couldn’t pinpoint what made me feel this way, but I could feel it, nonetheless.
"Good morning, Bianca," Dr. Chen greeted me as I walked past.
Dr. Chen’s energy was odd as she stood up at the front of the classroom, and I wondered what type of surprise she was going to drop on us today.
"Good morning, Dr. Chen," I replied cautiously, wondering what could be going on. Was it something about today's lesson? Had I missed something important?
As I settled into my seat, I glanced around the room. Everything seemed normal as my classmates prepared for today’s lesson. As my eyes glanced at the door, Easton walked in. Although I’d seen him since that party, my mind immediately drifted back to that night when he made me absolutely lose control.
Shit. I don’t need to be thinking about him in that way right now.
"Alright, everyone, let's get started," Dr. Chen called out, stopping my thoughts in their tracks.
"Today, we'll be tackling a new project," she continued. "And I think putting you into groups of two is the best way to handle this task."
