Selene

“Oh my gosh,” I sighed to myself. “That was intense.” I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Devlin Jacobs showed up to my apartment after he destroyed my beauty sleep for the past week. Now as I stood by my door, I knew I would never forget him. The more he kissed me the more I wanted.

I dreamt of him every night. I tried to fall asleep, but thoughts of him coming here to see me would disturb it. It would start off amazing, but when Devlin and I would start to have sex, Ken would show up, and I would wake up screaming, reliving the past.

I really wanted to cave when he said we were a thing, but besides my own issues, I looked him up online. He was nothing but a love and leave ‘em type of guy. His relationships never lasted, and I wasn’t going to be his latest conquest.

 What’s the matter? Doesn’t the prospect of being mine sound like a good deal? I could get you into a nicer place than this, I groaned just thinking about his insulting offer. I wanted to cry because I wanted to think better of him.

I locked the door and walked back to where I was packing. Moving again. I hated it, but I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t want my past to find its way into my present, but it always did. I didn’t know who gave me up, but all I knew was I had to continue to move. When Ken showed up at my door in Kentucky, I was scared out of my mind. I was running out of places to hide. I thought Chicago would be a great place because it was large, overpopulated, and too noisy for me to be afraid, but he found me anyway.

He didn’t know where I lived yet, but it wasn’t going to be long. Ken had called my cell yesterday and made his threat. My number wasn’t even registered under my own name and all my bills were done online with a fake mailing address. I did everything I could to protect myself, short of carrying a gun. I didn’t have fake IDs, so it wouldn’t take long once I got a gun permit. It was stupid of me to try and work again, thinking I would be safe.

The cops had been useless in protecting me. All I was able to do was get an order of protection, but that didn’t work because then he had to be informed of my location so he could avoid it. What the hell did they think that piece of paper was going to do for me? Now he found my new number. It wouldn’t be long before he found out where I lived.

My phone rang and it scared me to think it was Ken again, but it was Devlin. His command was cute because tomorrow I’d be gone, and he would move on to his next choice for a glorified hooker.

I thought back to when my life changed for the worst. When I became a teacher I never thought I’d have a reason to fear my workplace. I’d just lost my parents, so I tried to return to a normal life, and that meant starting my chosen profession. It was my first year of teaching. I’d just graduated and was grateful for landing the position at Malcolm Elementary in Salem, Oregon. Ken Matthews was my co-worker at the time, he taught fifth grade while I had kindergarten. He was an attractive man, but there was something about him that kind of made me uncomfortable and not in a good way, but in that creepy, eerie way that left me feeling dirty when he looked at me.

We’d never gone on a date, but he never stopped trying. At first, I thought it was harmless flirtation on his part, until one day I was on a date with the guy who worked at the gym by my house. We were just leaving dinner when a man in a mask came up to us and shot James right in the chest. He didn’t shoot me, but in a muffled but recognizable voice said, “This is all your fault.”

I knelt down to help James to stop the bleeding. He made it to the hospital and survived, then he moved out of town for his safety. Last I heard he was happily married with kids. We had an understanding that it was best I not see or talk to him again because of Ken. He couldn’t identify the shooter, and no one believed me. He had too much clout and there was no evidence to prove it.

I would never forget the sound of his voice. After dealing with the police who bought Ken’s alibi, I was forced to leave town. I changed my name and managed to keep my teaching license by a slim miracle. I didn’t date again. My fear of him attacking another man because of me was too strong, and as much as I wanted Devlin, his angry words brought all that back. No matter how strong Devlin was, it wouldn’t matter. It didn’t stop James from almost dying.

I didn’t hire any movers as usual, I took what I could and slowly loaded it into my car. My place was almost empty when Devlin had shown up.

Once I was packed, I drove off to find a place to stay. I didn’t have any family or friends nearby. I left my life behind in Salem. It was safer that way for everyone if I ran. Now it was time to find a place to hide in the city while I finished out the school year.

I found a local hotel on the southwest side and got a room for a week. I felt my life was never going to be right. I’d been running for two years now and was on my third teaching job. I should just give up. I already had enough money to live on for the rest of my life. My parents’ death had left me with three million in a wrongful death suit with the train company. The biggest problem was that I craved a family. I wanted children and couldn’t have them because of Ken, so teaching was the next best thing.

~~~~

The next morning, I drove to work, still sleepy from a busy night. I was quitting at the end of the year. Arriving early for our Monday morning meetings, I was in for the shock of a lifetime.

“Selene, we have a new teacher joining us this quarter, Mr. Ken Matthews.” My heart was racing. My worst nightmare was here to haunt me. His smug expression was all I needed to know. He was beyond insane. It was crazy for him to be this close to me and risk me calling the police, but that just proved how nuts he was.

Then he turned to Ken and said, “This is Selene West. She teaches kindergarten.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said sweetly while giving me a look that no one would think was odd, but I knew I was in trouble.

“Mr. Matthews, so where did you teach before?” I asked, letting him know I was going to play along. That is until I could make a break for it.

“Selene, call me Ken. I actually stopped teaching after I moved. I waited for a position and have been working at the local history museum,” he remarked as though making regular conversation, but he was letting me know how he found me. He saw me that day. The day I met Devlin. I hope he didn’t see Devlin talking to me. Panic set in that he would attack another innocent man because of me.

“That’s interesting.” I turned back to the other staff members and let the meeting continue as it should. I was ready to have a nervous breakdown when I felt his foot rub mine under the table.

I wanted to report him, but I’d been through this before. He’d never been charged with anything that stuck. They didn’t even revoke his teaching license. For all I knew he would get away with it again.

My phone pinged with a text message from Devlin.

Good morning, Selene.

“Somebody’s popular,” Ken said teasingly pretending like he was trying to be friendly as he tried to see my screen, but I knew he was pissed. If he couldn’t have me no one could. He made that clear more than once.

“Excuse me, Principal Redding, but I have to call my doctor’s office back,” I lied calmly.

“Oh, I love those text reminders they send. It always keeps me on track,” Miranda said. Thank you, Miranda, I mentally said.

I walked out into the hallway, then to my classroom where I closed and locked the door, then called Devlin back. He picked up on the first ring. “Hi, baby. I hope you’re having a good day.”

“Devlin, please don’t contact me anymore,” I told him as firmly as I could, but I wanted to jump into his arms and ask him to protect me.

“Tell me you’re not interested in there being an ‘us’ and I will,” he added. I knew he was telling the truth. He walked out yesterday when he saw I really wanted him to leave. I wanted to say I wasn’t, even though I was more than interested, but after what happened to James, I couldn’t.

“Say something, Selene,” he ordered. His voice was unsure like he was afraid of the answer.

I looked to see Ken staring right into the classroom door. “I have to go,” I said in a rushed whisper and hung up the phone.

I needed to face down my dangerous stalker. He wasn’t going to leave me alone until I did. I planned to confront him in the hallway, but he pushed his way in, closing the door behind him.

The kids would be here any minute, so I was certain this wasn’t the time for him to make his move. I called him out. “Ken, it seems you haven’t gotten over your fascination with me.”

He stepped closer, looking crazed. I was suddenly second guessing my words. “You’re meant to be mine. I know it wasn’t the doctor’s office, unless there’s a Dr. Devlin that calls at seven just to tell you good morning.” I didn’t know how he knew it was Devlin.

“Stay away from me or I’ll report you,” I threatened.

“No one believed it before. There is no one to help you run from me. You can’t hide from me. I couldn’t believe my luck when that broad tore up the paper with your name and number on it. It took six months to find you again. This time I’m not letting you get away. Could it be that you were talking to Devlin Jacobs? I saw you two in the office that day. Stay away from him or he’ll be next.”

“Why me?” I asked almost in tears.

“We’re perfect together. Don’t you see that?!” he roared as he inched closer to me. His hand brushing my cheek, making me shudder.

The bell rang, and it saved me. It’s cliché, but true.

He leaned into me a little closer, then whispered, “I’ll see you later. If you tell a soul that you know me, maybe one of your precious students won’t make it home.”

I gasped at his words. He knew he’d won. The first student walked into the classroom, and he gave the little girl a big smile and me a nod before waltzing out the door. I was shaking as I tried to get through the school day. I never took the chance of running into him. It was almost time to go, and I was a mess. I didn’t leave when my students did. I wanted to make sure everyone was safe before I fled. I hated to do it, but I was going to run again. I would leave a note with the hotel owner to give to the school.

When I walked out the door, I could feel him behind me. Then I heard, “Mr. Matthews, can I have a moment of your time?” The principal stopped him and that was my chance. I rushed out as fast as I could. My car was the farthest from the rest, almost on the street. I was about halfway there when Devlin hopped off my hood and walked toward me. He was about fifteen feet away from it when I watched my car explode with everything I owned in it. I knew it was Ken. I rushed to Devlin who was laying on the ground. Screams and cries were all around me. I felt like I was reliving my past all over again. I cradled Devlin’s head and begged him to be okay.