Page 40 of Make You Mine

At the front, in the middle of it all, none other than their P.E. teacher—Kayden.

“Nothing to see here,” he says, shooing students away. “Classes are about to start. Keep going.” He strips a sheet of paper from the bulletin board and gives it a long look.

“Can you believe it?” He turns it to show me.

My heart catches in my throat as I seize on the familiar piece of paper. I don’t laugh. I’m not a single bit amused.

Dear diary…

I don’t need to read the rest to know it’s a page of my diary.

I swallow the lump in my throat. This is nothing. Kayden doesn’t have to know. “N-no.”

“Kids will be kids.” Kayden chuckles. Crumbling the piece of paper before turning and walking away.

But it wasn’t the kids. It was him.

My stalker.

I threatened him back, dared him to do it, and he delivered.

A flood of students rushes through the halls, and I can’t move. My hands tremble, so I fist them at my sides.

My blood is boiling through my veins, my head feeling light.

I can’t do this again. Not another stunt like the one in college. First, a sex tape. Now, my sexual fantasies being exposed.

I should have kept my fucking mouth shut.

The tip of a finger on my shoulder startles me, the warmth of a whole palm soon following.

“Are you okay?”

I turn around to see Joseph. The janitor. A guy in his late twenties, who’s good-looking enough to be a model, with bright blue eyes and wavy hair hidden under a black cap, the same color as his jump suit uniform.

He gives me a soft smile, a friendly face that suddenly brings doubt to every cell of my body.

Why would he ask me if I’m okay, now?

“I—yeah. I’m fine.” I straighten.

“You looked like you’re about to faint.” He tilts his head. “I was watching you.” He clears his throat. “Sorry. That came out weird. I didn’t mean it in a creepy way.” He points to his cleaning cart by the lockers, a few feet away from us. “I was cleaning around here and just happened to look your way. I got concerned, that’s all.”

His words are meant to relax me and show concern.

Instead, doubt creeps within me. Why did Joseph notice me? No one else does. No one cared. And there are hundreds of people in the building.

Besides, Joseph is way too good-looking to be a janitor.

What if it’s him? My stalker? What if he let it slip and tried to come back from his words?

He said it. He’s been watching me.

I mentally shake my head. I shouldn’t make any assumptions. Not without proof.

“I didn’t have any breakfast,” I lie. “So I’m feeling a little lightheaded, that’s all.” The words come out effortlessly. “Thanks. I’d better go grab a quick snack, excuse me.”

I rush away before he can ask anything else and I make a fool of myself.