Page 20 of The Proximity Factor

“Question eight: How would you rate your experience so far?” I leaned back and shook my head. The researchers could take that however they wished.

FRIDAY NIGHT I SAT CURLED into myself on my bed, holding my laptop, watching Legally Blonde, and feeling sorry for myself. I very much saw myself in Elle Woods, the lead female character. I identified with the way everyone discounted her because they looked more on her outside than her inside, including her stupid boyfriend, Warner. He broke up with her because she wasn’t serious enough for him. Later, he came crawling back just like Greg was trying to do. Of course, I wasn’t falling for it, just like Elle didn’t let Warner come groveling back. Instead, she got her revenge in the best sort of way. She proved to them she was more than her boobs and hair. I wanted people to see me for more too. Don’t get me wrong, I love my boobs and hair, but I’d always hoped those would be the least interesting things about me. Maybe if I was lucky, I would get my own Emmett who saw past my exterior and into my heart, but I wasn’t holding my breath.

At this point, I wasn’t even sure I wanted anything to do with men. Not only did I need to have Val and some of the cheer squad moms stay during practices all week because of Greg’s relentless pursuit, but I’d come home again today to an eerily quiet house, despite knowing my roommate was home. After living by myself, I was used to the quiet. But this was different. Living with someone who actively wanted nothing to do with me was killer silence.

Maybe I should have just been glad I was there, and Greg didn’t know where I lived. The man was behaving like a lunatic, begging to talk to me and trying to follow me to my car. He’d left notes and roses on my windshield that Val threw in his face. Unfortunately, none of the thorns maimed him. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to find himself being run out of town. The high school administration and football coaches were already talking about finding a new team doctor if he didn’t get it together soon. The man was behaving so erratically, Mama almost said the d-word. I loved watching her get flustered and red in the face when she slipped up like that. If only she knew all the words I’d called Greg. She’d threaten to wash my mouth out with soap, which she’d never actually done before, no matter how many times she swore she would.

To my surprise, the doorbell rang, and then someone knocked on the front door. Sadly, this excited me—the loneliness was getting to me. I would even be happy to talk to some door-to-door salesperson. Or maybe some of my old sorority sisters had come to surprise me. Val was too busy on Friday nights, delighting customers at her parents’ restaurant with her yummy food. She mixed Cuban and southern styles together in a way that made your taste buds sing.

I set my laptop down, crawled out of bed, and hustled over to the front door, but not before stopping to look at Parker’s closed door. No surprise, he didn’t even try to see who was knocking. He obviously loved being a hermit. Actually, that wasn’t true. Those old pictures of him and his friends told a very different story. A story of someone I wanted to know. Ugh. I hated myself for it.

Disgusted by my thoughts and the fact I’d looked at those pictures every day since I’d found them, I bolted for the door, and with bravado, I swung it open, ready to talk the ear off whomever it was. Scratch that thought. I stood speechless, not able to say a word for how sucker punched I felt. There stood a harried Greg, his hair all mussed and his brown eyes watery and red like he’d been crying. I had so many things I wanted to say, but honestly, his presence struck me dumb with fear. No one but Val, some of my sorority sisters, and Mama had this address.

My fight-or-flight reflex kicked in, and I went to slam the door, but Greg prevented it by stepping in and throwing his hand out. “Please, Lanie, I need you to hear me out.”

“I need you to leave,” I said as calmly and succinctly as possible. My mind raced, remembering the self-defense course I’d taken with my cheer squad. I hated that we lived in a world where I felt it was necessary to teach them such things, but I wanted to help protect them any way I could. One of the first rules of self-defense was confidence. I stood taller and stopped shaking.

“Not until you hear me out. I love you.”

“This isn’t love. I don’t know how you found me, but if you don’t leave, I’m calling the police.”

Greg’s face went ashen, but he didn’t move. “I’m not going to hurt you. How could you think that?”

“You’re here. How did you know where to find me?” I demanded, my heart pounding uncontrollably.

He swallowed hard. “Don’t get mad, but I followed you.”

Oh, I was beyond mad. This was freaking me out. Greg was turning into a stalker. I could hardly wrap my mind around his behavior. And how had I missed him following me home? That was hours ago. Was he just waiting outside? This was getting creepier and creepier.

“I had to,” he defended himself. “If you’d only just talk to me, I wouldn’t have had to.”

Now he was trying to blame me? Oh, heck no, as Mama would say. “You need to leave now,” I repeated.

He stepped forward.

I stepped back, never taking my eyes off him. “Leave now, Greg!” I yelled, hoping it would make him realize how serious I was.

“Why won’t you believe me when I say I love you?” he cried.

The fact he had to ask let me know he’d lost his mind. I didn’t see this coming from him. He’d always seemed so stable.

I was about ready to kick Greg in the groin when Parker appeared. “What’s going on here?” His tone bordered on menacing. It softened, though, when he asked, “Lanie, are you okay?”

I was going to go with no. Not only was I embarrassed Parker found me in this situation, but it bewildered me how I found myself here. I was barely holding back my tears, trying not to give Greg an emotional reaction. I feared it would only play into this sick game of his.

“She’s fine,” Greg answered, his eyes aflame as he stared at my very male roommate.

“I didn’t ask you. And I suggest you get the hell out of here like Lanie said.” Parker came and stood next to me like he was trying to play hero. His eyes were so full of concern for me, it helped ease some of the humiliation. At least for the moment. I decided I was absolutely going to let Parker play Robin to my Batman, even if he was a jerk. I would go back to hating him later.

“Who are you?” Greg spluttered.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I live here with Lanie.”

I knew Parker used those words so Greg would know I wasn’t by myself, but he had no idea the firestorm that would rain down on me when Mama and Goldenville learned I was living with a man. And I knew Greg wouldn’t keep his mouth shut about this, even though he should have enough shame to keep this incident to himself. But I didn’t have time to think about it. The psycho in front of us needed to leave so I could call the police.

Greg pointed between Parker and me. “You live together?”

“Yep,” I owned it. No sense in denying it. I only hoped this information didn’t make Mama go into cardiac arrest.

---