“What?” I stared at the two of them in utter shock. “If he was in love with me, why would he be dating Janice? That doesn’t even make sense. That can’t be it.” I shook my head, refusing to believe them. It was just Violet guessing again. She probably told him her point of view, which was wrong, and he’d obviously agreed.
“Okay, so I’ve been keeping this to myself for a while, but I feel like it’s time I get it off my chest.” Violet took a breath and then continued. “You and Jason are my best friends and I like to think I know you pretty well. The both of you have been in love with each other since you met. He’s talked to me about how he feels. He’s been with Janice for so long that he feels like he owes it to her to try to make it work. And you’re comfortable with the friendship, but not happy. As soon as one of you bends, then you could really be something great, and I want that for you both.”
“Listen, I’m with Jason all the time. He doesn’t treat me any differently than he treats you. He hugs you, he buys your lunch when you’re together, he helped buy you a present for Christmas, but I didn’t get one.”
“Okay, yes, Jason hugs me and buys me lunch, but that’s because he’s polite. You bought me a present and he was with you. But he stares at you longingly when you aren’t looking, he pretty much always leaves a room when you do, and oh, oh, do you really think he likes decorating? He spent how many hours trying to help you with the homecoming decorations?”
I shook my head. “He only did that because he’s my friend. If you remember correctly, you were there, and so was Kyle.”
“Okay, you know what, you don’t have to believe us, but you need to decide what you want to do about it. Jason is still one of your best friends and isn’t going anywhere. From what I got from you, neither is Kingsley. But you may not be able to have them both.”
“I don’t know just yet.”
“Well, you need to talk to Jason. That’s the bottom line.”
“I’ll figure something out. Now, where is the ice cream?”
***
Berneli ran to the store to get the ice cream and Violet and I settled in on the couch.
“Did Jason say anything else?”
“Oh, no! I’m not getting in the middle of this with you two. I’ve said all I am going to say about my conversation with him.”
“What about girl code? Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?”
“I’m Switzerland. You’re my friend and he’s my friend. I told him the same. You know my opinion and it’s just a matter of what you want to do about it.”
“Wait, what did you tell him about me? Did you say I had feelings for him?”
“No, but I told him he needs to figure out what he wants when it comes to you and Janice.”
“What did he say? Did he say he had feelings for me?”
“No, he didn’t. But I don’t think that means he doesn’t.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway. I have feelings for Kingsley. If what you say about Jason is true, then he waited too long.” I was done with this conversation. I didn’t want to talk about Jason anymore. I was frustrated that I’d lied to him in the first place because now everything was worse, but it was even more annoying that I felt like I had to lie him. I grabbed the remote for the TV and started flipping through the on demand shows to find the reality dating show we were obsessed with. “So, I think Louis should pick Courtney, don’t you?”
***
Berneli only had one bedroom, so I spent the night on the couch. Frankly, I could fall asleep just about anywhere, so it wasn’t long before I was passed out.
I awoke to Violet shaking me within an inch of my life.
“Come on, sleepy head, we need to get back to campus. I want to stop by my room for a minute. I left my schedule there.” Violet looked bright and shiny and I wanted to strangle her.
“Why don’t you just print another schedule?” I had put everything in my phone because I was afraid of losing mine.
“I have information about the books and where to find the rooms. Come on, I’ll make you a cup of coffee if you sit up.”
“If you don’t make me a cup of coffee, I’ll fall asleep driving you back to the dorm. I’ve never been in a car accident so I’d like to avoid that,” I grumbled as I slowly rolled off the couch and managed to find my feet.
It wasn’t long before a glorious scent filled the apartment and I started to see colors again. I grabbed my bag and shuffled to the bathroom to change while the nectar of the gods continued to brew. I had just put on my favorite sweater when Violet started yelling my name.
“Annabelle, come on. You’re the one who is constantly on time but you’re running late.”
I rolled my eyes and headed to the kitchen. She handed me a thermos full of coffee and some milk to throw in it. Violet gave me a big smile and started to gather her things.
“Okay, it’s not fair for you to give me so much crap right now. It’s early and I didn’t have any morning sex to improve my mood.”
She shot me a sneaky grin. “Touché, but we really need to move.”
“I’m ready, let’s go.”
Violet said goodbye to Berneli and I downed most of the thermos before we even made it to my car. We had a pretty quiet ride back to campus. I didn’t want to talk about Jason anymore and it was nice that Violet wasn’t trying to push me.
As we parked the car and headed to our dorm, Violet spoke up. “So when are you seeing Kingsley again? Do you guys have plans?”
“Yeah, he said during our date that he has something big planned for this weekend, but I have no idea what is.”
“Aww, that’s exciting. I love that he’s trying to plan things.”
“You liked him, right?”
“Um, I didn’t really get to know him. He was pretty focused on you and I love that. To be honest, he seemed a bit cocky, but he may have just been trying to show off for you. I’m also not a fan of the drugs thing.”
“Well, no sign of drugs again last night. Besides, I think he was just a little nervous the other night. If he was showing off to impress me, is that such a bad thing? He was really sweet during our date.”
“All that matters to me is that he treats you well and you’re happy,” she assured me as she opened the door to our building.
“I know, but I want you to like him.” I was about to tell her more about him when we both stopped dead in our tracks. There was something sitting on the floor in front of Violet’s door, and it was only too familiar.
“Annabelle, is that what I think it is?” She grabbed my arm for support and looked like she was going to faint.
“Let me grab it.” I shook her grip off and walked to the door, but there was no mistaking the violet waiting for her. “There’s a note.” I handed the sealed envelope and flower to Violet.
She quickly shoved it back into my hands. “I can’t. You read it.”
I took the note and slowly opened the envelope. A photograph of Violet and Berneli kissing was the first thing I noticed. It looked like the picture was taken outside his apartment after one of their sleepovers. The sky was a little dark and Violet’s overnight bag was on the ground next to her. I slipped the picture back in the envelope and pulled out the letter.
My beautiful Violet,
The last time I set eyes on you was in the courtroom, and that was far too long ago. I think of you daily and of the life we will have when I am released in a few years. However, I’m devastated to hear that you haven’t been as faithful to me as I have been to you. I think it’s time I remind you of the consequences of your so-called relationship. Come and visit me in jail or I’ll be sending a copy of this picture to the dean.
Yours forever,
Samuel Finn
After I finished reading the note, I looked at Violet. “I think we should go in my room before you read this. I also think we should call Berneli.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Yeah, it is.”
I opened my door and Violet rushed to my bed. She took her phone out and texted Berneli. “Okay, I’m ready to see the letter.”
I gave it to her and braced myself for the breakdown that was sure to follow. Her hands shook as she read line after line. She was already looking pale, but she turned an even lighter shade of white and the slight tears turned to heaving sobs.
“Annabelle, I can’t see him. It was hard enough in court when there were tons of people able to keep him off me.”
“I know. We’ll think of something.” I hugged her as I desperately grasped at straws. If she did go see him, he could mess with her head or she could play into his hands, creating more drama. He would know exactly what to do to play her like a fiddle. But at the same time, there was no mistaking who was kissing in the picture. It was obviously Violet and Berneli.
Her phone rang and she answered it almost immediately. “Honey, I don’t know what to do. Someone is working with him and they’re threatening us again if I don’t go see him in jail.”
I could only hear her side of the conversation, but it wasn’t hard to figure out what he was saying. There was no way he was going to allow her to visit Finn. Personally, I agreed with him, but I didn’t know any alternative. If they went to the police, they’d find out about the picture.
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later.” She hung up the phone and looked at me.
Then it hit me like a brick wall. “Go with Berneli.”
“What?” She stared at me with a confused gleam in her eyes.
“Finn already knows about your relationship with Berneli. So go see him with Berneli and make it clear the two of you have broken up. Explain to him that you broke up over break and you’re single. Between the guards and Berneli, Finn won’t be able to touch you.”
She pursed her lips and looked at me. “That could work. If he thinks we aren’t together anymore, maybe he’ll stop with this crap. Most guys like this just want the chase.”
“Right, take the chase away and make it clear you want nothing to do with Berneli. You don’t want Finn thinking you broke up with Berneli so you could be with him, though, so come up with another reason.”
“Yes, I can do that. Okay. Um, I could face him if David was there.” She nodded and looked down at the ground. It was almost as if she was trying to convince herself. Then she slipped the letter and the picture in her overnight bag.
“I can come too. I’ll stay in the car and wait for you guys to come back. I’ll be like extra moral support.”
“No, I’ll just meet up with you after. I don’t want you to sit in the parking lot of a jail. That doesn’t seem safe.”
“You do realize that the criminals can’t actually get out, right? They aren’t going to escape into the parking lot to kill me.”
“Right, but still, you don’t need to be there. I don’t know how long it will take. But I appreciate the offer.”
“All right, well, we need to get to class or decide to skip. Which do you want to do?”
“We’re going to class. That jerk has disrupted my life enough. I’m not going to let him screw with my classes. Let’s go. Besides, I’m not letting you get out of stats that easily.”
She took her bag to her room and grabbed her schedule. I waited in the hall. When she came out, I noticed she was standing tall with her chin high in the air. It broke my heart to watch her put on this front. Her hands shook a little and I noticed a quiver in her lip. But other than that, she looked like regular Violet. I kind of envied her strength.
I walked her to her class and promised to meet her back in her room when she got out. I rushed to my class, a little panicked because I wouldn’t be there early and might have to sit in the front. Obviously, that was minor when compared to what Violet was going through so I put it into perspective and moved on. I checked my phone and realized I had about three minutes before statistics.
As I picked up the pace, I realized I was going to just make it. This was going to be a terrible first impression on my professor, but I could always make it up to him later. I was a good student, after all. I kept focusing on this new perspective I’d found but the nervous person I was couldn’t quite keep it together.
My heart was racing and I was embarrassed that I was beginning to sweat. I managed to slip into the classroom with a minute to spare. The only desk open was the front middle. I silently groaned, but took my seat before the professor began to lecture.
I liked to sit in the back of the class and hide a bit. I definitely wasn’t one for class participation and hated being picked on. I usually knew the answer, but I tended to freeze up and panic. The last class where I was called on suddenly, I broke out in hiccups and had to leave the room.
This professor didn’t plan on keeping us the whole time. He went over the syllabus, our big project, and our exams. Then he gave us a pretest. He said he wanted to see what level of basic math we had before walking into his class. Once we finished the test, we could leave. It was only thirty questions, and I had a pretty good understanding that I knew nothing.
After I turned the answer sheet in, I ran to Violet’s class and waited for her. Her teacher didn’t go the full length of the class either, and she quickly ran over to me. She grabbed my arm to steady herself but was still almost violently shaking.
“I don’t know if I can see him. He already haunts my nightmares, and now I’ll have to see that monster in person again. No, we are going to have to think of a new plan.”
“Right, okay. So, we didn’t have breakfast this morning. Let’s go get some food and we can revisit this when you’ve got something in your system. I bet that’s just making things worse.”
“Yeah, I could eat. That’s probably why I’m shaking so hard.” We headed to the cafeteria in silence. She wasn’t holding onto me anymore but I kept my hand free just in case something happened. I was worried she was going to pass out at any moment.
Violet had left her student ID with her meal plans on it in her room, so I swiped her in and we got some breakfast. Then we headed to our favorite table by the windows.
“There is nothing better than cinnamon buns,” I said, trying to start a little conversation.
“I know. They are definitely one of my favorite breakfast foods.” She took her phone out of her bag and tapped it. “I told David that I was out of class and we’re supposed to be meeting up to talk about all this.”
“Okay, do you want me to come with you?”
“Yes, I don’t want to be alone right now. It’s so dumb. He isn’t here, but I feel like he could pop out at any moment.”
I nodded, unsure what to say, and silently thought about my schedule. I had another class at 11:30 and then we had an EET meeting. Except for that class, I could spend the rest of the day with her until Berneli took over. I was processing this when I noticed Jason walking into the cafeteria. He was alone and made a beeline to our table when he noticed the look on Violet’s face.
“Vi, what’s wrong? Is it Berneli?” he asked as he slid into the seat next to her.
“I left the note in my room and the flower in Annabelle’s, but Finn left me a violet and a note. He wants me to go see him in jail or he’s going to send a picture of Berneli and me together to the dean.”
“There’s no way in hell you can go see him.”
“Annabelle suggested I bring David. Maybe try to convince Finn that he and I aren’t together and we can end this game. If he thinks there’s no more competition, maybe he’ll leave me alone.”
“Are you crazy?” Jason asked. “You need to take the letter to the police.”
“I can’t. If they see the picture, I could get kicked out of school and David could end up getting fired. I don’t want that to happen. But at the same time, I’m not sure I can see him.”
He kept quiet for a second and looked at Violet with true pain in his eyes. “Didn’t you learn anything last semester? You need to get the police involved before it gets worse. I wish there was something I could do but this isn’t something you can handle on your own.”
She laughed a little manically. “I know. I just don’t know how this happened. I was so clear to him that I wanted nothing to do with him and yet he’s still obsessed.”
“Okay, let’s just take a page out of the criminal analyst book. Finn is going to do whatever he can to see you and he wants nothing more than to screw things up with Berneli so he can have you. Will seeing him really ruin your life? I think that you just go in there and deny the relationship. You could end this whole thing,” I said, hoping I was right.
“Annabelle, don’t underestimate the impact that this guy has had on her. She can’t simply walk in there,” Jason said.
“I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that it’s not like he’s asking for a conjugal visit. He just wants to see her. Maybe if she goes, she can determine what he wants.”
“Don’t be naïve, we know what he wants. He wants to screw with her head.”
“Enough, you two,” Violet cut in. “Look, I’m meeting with David in ten minutes, so I’m going to his office now and I’d like you two to come with me and retract your claws. The fighting is just screwing with my nerves.”
***
The three of us walked into Berneli’s office and as soon as the door was closed, Violet flew into his arms and broke down in tears again.
“How did he get a letter to me? Who the hell would be working with him? It’s not like it came through the university’s mail system.” She was sobbing into his chest and he was stroking her back gently.
“I don’t know, but I’ve spent the morning on the phone. I have a contact who’s a private investigator. He’s going to start looking into it. I’m going to do all I can to stop this wanker before he threatens you again, love.”
My heart smiled a little for Violet. Berneli really did care for her. They weren’t just in this for sex, fun, or even the excitement. At first, I wasn’t a big fan of the relationship because I was worried about them throwing their futures away. But in reality, they were perfect for each other. How could anyone want to break this up? It just didn’t make any sense.
Berneli looked at Jason and me and nodded at the two chairs in front of his desk. “Please, take a seat.”
We did as he asked and waited for Violet to calm down a little. As her sobs subsided a little, he sat her down in his chair. “So, I think we just need to let the investigator work. He can find out who this sidekick is and then supply the evidence to the police. There’s no reason we need to go to the jail. We can discuss that later this week if nothing has been determined. Annabelle, I need you and Jason to watch out for her. As much as I’d like to, I can’t be with her all the time. Now, we have no reason to believe that this yank’s sidekick wants to hurt Violet, but I’m not willing to risk it.”
“Professor, you don’t need to worry about that. I’m not going to let her out of my sight,” Jason assured. “I know Professor Berneli said it’s not in the plan, but shouldn’t you at least consider a plan if you do end up going to the jail?”
“Okay, on the off chance I go, I’d go Saturday. I don’t want to go before any of my classes. Plus, we can give the investigator time. Maybe I won’t even have to go see him. I should really focus on trusting the investigator. I don’t even want to think about the possibility of seeing him.”
“Yeah,” I chimed in. “Positive thinking. Violet, whoever this partner is, they’re probably watching you. You’re going to have to be really careful when you’re with Berneli. But more than that, I think you should act like nothing is wrong. You don’t want whoever is watching you to know this is affecting you. They probably want to get in your head.” I was trying to be strong for her but I was actually freaked out. I just didn’t know what to do. This was way above my paygrade.
“I can do that.” She took his hand and they looked at each other. “Yeah, I need to pull it together and be strong. This guy will not rule my future.”
“That’s my girl,” I said, and smiled at her, hoping it felt real. I couldn’t help but think we should go to the police again. Last time, I practically dragged her to the station, but that didn’t go well, and it kind of soured Violet’s opinion of them.
“Professor, are you sure we shouldn’t contact the police?” Jason asked as if he was reading my mind. I was glad he said it.
“We are not going to the police,” Violet insisted. “David, I can’t have you losing your job over this. It’s just a note. I won’t go anywhere alone and we will let the investigator do his work.”
Berneli started to object but she put her hand on his and smiled lightly. “I tried to report him last time and it did no good. They only did something after I was attacked. He didn’t threaten my life, he didn’t promise bodily harm to you. He just threatened to tattle on us. It’s not worth it to get the police involved. They may not do anything and then we will have outted our relationship for nothing. That’s not what I want.”
“But the chief told you to talk to him. I bet if you tried—” I started, trying to remind her of what he said, but she cut me off.
“No. He didn’t break any laws since he didn’t send the letter to me directly. We don’t even know if he wrote the note.”
We all reluctantly agreed. I couldn’t help but see the similarities to the last time. I didn’t want her to get hurt but she was right, she wasn’t being physically threatened and the stalking laws were severely minimal.
Jason and Violet were going to hang out until the EET meeting. Both of them had a night class, so they’d be free for a while. I had about a half hour before my class so I decided to stop by the coffee cart. My system was begging for some comfort in the form of coffee and a chocolate scone. I needed to come down from this emotional rollercoaster before my class. It was all too much and I had a really bad feeling. Add to that the fact that I really couldn’t do anything to help, the pit in my stomach was growing by the second. As I stood in line, someone stepped up behind me and covered my eyes. It terrified me and I jumped about three feet in the air.
“Hey, relax, it’s just me.” Kingsley laughed.
“Oh, sorry, I guess I’m a little jumpy if I don’t have my coffee.” I turned to look at him and smiled. It was perfect timing. With everything going on with Violet, my nerves were a mess. He smiled down at me and gave me a light kiss on the lips.
“I’ll keep that in mind. You look upset, is everything all right?”
I lost myself in his eyes. The incident with Violet was public knowledge. I closed my eyes for a second. He was a big firefighter who just wanted to help people. It definitely wouldn’t hurt to have him around in case something happened. What could Jason do? It wasn’t like he was buff or really had any muscles the way Kingsley did.
“You remember my friend, Violet? She was the one that officer attacked last October. He recently sent her a letter through this mysterious partner demanding to see her.”
Kingsley eyes bulged out of his head and his hands balled up into fists. “If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s someone messing with women. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Yeah. We don’t want to leave her alone, she’s with Jason now, so maybe you could hang around some? I know I’d feel a lot safer with you around. She hasn’t been threatened or anything but she’s still a little jumpy around campus.”
A smile broke out on his face and he leaned in and gave me a soft kiss. “Of course. Just call me, and as long as I’m not at a fire, I’ll be there. Frankly, I’d feel better if I knew you were safe. I don’t like the thought of you being that close to her if she’s in danger. Maybe you shouldn’t see her as much.”
He cared. He barely knew me and he cared. “That’s sweet of you to try to look out for me, but I don’t think I’m in any danger. Besides, she’s my best friend. I can’t just stop seeing her.”
“I just don’t want anything to happen to you. If you’re only with me, I know nothing will.”
“You’re amazing. Thank you so much. I promise I’ll be careful when we’re together.” We got to the front of the line and he bought my coffee and scone. Then we went to a nearby table.
“So, this weekend, I know there is stuff going on with Violet, but I was still hoping to see you. Is there a time when you’re free? Maybe we can take a risk and leave her with Jason for a few hours.”
“Actually, I know she is going to be busy most of Saturday. We could do something in the late morning and afternoon. What did you have in mind?”
“It’s still a secret, babe.”
“I hate secrets,” I complained, and pouted at him.
“I promise it’ll be worth it.”
I bit my lip and tried to contain my excitement. It was wrong for me to be this happy when Violet was so miserable, but I just couldn’t control it. Plus, she’d want me to be happy. I couldn’t wait to tell her about it.
Kingsley walked me to class and gave me a quick kiss before heading out. He said he had a class later that night, so I wouldn’t be able to see him.
My class dragged on as I waited for the EET meeting. It would be nice to see Nat and Clarissa again. I’d texted with Clarissa a little bit during break, but we couldn’t find time to meet up. Plus, Violet would be at the meeting and I was anxious to see her again. I wanted to make sure she didn’t mind if I went out with Kingsley on Saturday. Obviously, if she needed me, I’d cancel, but I was really hoping we could work something out.
As soon as class was over, I all but ran to the room where the EET meetings were held. Jason and Violet were sitting on the couches outside.
I slowed down and waved at them. Violet smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her color had come back a bit, but she still looked upset. I was used to seeing the light practically burst out of her eyes now that Berneli was keeping her happy.
“Hey, how was your class?”
“Good, pretty boring. I actually ran into Kingsley before it. He recognized I was upset and asked what was wrong. Basically, I know I should have asked you, but I was really concerned about your safety and Kingsley is the tough firefighter, so I told him that you were a little jumpy on campus but I didn’t go into, like, any super-secret details.” Okay, I kind of did. I should probably talk to Violet about that privately. I needed to watch what I said. I was so comfortable with Kingsley and I just felt I could tell him anything.
“What the hell were you doing? How could you tell him? You just met him,” Jason chastised. “What, so some guy gives you a little attention and you spill all your secrets?”
“No, he is a firefighter and wants to help people. His muscles have muscles and he can help protect Violet in case anything gets violent.”
“And what, you think I can’t help her? You think I wouldn’t do anything to protect her? She’s my best friend.” I thought I saw a tear in his eye, but it was quickly blinked away.
“That’s it. I cannot handle the two of you fighting like this.” Violet turned to look at Jason and pointed her finger at him. “Listen, Annabelle is dating Kingsley for now and you need to get over that. She decides who is best for her and we need to trust her.”
I nodded my head at him but Violet then quickly turned to point at me. “And you, Jason is a good guy who was trying to look out for you. Yeah, he said it in the wrong way, but that’s not what matters. What matters is his motivation, which was pure.”
Then she stood up and faced the two of us. “This is not a good time for me, and you guys fighting like children is only making it worse. I agree, Annabelle, you should have checked with me before you talked to Kingsley. But at the same time, it won’t hurt to have another set of eyes looking out for me.”
“I’m sorry, you’re right. Jason and I will quit the fighting and we’ll definitely look out for you.”
Jason agreed and we headed into the executive board meeting. Since Jason was elected head of marketing, he was now joining us in the meetings. I needed to play nice with him.