“What happened to your arm ?”Jace raised my arm, a frown etching up his features .The burn on my arm was already fading, but he noticed it.

“I was being clumsy.” I lied. He looked at me for a second but I knew he’d believed it. He started walking down the path and I followed him. “I met him through one of the guys in the team. I needed his help for…something.” He stopped. “Wait, how’d you know his name?” I was about to ask what the ‘something’ he meant when he asked that question. I didn’t want to tell him about us going to the club that night, so I hesitated.

“Well…umm, just through someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone.” I laughed, trying to cover up my idiotic explanation. He stared at me blankly, as if sensing my discomfort. “Oh.” He continued walking ahead.

“You should go back in.” He smiled at me. I smiled back.

“Goodnight. Sleep well.” He said, giving me a pat on the head. I shoved his hands away, trying to glare at him but successfully failing at it.

“Goodnight. Be safe.” I ruffled his hair. Now, it was his turn to glare. I stuck my tongue out at him, turning back to walk in. “And Annie?” I turned to hear what he had to say. “No matter where you meet Jamie or his friends…stay away from them. Him especially.” I nodded. He didn’t need to tell me about it. I didn’t like the guy anyways but if only Jace knew he was my neighbor. I guess Jamie didn’t tell him either. I gave him a wave and went into the house, shutting the door behind me and climbing up the stairs.

I thought that meeting with Jace tonight would give me answers but I ended up with more questions. What did he need Jamie’s help for? If he knew Jamie was dangerous, why did he need his help? What exactly made Jamie dangerous? Jace hadn’t used the word ‘dangerous’, but that’s what ‘staying away from him’ meant, right?

Dad was already running late but I hoped the nervousness between the both of them concerning their kids had dissipated. I reached for my purse to fish out my phone but it wasn’t in there. I checked my bed and went back down the stairs to look for it. I soon recalled that I’d brought it out while speaking with Jace outside the house. I went outside and found it on the pave. Thank God.

At the same time I bent down to pick it up, I head the revving of engine close-by. I didn’t need to look up to know that it was Jamie. He was back from wherever he went with Natasha. As I was about to creep back in, my phone took the timing to ring. And here I was, thinking my phone was my third best friend. Second worst best friend award goes to my phone.

Dad’s name flashed across the screen and I looked up to see that the ringing had brought Jamie’s attention to me. I glared at him and back at my phone. I answered the call and the line on the other end went dead. I noticed him start to walk up to me and I opened the door, backing in, ever so slowly into the house. I wasn’t scared of him. I was only being cautious. Especially since I’d been warned to stay away from him.

“It’s good to know that you’re afraid of me now.” I could see the highlight of his face as he smirked and I stopped moving. Wait, what the hell am I doing? Backing away even when he is a long distance away from me? I am not scared of him. I can’t be. I scoffed in response. “You wish.” I closed the door behind me and took a bold step forward as he walked up to me.

“My mom said to invite you to dinner tomorrow but I’m gonna tell her you aren’t interested.” Yeah, I could be busy tomorrow but I was mad at him for giving an answer on my behalf.

“She may be your mom but that doesn’t mean you can give her a rude answer on my behalf. What the hell is your problem?”

“My problem is that I hate you.” He said bluntly, without any hesitation and I sighed exasperatedly. He was the worst person to ever walk the planet. In fact, he wasn’t a person. He didn’t have enough emotional qualities to be human.

“I wonder why you’re a jerk.” I pointed at him. “Your mom isn’t like this and I’m sure she didn’t intend to raise you to turn out this way.” He was wearing a frown now. Good. “Or perhaps you took after someone else? Your dad?” I questioned angrily. In a second, he came up to me, hitting my back hard against the door behind me, making me wince. His eyes were filled with rage and I wasn’t sure what I’d said that made him look so mad. Was it about his mom raising him? Was it about his dad? I didn’t know where that came from. I hadn’t met with him before so I shouldn’t have spoken about him that way, right?

He pushed my shoulders against the door, breathing heavily. I tried my best to suppress the fear threatening to be unraveled from within me. When he spoke, his minty breath fanned my face.

“You’ve seen my good side since the beginning. You’d better put a filter on that mouth or else, it could get you into trouble. Don’t make me show you the real me.” I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think straight yet. The little space left between us was suffocating. I almost started freaking out and it took all the courage in me to shove him off, push open the door, hurry in, and shut it with force. I was scared and I knew it. I was in for some real deep shit.

**                                                 **                                                    **

I woke up to another screeching sound by my window. I had started to get used to that distracting noise. I turned over in my bed. It felt like I’d only gone to sleep few minutes ago but the time on my phone made me realize that it was already few minutes after 2am. Dad must have got back, seeing as I hadn’t received any text from him. I moved in my bed as I heard the sound again. That sound was the telltale sign that Jamie was escaping his house, through his room window. Escape from what? I still didn’t know. He had never gone out at this time before. Not that I knew of. Except if it wasn’t him! What if it wasn’t Jamie? What if he’d left the ladder up against the wall and some burglar decided to use it? But that didn’t make any sense. Did it? I sat up in my bed. It was none of my business. I could just go back to sleep and pretend that I didn’t hear anything. After what happened yesterday, I was going to avoid him at all costs.

‘You’ve seen my good side since the beginning.’ He’d said. Ever since I’d met him at that stupid party, he’d been mean so, what the hell did that mean? Was that the definition of ‘good’ in his dictionary? Perhaps, he was a nutcase. ‘Stay away from him.’ Jamie had said that night. That wasn’t going to be a problem. I didn’t think it was going to be a problem. Not at all. I was only going to check now if there was danger. Nothing more.

I finally sighed and got up, crouching over to my window. I gently moved the curtains aside, giving me a peek outside. It was dark but I could recognize Jamie’s figure. Or so, I hoped. I got back into bed, throwing my covers over me.

I was running. Someone was chasing me. I kept looking back to see if the chaser was catching up. Hailing a cab breathlessly, I got into it only to discover that my driver was the chaser. He smirked evilly at me and I was scared. I tried to open the door but it wouldn’t budge. I looked out the window, screaming for help. Chloe was outside, smiling at me, oblivious to my cry for help.

‘Bang!’ I heard a loud bang, jolting me awake. Jumping up, I heard another bang. It was a gunshot. It sounded a distance away, yet, my heart was speeding up. I’d had a bad dream and now, I’d awoken to the sound of gunshots. My mind was reeling and I wondered about what happened. It wasn’t up to two hours since I slept after seeing Jamie leave. Jamie. He was the one after me. In my sleep. I put a hand over my eyes. Now, he was haunting me in my sleep? It was so obvious that he was the bad guy. Even in reality!

I wanted to check on dad just to be sure if he got home safe. I got down from my bed for the second time and I went out the door. I met dad in front of his room. When he turned around, he looked like he’d got back hours ago. He’d thought to check up on me too.

“Are you alright?” He’d heard the gunshots too.

“Yeah, I am. I hoped nothing bad happened.” He nodded, fatigue written all over his face. I hoped he’d had fun for the rest of the dinner. “When did you get back? I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Just before midnight.” He replied. “Are you going to be okay by yourself?” He asked, gesturing to my room. I almost said no and almost asked if I could stay in his room but I thought against it. I wasn’t going to be a big baby by staying in his room because I was scared.

“Yeah.” I replied and he hugged me, giving me a kiss on the head. “Sleep well.”

”You too.’ I whispered, tired.

In my room, I went over to the window again and pried open the curtains. At the same time, Jamie was climbing the ladder back up.