4. Willow

FOUR

Willow

I held his gaze as he stared straight into my soul. I could feel my heart beating faster, and my palms grew sweaty as the heavy look saw past every defense I had.

“Jesus,” I muttered as I leaned back in my seat. The man from this morning watched me from my large sketch pad. “You shouldn’t be so darn life-like.”

Hearing my critique, I fought the smile. As an artist and a teacher, I always said that we wanted the portrait to look life-like, and instead, I was criticizing the effect. Reaching out, I smudged the charcoal at the edge of his face, which had been intended to create a shadow, and as I smoothed it out, the aura of danger he exuded was blended out, creating a more rounded cheekbone than the sharp line I had previously.

“You were in my house,” I spoke to the portrait as if he were in the room with me. It’d taken several hours of being at home before I stopped looking over my shoulder to check if I was alone. “You’ve seen Alistair use the key, haven’t you?”

The sketch did not reply, but I knew. I knew he had been in my home. Nothing was out of place, there was no foreign smell in the rooms, but I could sense it. A sense that someone had been here. Someone I didn’t invite inside.

“He’s not a vampire, Willow,” I scolded myself. “He’s just a man.”

Just a man? Licking my lips, I studied his face. He was quite the man. He was freaking gorgeous, but that didn’t mean, just because he looked like an angel, that he was a saint.

Having met him this morning, I would say he was the exact opposite of angelic. Reaching out, I corrected the slight crease at the corner of his eye. Sitting back, I nodded as I took him in. Yeah, the slight smirk, the crinkle at his eye, that was how he looked this morning. Barely concealing his amusement as I spoke to him.

Not amusement.

Mockery .

He wore the air of arrogance effortlessly. It contrasted with his casual clothing, but as I studied the face in front of me, I knew this man was much more than the simple clothes he wore.

“What do you want with me?”

I’d thought about calling the police, but really, what could I do? Say that a guy I don’t know and have never met before was in my house today? But I can’t prove that he was. Also, I’ve been drawing him for the last couple of months but didn’t suspect he was real until Saturday. Oh, and I think he’s stalking me.

“I look like the stalker,” I muttered as I stood up. “ I approached him . I saw him first. Would you even have spoken to me if I hadn’t confronted you this morning?” The image stared steadily back at me. “Yeah, I know, you think I’m an idiot.” Pulling my hair off my face, I twisted it into a knot, using a hair tie from around my wrist to secure it at the nape of my neck. Walking over to the door, I looked back at him as he watched me leave. “If it’s any consolation, I think I’m an idiot too.”

My bed beckoned. It’d been a long day, but I was hungry. I’d tried to avoid the kitchen as much as possible, sure that he was out there, but the growl of my stomach told me what it thought of that idea.

In the kitchen, I put the kettle on the stove, emptied a can of soup into a mug, and placed it in the microwave. A few minutes later I took the cup of tea and the mug of soup to my room, the corner of a bag of chips held firmly between my teeth.

Once I was changed into pajamas, I grabbed my laptop out of my tote, snuggled under the blankets, fired up Netflix on my laptop, and did my best to forget about men with chocolate brown eyes and thick wavy hair, as I focused on the Winchesters and their drama.

I couldn’t relax. It was impossible. My mind kept drifting to him. The few words he had spoken to me had not been kind. But then, why would he be? I accused him of stalking. “He is stalking you.” Pausing my show, I put the laptop aside. “Is he?” I thought about what he said. “It is a small town,” I reminded myself. “You do see everyone at least twice if you’re in town, and he seemed to be in town a lot.” Sitting up, drawing my legs to my chest, I rested my chin on my knees as I thought about it. “You have absolutely no way of knowing if he was in here. It could have been Alistair and one of his friends. ”

There was a candy bar missing. One bar. I’d seen that kid eat candy; he wasn’t sharing his sugar snack with anyone else.

Restless, I got out of bed and took my empty cups to the kitchen. Using the cover of darkness, I peered out into the trees beyond my backyard. The trees were so dense that it was hard to see anything, which was slightly unnerving. However, they hadn’t bothered me for the last two years that I lived here, and I refused to let them bother me now.

I shouldn’t leave a key under a plant pot. That was the obvious answer. I didn’t feel safe in my home, and even before Mr. Mysterious, it bothered me that I left access to my home out in the open.

Alistair knew I did it, and utilized the fact, and if I was honest, it was because of him that I left it outside. His dad was gone mostly for work, and his mom didn’t hide her multiple affairs. I’d never snooped too closely into their relationship. Lily had told me that Alistair’s dad knew about his wife’s trysts, and what people did behind closed doors was their business.

But Alistair was just a kid. I’d been his age once, and I knew how it felt to feel like a stranger in the place you called home . Six months ago, I told him I was putting a key under the plant pot. I told him I was counting on him not to take advantage of my trust, but if he needed to step outside of his house once in a while, there was a space for him two doors down.

He’d never abused my trust. I left snacks in the house, and he thanked me by eating them and not making a mess. We didn’t talk about it, and I think he appreciated that more than the chips and candy.

Parents were hard .

I’d been lucky-ish. I had good folks who cared for me for a chunk of my life—this house proved that. When they passed, they left me a large portion of what wealth they had. Once the courts ruled that it was my inheritance, I had taken that money and invested it in this house. Still, there were days that I didn’t believe that it was mine. A part of me was still waiting for the lawyer to phone and tell me the decision had been overturned and this house didn’t belong to me.

It was probably why I kept everything neutral. Bland , Lily called it. Personality-free.

Movement in the shadows snapped me out of my daydream. The night air was still, and that was more than the wind. Standing still, I watched with wide eyes the shadows of the night. The trees didn’t move again, but the uneasiness grew. The soup I had earlier sat heavy in my belly.

The sense of being watched became so strong that it was almost unbearable, and I fought the urge to turn and run into the bathroom and lock the door.

Slowly, I backed away from the window, alarmed at how close I had moved to the front of the kitchen, clear to anyone who would be looking in, even under the cover of darkness. I didn’t dare blink, and when I reached the arch that led to the other rooms, I turned and sprinted to my bedroom.

Wedging a chair under the handle, I clambered into bed, pulling the covers over my head like a three-year-old child terrified of the monster in their closet, ears straining for the sound of the hunter looking for its prey.

“You look like death.”

Looking up, I watched as Lily approached, balancing a cup holder with two coffees and a bag of what I hoped was doughnuts.

“And you look disgustingly cheery.” Lily didn’t care that I was grouchy. Her sleek shoulder-length dark bob bounced as she walked, the lighter brown highlights catching the sunlight that streamed through the window, adding dimension to her fashionable hairstyle. “Tell me it’s doughnuts.”

“It’s doughnuts,” Lily confirmed, dropping the bag carelessly on the small counter. Peering at me, she grasped my chin, tilting my head to the left and right. “You look terrible. Did you sleep?”

Jerking my head free, I ignored her, choosing to pick up a coffee instead. “Zero percent?”

“No, full fat, I decided to fatten you up.”

I hesitated for a second before I took a welcome gulp. “You’d never do that to me.”

“Meh, depends if he was hot.”

Grinning, I accepted the offered sugary fried breakfast treat. “You most definitely would not do bodily harm to me for a guy.”

Lily sniffed before taking a bite of her doughnut. “True. Maybe a cat?”

“I don’t like cats,” I reminded her.

“Which is why you need me to knock some sense into you. Cats are awesome.”

“They’re arrogant.”

“They’re fluffy.”

“They have a superiority complex,” I countered.

“They deserve it.”

“We’re not arguing about cats again,” I warned her.

“We’re not arguing. It’s called a friendly debate.”

I rolled my eyes. “We are not debating about cats again. I like dogs.”

“Dogs lick their own balls.”

I fought to control my laughter. “So do cats.”

“Cats do it with class. Dogs are just sloppy.” She shuddered. “I mean, have some pride in your work, you know?”

“This is ridiculous.”

“ You’re ridiculous.”

We stared at each other before we both started giggling. “So…” She set her cup down. “Why do you look like shit?”

“Slept funny.”

“Flare-up?” Her face was serious as she gave me a quick once-over.

“No, just a bad night’s sleep.”

“You’ve been doing too much,” Lily scolded, the mother hen in her taking over. “I told you that early morning classes were a bad idea.”

“I’m fine, and early morning classes would be a bad idea for me, but it’s ten in the morning. The morning is almost over,” I reminded her.

Lily wasn’t to be deterred. “You’re not getting away with being sassy,” she scolded. I watched her carry one of the high-backed chairs across the small store.

“What are you doing?” Instead of answering, Lily took hold of my wrist and pulled me towards the chair, her intentions clear. “Lily! I don’t need to sit.”

“Yes, you do, you look exhausted. ”

“I’m just tired,” I protested as she pointed at me and then the chair. “Don’t point at it like I’m a pet! I don’t need to sit !”

I watched as she drew herself up to her full height, a lofty five three, but the woman’s personality made her so much more of a presence than you bargained for. “Do you want to be sick for the rest of the week?”

It was no use. I knew I’d buckle under her uncompromising glare, so I took the easy way out and sat down, ignoring her pleased murmur of approval. Silently I took the coffee she handed me, and my half-eaten doughnut.

Lily patted me on the head as I sullenly looked out the window. “Such a good girl,” she teased. “Now, see, if you were a cat, you’d have left by now.”

Snapping at her hand as she pulled it away, I growled. “If I were a dog, I would have bitten you.”

Lily ignored me while she checked the itinerary for today. “How are you really feeling?”

“I’m fine. I’m not overly tired. I had a bad night’s sleep, that’s all.” I’d had a bad night’s sleep because I was waiting for the stranger to attack me in my bed. I had no recollection of falling asleep, but I knew that I had caught some sleep, but not as much as someone like me needed.

Lily watched me with concern once more. “You can’t afford a bad night’s sleep. Do you want to go home?”

“And do what? Lie on my couch and nap?”

“Sounds like bliss,” she sighed theatrically.

“It sounds boring. And weak .” Standing up, I picked the chair up to put it back in its proper place, avoiding her narrow glare .

“Willow, you know better than I do how to treat your illness, so when I tell you that I think you should rest, then it must be because I think you should rest .”

“Are you sick?”

Both of us turned to see Peter standing in the doorway. “Is class canceled again?”

Sharing a look with Lily, who thankfully had her back to Peter so he couldn’t see the face she made, I shook my head vehemently. “No, Lily’s just being overly dramatic.”

“Mm-hmm, how unlike her,” he murmured as he took his seat, and I leapt forward to grab my best friend’s arm, pulling her back before she gave him an earful.

“No,” I warned her quietly. “Just smile, remember?” Lily flashed her teeth at me, more of a snarl than a smile. “Or not,” I added hastily.

Peter was an ex-employee of her dad’s. I wasn’t sure of the history, and I wasn’t sure Lily was either, but she was fiercely loyal, and she protected her dad without question. Peter made a cutting comment about her dad once, and that was enough for Lily—his card was marked, and I wasn’t sure he would ever redeem himself.

Peter was oblivious to my friend’s struggle to keep quiet and was already settling into his chair to begin today’s lesson. Lorna arrived not long after, and once she’d given a breathless recount of her morning, my three students quieted down for their lesson.

Lily paid even less attention than she had the day before, and her glances of concern soon grated on my already fragile nerves .

Pushing myself to my feet, I told them I was getting some fresh air and went outside. I knew I was overreacting. She was my friend and she was concerned, but I needed room to breathe.

The streets were busier than I expected, but I let the hustle and bustle of the morning wash over me. Leaning against the wall, I closed my eyes, enjoying the warm sun on my face.

A strong grip held onto me, and groggily I opened my eyes, staring into the dark eyes of the stranger who was haunting me.

“You?”

He was frowning, but I quickly noticed it was with concern. Trying to clear my head, I assessed him as he held me.

Not held me, he was holding me up.

“Do you normally fall asleep standing up?”

More than I should . “Um, sometimes.”

The door to the studio opened, and Lily came out. She took one look at me, and the worry line between her eyes deepened. “Willow! I told you this would happen!”

“What would happen?” he asked, and I realized he was still holding me upright.

Stepping back, I tried to disengage from his hold, but he held tight. “I’m fine.”

“You are so obviously not fine,” Lily scolded me. “You need to go home and rest.”

“Are you sick?”

My eyes closed as I struggled to process. “No.”

“Yes!” Lily was full-on glowering now. “She has ME.”

“I can see you’re a good friend,” he answered smoothly, which actually made me smile as he clearly misunderstood .

Lily’s flat glare only made me smile wider. “No, I don’t mean me . I mean she has myalgic whatever, chronic fatigue syndrome.”

I felt his attention shift from Lily to me, but I didn’t dare look up. “You’re tired?”

I heard the doubt in his voice. Ugh, how many times had I been asked that skeptical question? Was I tired? Yes, I was freaking exhausted from people assuming I was lazy.

“A bit more weary than I thought,” I conceded under my friend’s warning glare.

“You need to go home.” I watched Lily’s gaze flick back to the man beside me. “I can’t leave the store.” Her ability to lie so carelessly was the one thing I resented about her, but she was already talking to him again before I could stop her. “Is there any way you could help?”

“Excuse me?” He sounded surprised. I wish she still could surprise me with her boldness.

Looking at my feet, I wanted to be far away from here. “I’ll manage. Lil, stop,” I pleaded, hoping she would get the message.

“Well, you won’t manage to walk by yourself.”

I knew what she was thinking. She was relentless in her determination. “I’ll be fine.”

He decided to be helpful by being not helpful. “You were just sleeping against the wall.”

Yes, I’m aware, thanks . “It happens.”

“It does?” His incredulity was worse than the tired comment. “Like narcolepsy?”

That actually made me laugh. “No, nothing like that. ”

His finger slipped under my chin, and he tilted my head back to look at him. “You stare at my feet any longer and I won’t be sure you haven’t fallen asleep again.”

Looking into those molten pools of chocolate had me swaying on my feet for the wrong reason. He held my stare, and I saw him searching my face for…something. Lily cleared her throat, causing us to react differently. He stepped back as if he was scalded, and I jumped like a startled rabbit.

Both of us watched Lily try to cover her grin.

“So…”

“You want me to take Willow home?”

The dryness of his tone was lost on Lily. I, on the other hand, was painfully aware of it. “You don’t need to do that. I’ll be fine.”

“She really shouldn’t be alone,” Lily told him with an exaggerated level of concern. She winked at me, and I knew I was going to throttle her. “I’ll get your purse.” She disappeared, my shout of protest falling on deaf ears.

His low chuckle made me turn to him. “It’s not funny.”

He nodded. “She’s subtle.”

“She really isn’t.” He had a dimple on his left cheek. It was a feature I hadn’t noticed before. Maybe because I hadn’t seen him smile.

“You’re staring,” he murmured.

“You don’t need to walk me home.”

He shrugged. “It’s not far.” We held each other’s stare. Did I call him out on the fact he just told me he knew where I lived? “Unless you live outside of town?” he added. “Otherwise, the town’s small, won’t take long.”

His stare never wavered as he lied to my face .

I had ME, I wasn’t weak.

“You can stop with the pretense.” My voice was soft, but he heard the challenge.

His eyes got darker as he watched me. “Well all right then.” He held his hand out to me. “You ready?”

Was I?