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the bed letting him know it’s ok to come
lay with me. He jumps up and lays his head on my chest and looks at
me with his big brown eyes.
    My mind finally starts to relax, and I can
feel myself drifting off to sleep when I hear the text alert go off
on my phone. Who is texting me in the middle of the night? I grab
the phone from my night stand. The notification says “unknown” and
my pulse quickens. Who else would be texting me as unknown at 2:30
in the morning but the creep who’s been sending me the notes?
    My hands shake as I tap in my passcode. The
text appears on my screen and my fear is realized when I read the
message.
     
    Unknown: I wonder if you’re thinking about me
as you lie awake in your bed.
     
    Now my heart is practically beating out of my
chest. It beats so hard that I can hear it in my ears. The taste of
pennies fills my mouth. Is he watching me? He must be if he knows
I’m lying awake in bed. What should I do? I stay in bed for several
minutes frozen with fear. Did I check my locks before I went to
bed? How did this creep get my phone number?
    I finally muster the courage the get up. I
check the lock on my bedroom window. It’s secure. I then make sure
that the curtains are fully drawn so that it would be impossible to
see inside. I lock my bedroom door and grab the aluminum softball
bat that I keep under my bed. Malcolm watches me with concern on
his face - he can sense that something is wrong.
    “Don’t worry, sweetie, everything’s okay,” I
say as I pet his head. I climb back into bed with the bat on one
side of me and Malcolm on the other, and I call the only person
that I feel comfortable calling at this hour.

     
     
     
    Chapter 6

    After several seconds on the phone, I’m
relieved when the ringing on the other end stops. I then hear the
unmistakable sounds of a person coming out of a deep sleep.
    “Ahem...hello,” says a husky voice that I
don’t immediately recognize.
    “Scotty?” I say. “Is that you?”
    “No…Sorry. It’s Will.”
    “Oh.” Why is Will answering Scotty’s
phone?
    “Scott and I had some drinks in my apartment
after work and, let’s just say, he might have had a few too many.
He’s pretty much passed out. His phone ringing woke me up, and I
saw that it was you, so I answered it.” Will clears his throat
again. “Anyway, is everything okay?”
    “Not really. It’s kind of a long story, but I
just received a threatening text. I was going to impose on Scotty
and see if he would come over and sleep on my couch tonight, but I
guess that’s not going to happen.” I can’t manage to hide the
disappointment in my voice.
    “Well...I know you don’t know me very well,
but I could come over.” Will says with some hesitation in his
voice. “No pressure. I certainly won’t be offended if you aren’t
comfortable with it.” I’m silent for a moment while I weigh the
options in my head. I did just meet Will a few days ago, and we
haven’t had the chance to get to know each other, but the thought
of being alone tonight, wide awake, clutching my phone and softball
bat is unbearable.
    “Jo? Are you still there?”
    “Yeah, I’m still here. It would be great if
you would come over. I really don’t want to be alone tonight.”
    “What’s your address? I’ll be right
there.”
    I decide I better put on my pink fleece robe
over my thin, silk nightgown as I don’t want to send the wrong
message. I hope I’m not making a mistake. I’ve literally only met
this man twice. He could be a rapist or a serial killer. But he’s
Scotty’s best friend, so he must be a good guy. I hope he is at
least.
    Malcolm charges toward the door and growls at
the sound of footsteps approaching the house. At only 35 pounds,
and with his sweet-looking puppy face, he might not be the scariest
dog around, but he is definitely a good growler.
    I hear a loud knock on the door. I look
through the peep hole. “Who is it?” I say.
    “It’s Will.”
    I unlock the deadbolt and