Emma,
I better not see you touch that fucker again. No one touches you but me. You belong to me.
Yours
I drop the letter like it’s on fire. This one is nothing like the others. Even the handwriting looks off, the pen strokes hard and angry. Whoever is leaving these is getting bolder, breaking into my apartment to make sure I see them. I should call campus security, but I don’t know what this person is capable of. Up until now the letters had been sweet, but this one makes it clear I have no idea who I’m dealing with.
CHAPTER 28
JOHN
I’m desperate for a way to spend more time with her as John, hoping that I can build her trust, but I’m running out of ideas for how to do it without looking suspicious.
Mary may have given me her blessing, but I still have to be cautious about this.
Sitting in the back row of the house of the theatre watching rehearsal, I can’t stop thinking about our interaction a few weeks ago. I’d been surprised when she called, and I was fairly certain she was only pretending to be injured, especially after watching her easily walk around the stage days later.
Does that mean she wanted to see me? I reveled in the way her body curled into me when I carried her home, but I left quickly after depositing her on her couch, not wanting to draw suspicions from her roommate.
The actors onstage are nearing the end of the play, and my stomach sinks when I think about what’s coming. It’s the end of March, and the show opens in four weeks. I’ve watched Emma try to get out of it—hell, even though she doesn’t know it, I’ve even helped cover for her when it was clear she wasn’t ready to block the final scene of the show. But it’s getting close to crunch time, and she’s going to have to practice the kiss.
I watch as Jeremy whispers in Emma’s ear, and she nods. Then the fucker places his hands on her cheeks to pull her into a kiss. Her body stiffens, and I fight the urge to march onto that stage and push him off of her, wrap her in my arms, and carry her away from here.
Just as he gets close, she shoves against his chest, nearly knocking him to the ground.
“Emma, what the hell?” he spits as he stumbles over his feet trying to right himself.
“Do we have to do the kiss?” she asks Jeremy, breaking character even more. “It’s not even in the script.”
He takes a step toward her, his voice a little louder and more irritated. “I just asked you to marry me. The kiss is implied.”
“But we don’t have to do it, do we?” Emma asks, directing her attention toward the house.
“Stop!” yells Mackenzie from several rows up. “Emma, do you need a minute?”
She folds in half, bending at the waist and clutching her knees as she drops her head. I watch as Jeremy reaches out a hand like he’s going to rub her back, and I’m out of my seat stomping toward the stage. “Stop!” I yell.
Jeremy throws his arms up in defense as the entire cast grows silent, looking between us, the tension palpable. “Whoa, man, chill! I was just going to rub her back.”
“She clearly doesn’t want to be touched, hence her reaction,” I bark back angrily.
He stares me down, his arms still in the air as he takes a step back at my approach. I drop into a squat in front of Emma, careful not to touch her. “Are you okay?”
She shakes her head, inhaling a shaky breath as she refuses to look at me.
“I did everything we talked about. I let her know I was about to touch her and she was okay with it. I didn’t mean to upset her,” Jeremy prattles on, but my focus is on Emma.
“What do you need?” I ask her.
“I need quiet,” she softly replies.
“Follow me to the green room.” I walk through the throng of students, clearing a path for her to follow me.
Once we’re inside the room, she collapses onto a couch and starts crying. I want to pull her into my chest and soothe her, kiss away every tear that falls down her beautiful face, and tell her how proud I am of her. She’s actively facing her fears, putting herself in a situation that she knows will be difficult for her because of her trauma.
But I refrain because I know that anyone could walk in on us here, which would not be discreet. Instead, I hand her a box of tissues and place my hands on my hips, standing in front of her.
“I can’t do it. I’m going to have to quit the play. I tried, but I can’t control the urge I have to punch him when he leans into me for a kiss. He wanted to practice the kiss, but I said no.”
