Leave Your Sins At The Door

6 “I Can See You”

CHAPTER 6

Amelia began her day early, waking at 5 AM for her usual morning jog, a routine that had calmed her thoughts for years. For her run, she wore a loose, long-sleeved athletic top over a supportive sports bra, paired with baggy sweatpants, running shoes, and a baseball cap to conceal her face.

Amelia hit the pavement, the early morning chill a welcome sting against her face. Her playlist immediately kicked in, the thumping bass and rhythmic beats a familiar shield against the world. She settled into her pace, the miles melting away with each stride.

Soon, her breathing deepened, a steady rhythm of heavy breaths and soft pants escaping her lips. The music in her ears was a tunnel, muffling the outside world, allowing her to focus solely on the pounding of her feet and the powerful, albeit tiring, burn in her legs.

It was just her, the road, and the insistent rhythm of the song pushing her forward.

After an hour and a half, Amelia finished her run, returning home glistening with sweat and panting. She headed straight for her room, needing to shower quickly before Sterling woke up and potentially caught her in just a towel. With only one shared bathroom downstairs and another upstairs for the second-floor renters, she knew she had to rush.

Once ready, she headed to the university, stopping at a diner along the way to grab some breakfast.

Amelia claimed a seat at the back of her morning class, settling in just as other students began to whisper upon seeing her with others having their phones in hand and pointing in her direction. They’d look for a second and would look away immediately. As usual, she kept her head down, hoping to avoid drawing any more attention.

“Look, it’s the psycho freak from the video!” One guy hollered as soon as he saw Amelia sit down, as the others laughed.

She thought they recognized her; rumors always flew quickly across campus. She knew they were laughing at her, as usual. This was precisely why she’d resisted staying in a university dorm—she had no desire to become another laughing stock again.

But her assumption was wrong. As soon as she glimpsed the screen of a nearby phone, a wave of horror washed over her, and she felt faint. Her viral video from two years ago was circulating once again.

Suddenly, a few women in the front rows squealed with excited, flirty enthusiasm. Amelia tried to ignore them as she was still reeling from the video that was circulating once again. She flinched mid-thought as the seat next to her scraped loudly. Looking up, she saw Sterling had already taken the spot beside her.

Sterling stared straight ahead, his stupidly handsome, yet evil smirk plastered on his face. This caused everyone who was gossiping about Amelia and those about to call her names to stop teasing her and look in her direction.

Amelia lowered her head down, cursing under her breath, trapped with nowhere to go. He was right beside her, making it clear she couldn’t escape him this time. She almost gasped when his face drew close, their eyes finally meeting as he asked in a low, soft voice, “Thought you could hide in the back row forever without being seen?”

She gulped, trying to avert her gaze, but he gently held her chin, making her look back at him. “I see you, Amelia Rose, and I am not looking away,” he added, his devilish grin firmly in place.

He pulled away from her as she tried to breathe while the professor had started roll-calling for attention, until his name was mentioned: “Sterling McCade?” the professor announced.

Sterling smugly raised his hand, “Here,” while women waved at him and shot irritated glances Amelia’s way.

Throughout the class, Sterling rested his chin on his palm, his gaze fixed on her side profile. Amelia, however, completely ignored him, acting as if he weren’t even there. She focused entirely on the lesson, determined not to be bothered by his presence, even if the intensity of his bright green eyes proved a little distracting.

“Has anyone ever told you that you look good with your short hair?” Sterling’s voice was a soft murmur next to her, close enough to ensure she heard him.

She did, of course, but chose to ignore him.

He leaned in further. “I said, you look good with your short hair.”

Still, she ignored him.

He then tilted his head forward, looked at her, smirked, and brought his lips even closer to her ear. “You like being complimented on your short hair, do ya?”

A shiver immediately ran down her spine, and she whipped her head to face him, her jaw tight. “Do you enjoy being a creep?” Amelia bit out, her voice laced with venom.

Sterling’s smirk didn’t falter; if anything, it softened into something almost playful. He leaned back slightly, feigning innocence. “Creep? Me? I was just trying to compliment you, Amelia Rose,” he purred, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “And maybe… see if I could make that cute little scowl of yours disappear. Guess I failed, huh?”

He finished with a theatrical sigh, as if genuinely disappointed, but his eyes never lost their mischievous gleam.

By lunchtime, she walked to the university cafeteria, a block from the main building. After ordering a hearty meal, Amelia headed for the furthest round table in the back. Just as she settled in, another tray appeared beside hers, and she sighed heavily as Sterling took the seat next to her.

“German patty burger?” Sterling offered, their eyes meeting.

Amelia immediately got up and moved two chairs away. Without missing a beat, he slid his tray closer to hers and moved to the chair next to her.

“You can’t escape me, Amelia Rose,” he grinned, teasing her. “I can see you.”

She clenched her teeth, glaring at him. “Stay away from me.”

“You know, Amelia Rose,” Sterling mused, leaning back in his chair, his eyes gleaming with that familiar, infuriating amusement, “I’m starting to think you actually like me chasing you.”

Her mouth dropped open, “Excuse me?” her voice barely contained.

The guy was utterly full of himself, she thought.

“It’s a fun little game, isn’t it?” He winked at her.

“Stay away from me, creep.” She spat as she left him.

Amelia spent the entire afternoon deliberately avoiding Sterling, even when he tried to approach her. She took different routes when she saw him, doing everything possible to steer clear of him. Even his friends found it amusing, often laughing at Sterling whenever they witnessed Amelia’s repeated snubs and his growing frustration.

Amelia scanned the house for Sterling before entering. She quickly spotted Linda in the kitchen, setting a fruit basket on the counter. “Linda, hi,” Amelia greeted, approaching the older woman, who smiled warmly in return.

“Oh, hello, dear. I brought some fruits for everyone to share,” Linda said, her voice friendly and motherly. “People from the farmer’s market were generous enough to give some for free.”

Amelia couldn’t help but smile back. “Wow, that’s so kind of you. And thank you for the lasagna and garlic bread last night; they were delicious.”

Linda’s brows furrowed. “Lasagna? I don’t recall bringing anything.”

“But–”

“Ah!” Linda clapped her hands. “That must have been Sterling. He was busy cooking last night. The kind gentleman even gave me a whole pack of garlic bread since he knew it’s my favorite. He brought quite a lot.”