She nodded and covered a yawn. “I should get to bed. I have school tomorrow.”
“I’ve called an Uber. I’ll ride with you and you’ll be home before you know it.”
“Great.”
They said their goodbyes and walked out of the restaurant together. Her hands hung at her sides, and she wondered if he’d take one. They fairly tingled with anticipation. But he didn’t. Maybe he was having second thoughts. Their kiss had been magical—she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. But tonight was strange — she’d have preferred some time alone to get to know one another. Although, there was something to be learned from time with his friends — she’d seen a different side of him.
They stood at the curb waiting for the car to arrive.
“I had a nice time tonight,” he said, turning to face her.
He took both her hands and held them in his. She couldn’t help smiling.
“I did too. Thanks for inviting me. Your friends are…fun.”
“You’re fun,” he replied.
“Really? I’m glad you think so. I’m not sure anyone else would agree with you.”
He laughed. “How are you still single, though? That’s what confuses me. You’re beautiful, sweet, smart… I’m surprised you’re not seeing anyone.”
“I only moved here recently. You know that. I haven’t really met anyone else, apart from the other teachers, who are all middle-aged women.”
“What about back home?”
She sighed. “I was seeing someone in college. I thought I loved him, but he turned out to be a very different person than who he seemed to be.”
“When did that end?”
“About three months ago. I thought we’d last forever, but around a year ago, he started acting strangely. Possessive, jealous, angry. Before that, he was kind and sweet. A bit melancholy and introverted—at least, that’s what I thought it was. But he changed when we started talking about getting engaged. It was as though he saw me as his property after that. He wanted to know where I was all the time, who I was with, what I was doing. He didn’t like me to talk to other men. When I suggested doing my MBA, he told me that wasn’t appropriate. That I would only be a mother, so I didn’t need more college.”
“What? He said that?”
“Yep. I told him I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a mother, and I liked studying. That’s when he lost it. He ranted and raved, shouted at me, threw things. So, I told him I wanted him to leave my dorm. Then, he started following me around campus, at a distance. He thought I didn’t see him, but it was hard to miss him. I knew him so well, I’d know him from a mile off.”
“What did you do?”
“At first, I thought he’d get over it. And I didn’t want to make things worse, so I tried to de-escalate the situation by being kind to him. Maybe if I pretended nothing had happened, it would all go back to the way it was before…back when he was sweet and thoughtful. But towards the end, it all changed. He changed.”
“And your tactics didn’t work, I guess.” His eyes were dark with concern. His nostrils flared.
“Nope. He started sending me letters. They were anonymous, but I knew it was him. Horrible letters. I don’t want to tell you what they said. But there were threats, and I was so scared. He was still following me around campus, but then I graduated, so I went home to my parents’ house. I figured things would calm down. I was in another town, away from him. Maybe he’d move on, forget about me. But he didn’t.”
“Did you tell your folks?”
“No, I didn’t want to worry them. They’d never liked him. Dad called him John Hinckley Jr. At first I didn’t understand why, but I Googled the guy, and then I got it. He was a stalker, just like Hilton.”
“I guess he had the look.”
“I guess so,” Jessica replied. “And for a little while, everything got better. When Hilton came to visit me, I told him it was over. I didn’t want to be in a relationship with him any longer. I was moving on with my life, and he should too.” The words tumbled out. She’d never really told anyone the whole story before. It felt vulnerable but was a relief at the same time.
“I bet he took that well,” Tyler said with a grunt.
She laughed solemnly. “Not really. He started stalking me around my parents’ town. He didn’t live there, so he had to drive all the way from campus. That’s when I realised that if I got a job in town, not only would he still harass me, but it would put my parents in danger. I worried what he might do to them. I couldn’t bear the idea of him hurting them. So, I moved.”
“That’s why you’re here?” Tyler arched an eyebrow. “To get away from your ex?”
“That’s why.”
