Page 27 of Love Under Siege

“I'm scared, Lana. What kind of sick person would do something like that? And what could they do to me?” I say, wrapping my hands around the warm mug for comfort.

“I don't know, but we have to do something to protect you,” Lana insists.

“I know, but what can we do? He's still out there watching me and the police haven't been very helpful,” I reply with frustration.

“We could hire a bodyguard,” Lana suggests.

I scoff at the idea. “With what money? I'm barely making ends meet as it is.”

“My parents have money,” Lana offers, but I give her a disapproving look.

“Lana, your mom is amazing, but your dad won't just lend you money like that,” I say firmly.

She bites her nails, a habit she has when deep in thought. “What about my Nonna? She might be able to help us,” she suggests.

I place my hand on top of hers. “Lana, I love you like a sister, but I won't accept your family's money. I want to handle this on my own, including paying my own way.”

Our food arrives and we both eat in silence, our appetites surprisingly big. After finishing our meal, I stare absentmindedly out the window, lost in thought. Suddenly, an idea hits me.

“Wait, what if we take self-defense classes?” I say excitedly.

“That's actually not a bad idea!” Lana exclaims.

“Yeah, Jacob taught me a few moves before he left. I just remembered him telling me to continue training,” I say, feeling a mix of excitement for the classes and sadness that Jacob isn't here with me anymore.

As I stare out the window, my mind drifts back to him. He's only been gone one day and I already miss him. Did he receive the letter I snuck into his bag? What would he have done if he had seen the box left by the stalker last night? Knowing how protective he is of me, he probably would've taken care of it violently.

Suddenly, a movement outside catches my attention. It's a tall figure in all black, hood pulled up and face hidden. The sun is just starting to rise, so it's too dark to make out any features. They seem to be fiddling with something on a car...wait, that's my car! Could this be the same person who left the dead cat at my door? Without thinking, I jump out of my seat and run towards the door, determined to catch this person. Lana calls after me, but I'm already sprinting towards the car. She soon catches up with me, trying to get an explanation out of me as we inspect for any damage or tampering.

Breathless from chasing after me, Lana asks, "What happened?"

"Somebody was messing with my car!" I reply, scanning the parking lot but finding no one. Then I notice a piece of paper on the windshield. As I reach for it, Lana grabs my arm and says, "Don't touch it! We need to take it to the police to check for fingerprints."

I quickly dial Detective Collins' number and ask him to meet us at the diner.

Detective Collins arrives a short while later, putting on gloves before picking up the piece of paper and unfolding it. "Miss Parker, are you certain your stalker is responsible for this?" he asks, his face etched with confusion.

"Well, I'm not sure, but the person was wearing all black," or at least I think they were. "Why?" I inquire curiously.

He lets out an exasperated sigh, "This is just a flyer for a new club opening this weekend." Suddenly, we all notice that every car in the parking lot has a flyer on their windshield.

"Oh...I'm sorry...I just...I thought..." I stammer, embarrassed by my mistake.

But Detective Collins reassures me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Miss Parker, it's always better to be safe than sorry. You did the right thing by reporting it. I'll check back at the station for any updates on the package. Please stay safe and don't hesitate to call if you need anything." With that, he walks back to his car.

"Ughh, I feel like such an idiot," I grumble to myself.

"Don't beat yourself up, Anya. Detective Collins said it himself - it's better to be safe than sorry," Lana reminds me kindly.

"Yeah, let's just pay for our breakfast before the diner thinks we dined and dashed," I suggest with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood.

After paying for our breakfast, I notice Lana completely engrossed in her phone. She doesn't look up even as we get into the car. "Hello? Earth to Lana!" I call out, trying to grab her attention.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was texting a friend of mine, well actually a friend of a friend," she explains with a wide smile. "I asked around about self-defense classes and someone gave me their friend's number."

My eyebrows raise in pleasant surprise. "Really? Are they open today?"

She nods eagerly. "Yep! And the guy who runs it said we can try a free class tonight if we want."

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