The Chase

Chapter 12

JASPER 

   Cecilia had been acting off lately. She hadn't spent the night in a week and even when she was here she wasn't really here. She was glue to that damn phone. Like she is now. Who was she always talking to? Who was pulling her attention from me?

    She sat alone on the couch across the room from me with her knees pulled up to her chest. Typing away on that screen. Occasionally giggling at whatever was on the other end.

    I have never had this issue, ever and I must admit it was frustrating as hell. Women begged for my attention. Pining after me and hanging on to my every last word. Desperation wasn't the most attractive quality but at least it meant they thought of me when I wasn't around. Now that I liked. Being the center of someone's world. Until I got over it at least.

    "Hey did you want to get something for lunch?" I shout from the chair I'm sitting in in an attempt to pull her from what ever was so captivating. She must not of heard me, she didn't even look up or in my direction. I say it again, this time louder and with a stern voice. That ought to get her to notice.

    After a few minutes Cecilia looks up at me with a blank expression "Did you say something?"

    "Food... Do you want some?" I try not to roll my eyes or show my annoyance with how oblivious she was acting.

    "Oh yeah. Order whatever you want" Her tone was careless and empty of any emotion.

    I couldn't figure out why she was acting like this. Did I do something wrong? I roll my eyes and laugh quietly to myself. I didn't do anything. She was being dramatic. Maybe her period was making her moody? I decide to make a move to pull her from her trans.

    She doesn't notice when I stand or walk towards her or even when I sit closely to her. Goose bumps spread across her skin as I pull her hair away from her neck and trace small circles with my index finger across her soft skin. Cecilia closed her eyes and her breathing hitched when I lightly gift her a kiss on the neck just below her ear. I breath her in as she leans her head further to expose more of her neck to me.

    "I could just eat you" She side eyes me unable to hide her blush. Don't think I didn't notice the way she turned her phone so I couldn't see the screen.

    "Maybe for dessert? I'm suddenly really hungry" She stands from the coach and walks to the kitchen. Opening the fridge and cabinets to find them empty. She began to list food options that were close to my apartment.

    What the actual f**k. Was she actually starving or was that her way of rejecting me. The though upset me. Who does she think she is? Who was she talking to so much and why did she feel the need to hide it from me?

    she was leaning on the counter scrolling through our various food options, finally deciding on a burger place and looking up for my approval. Somehow she still looked effortlessly beautiful. If only she wasn't such a moody little thing. She would be perfect.

    I node to give her the go ahead and settle back onto the couch. This time I make sure she sits with me and that there's nothing to distract her. Mainly because I kept her phone after I paid for the food, I can feel the shape of it in my back pocket. Wander how long it'll take her to notice.

    "What do you want to watch?" Cecilia bites her lip as she opens Netflix on the TV. 

    "I don't care. Whatever you want.." And I really didn't care. I would spent the movie watch her. She didn't watch movies, she experienced them. Crying when it was sad. Laughing when something remotely funny happened. You could literally feel the anxiety radiate off her when something stressful happened. It was one of her many good qualities.

    "You know I'm gonna pick a romance and you're gonna hate it..." She smiled up at me, scrunching up her nose. Begging me to give her permission to play a 'cheesy hallmark movie'. 

    I node to give her the go ahead. I didn't really plan on letting her watch it all the way through. I wasn't a big fan of 'Netflix and chill'. Basically the only reason I pay for the subscription at this point. That and Cecilia repeatedly expressed a love for movies.

DING DING

    "Food must be here!" Cecilia hops up from the couch and skips towards the door. 

    This was my chance to snoop. Shifting to pull her phone from my pocket and click the lock button. She has a passcode, when did that happen? Has she always had a passcode?  I toss her phone onto the chair I was previously sitting and walk to the kitchen. Cecilia rushes back in and drops the bag on the counter then pulls plates from the cabinet.

    We sit at the breakfast table with our plates and dig in. I hand her a napkin, I knew from experience just how messy of an eater she can be. Not her best quality. I eat slowly in part to kill time before that movie and in part because I was still thinking about her phone and whatever she was hiding from me.

*****

    I lay in bed listening to the light breaths Cecilia blows out notifying me that she is finally sleeping. I've been watching the ceiling fan spin until my head hurt from following the blades.

    Her phone buzzes for the hundredth time today. I can't take this s**t anymore. tip toe around the bed and to the night table on her side of the bed. Grab her phone and do my best not to be heard has a leave the room and close the door behind me.

    I shouldn't go through her phone. It's an invasion of privacy. But she shouldn't be hiding s**t from me. I'm caught in a mental debate with myself. One side reminding me how justified I am and the other making excuses for why it is technically wrong. Is it really that wrong though?

    I had also paid enough attention to catch onto what her passcode was. 1-2-3-4. Really safe Cecilia, smart. Her screen saver was a selfie of her and that annoying roommate, Tibby or something. They were both very dressed up in tight dresses and heels, blowing kisses at whoever was taking the picture.

    I had a buddy from IT download an app on my laptop that would connect me to an real-time version of her phone. I'd be able to see her call log, text message, emails and access to all of her social media. It's a bit over kill, but she was acting shady and I was determined to find the root of it. I'm far to hung up on this girl to let her get away with lying to me.

    All I had to do was plug her phone into the cord I had already connect to the USB port. Something was stopping me. She hasn't really given me a reason not to trust her. Except hide her phone from me and she failed to reply to any calls or texts two entire days last week. The voice in my head reminded me, I had almost forgotten about that.

    I hover the cord over the charging port. I deserve to know what she's hiding. Just do it!  Any hesitation melts away as the cord slides into place with a click and I wait as a copy of her phone syncs to my laptop. scroll through everything to confirm that it's all there before unhooking her phone. 

    I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary apart from a few texts from a guy, Lucas, repeatedly asking her out. She hadn't reply, but still a small spark of jealousy burns in my stomach. When did he start harassing her? Why did he even have her number? Did she just give it out? I'll have to keep an eye for that name on here. See if I can find out who he is and how he knows her.

     There were also a lot of texts from Tabitha. Apparently she wasn't my biggest fan. I wander why Cecilia hadn't told me that. Makes since why she's been so glued to her phone if she was arguing on my behalf. 

    It feels like a small victory as I return to bed. I had gone snooping and hadn't found anything. I never should of doubted my girl. Finally, I drift off knowing I will be able to watch over her more tomorrow.