Twisted Valentine

Snared

✽ Mandy ✽

The bus dropped me two blocks from my building, and I stepped down into the cold like I had been doing every evening for the past week. My class bag hung heavily on my shoulder. And as soon as my building came into view, I took out my keys. I kept telling myself to breathe and to walk normally. I had gotten used to the creepy feeling of my paranoia. Still, I wasn’t as bad as I had been. Nothing else had happened, and I knew I had just imagined things. Maybe it was because I was alone. Maybe it was because I didn’t really have any friends outside of work and classes. I still looked around me, but I wasn’t as bad as I had been. I took a deep breath as I headed toward my building. I looked left, then right, and when I looked straight ahead, my steps slowed.

“Seriously?” I muttered under my breath as I watched Jason leave the building. He stopped just outside the door and adjusted his coat. My first instinct was to turn around and run. But I was tired of being scared. “Jason!” I called out. Jason glanced around, and when his gaze landed on me, he didn’t react. He merely stood still, as if he was waiting for me. I sighed softly as I crossed the street. “Hi,” I said when I was close enough.

“Hello, Mandy,” he greeted in return. Still, his expression didn’t change. He didn’t smile. He didn’t fidget. He just stood there watching me. I glanced at the building and then cleared my throat.

“Do you know someone who lives here?” I asked curiously. Jason held my gaze as he tilted his head slightly to the right. His jaw was tight, and his eyes darkened.

“I live here, Mandy,” he stated. His voice was void of emotion. Flat and almost cold.

“You…you live here?” I repeated. Jason didn’t say another word as he continued to stare at me. I shifted on my feet uncomfortably. I wasn’t even sure why. I worked with the guy. I shrugged it off and forced a smile. “Well…so do I,” Jason didn’t say a word, in actual fact, he looked bored. “I didn’t know you lived here,”

“You never asked,”

“Right,” I said with a nod. “Um…did you know that I lived here?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“Does it matter if I did?” he asked, and I stared at him in surprise. I opened my mouth, but then I hurriedly shut it. It didn’t matter. Well, not if I wanted to explain my creepy paranoia.

“No, I guess not,” I admitted softly. Jason took a step back, and without hiding it, he checked me out.

“Where are you coming from?” he asked, and I was surprised by the curiosity in his tone of voice.

“Um…coming back from class…I attend Blackthorne Institute of Pastry Arts,”

“And you walk alone?”

“Everyone does,” I replied. Jason’s gaze shifted to the corner behind me before he met my gaze once again.

“Walking alone in this neighborhood isn’t safe,” he said, and I frowned.

“Are you saying someone followed me?”

“I didn’t say that,” he replied, and suddenly I was filled with frustration. I realized that trying to have a normal conversation with him was just about impossible.

“Then what are you saying?” I asked.

“I’m merely saying that it isn’t a safe neighborhood. We work the same shifts, Mandy. We live in the same building. We should walk together,” he suggested. At first, I didn’t even register his suggestion. I was very surprised by the rumble of words that came out of his mouth. It was the first time I had heard him say so much in one go. I stared at him for a long time, and Jason turned to leave.

“Wait,”

“What?”

“Yes,” I answered. “It would be a relief to walk with someone…to work and back, if you don’t mind,” Jason inclined his head, and I frowned. “Yes? No?”

“I made the suggestion, Mandy,” he stated, and I blushed.

“Right…so…um…tonight?”

“I will meet you right here in an hour,” he said. I checked the time on my phone and nodded.

“Ok, see you then,” I said. Without another word, Jason walked away. I watched him as he took his time walking down the sidewalk. When he turned the corner, I finally entered the building. I hurried up to my apartment, and as soon as I stepped inside, I breathed out a sigh of relief. Jason was right about one thing: this neighborhood wasn’t safe. In actual fact, I felt a lot better knowing that I wouldn’t be walking to and from work alone. It wasn’t far, but anything could happen. I went into the bathroom and turned on the tap in the bathtub. I watched as the water slowly rose. I tied up my hair and got undressed before I climbed into the tub. Jason was rather strange, and I couldn’t help but wonder who he really was. Then again, it wasn’t as if I advertised who I was. I relaxed as the warmth of the water eased my tense muscles. I closed my eyes and listened to the soft lapping of the water as I rubbed my foot against the rim of the tub. I was tired, and what I really wanted was to take a nap. But I just didn’t have the time.

✽✽✽

A loud knock on the door startled me, and I realized that I had, in fact, dozed off. The water was cold, and my skin had wrinkled. Another knock sounded, and I froze as I listened carefully. When a third knock came, I realized someone was at my door. I got out of the bath, pulled the plug, and grabbed a towel.

“Coming!” I called out when a fourth knock sounded against the door. I hurried down the short passage and checked the peephole. When I saw that it was Jason on the other side, I frowned. I opened the door just a bit. “Jason?”

“Fifteen minutes, Mandy. That is how long I have been waiting for you,” he said. His tone was calm, but I could tell he wasn’t happy. I frowned as I stepped back and opened the door fully. His expression didn’t change as he took in my appearance. I couldn’t believe I had fallen asleep for so long.

“Sorry,” I said. “Just…give me a minute to get dressed,” I hurried back to my bedroom and quickly dried off before I got dressed in my uniform. I expected Jason to have come inside, but when I was done, he was still standing in the hallway outside the door. He hadn’t come inside. “Um…sorry,”

“Ready?”

“Yes,” I answered. Jason didn’t wait for me to lock up, and I had to hurry to catch up. But as soon as we stepped outside, I felt safer with him by my side. And instead of the silence, I decided to tell him all about my passion for baking.

✽✽✽