Page 83 of Wicked Scorn
He was always a nice teacher, meek even, from what I remember, but something isn’t right. I feel icy dread from all over and my gut is screaming at me that I need to run as faraway from him as I can get. His brows are furrowed, and his eyes are so much darker than I remember.
“Good evening, Miss Ashford,” Mr. Bryant says, his voice dripping with an unsettling tone. He sounds colder, harder, like he’s angry at me.
“Mr. Bryant,” I reply, forcing my voice to remain steady. “I was just about to head out. My boyfriend is waiting for me.” It’s half a lie. This is why we’re supposed to always have two people closing together at night, but I guess Cindy doesn’t care about being unprofessional in this situation.
My former teacher seems to ignore everything I’m saying and steps closer as if I’ve said nothing. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you, Oakley. Alone. I’ve been trying to get a private chat with you for a long time.” It doesn’t register at first, but then it clicks. He’s the viewer I kept blocking for asking for a private cam show.
My heart pounds in my chest. This isn’t right. Why would he be here and how did he know about my cam shows? I decide that if he’s capable of all of this, there’s no guarantee that he doesn’t have a weapon on him. I don’t know why, but my instinct is telling me that I need to placate him until I can figure out how to slip away. “I’d love to catch up. I’m sure my brother and boyfriend would love to see you again,” I say, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. Royce may have disappeared out of my life, but this guy doesn’t know that and even back in high school, everyone was afraid of my brother. Except for the Blackwoods.
“Now, Oakley,” he murmurs, stopping just a few feet away from me. His eyes gleam with something dark and dangerous. “You see, I’ve been watching you for a very long time.”
“That’s...can I ask why?” I manage to ask, taking a stepback. My hand instinctively moves toward my phone, hidden in my pocket.
He tilts his head, smiling wider. “I found your little cam shows quite captivating. You have no idea how much joy they brought me.”
A wave of nausea hits me. I was right. He knows. He really was the pushy guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer. He must have sent the flowers and the creepy pictures. I can’t have two freaking stalkers, my karma isn’t that bad. “What are you here for? I mean what do you want?” I ask, though my voice wavers now.
“Don’t play coy, Oakley. You know exactly what I want from you.” His smile fades, replaced by a look of pure obsession. Smirking and reaching out to stroke his hand down my hair, he says sternly, “I was disappointed to see that you threw away the flowers I sent you. Did you know I was the one who sent you them? What about the photos I left for you?”
“You’re sick,” I whisper as the confirmation slaps me across the face, and I back up further until I bump into a bookcase. The room seems to close in around me and I feel like I’m being strangled.
“Am I?” he asks, moving closer. “Or am I just someone who appreciates beauty? Someone who sees you for who you truly are?”
“Stay away from me,” I warn, though my voice sounds weak even to my own ears.
“Why would I do that?” His expression hardens, his eyes boring into mine. “I’ve waited so long for this moment, Oakley. So very long.”
“Jeremiah will be here any minute,” I bluff, hoping to scare him off. “You don’t want to fuck with him.”
“Jeremiah Blackwood,” he sneers, the name twisting in hismouth like a curse. “He can’t protect you from me. No one can. He’s a fuckboy with too much money and sucking on daddy’s teat.”
“Get out,” I demand, feeling desperation clawing at me. “Now.”
“Not until I’ve said everything I need to say,” he replies, stepping even closer, “and done everything I need to do to you.”
“Please,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “Just leave me alone.”
“Alone?” He laughs, a chilling sound that echoes through the empty library. “Oh, Oakley. You have no idea how alone you really are.”
I grasp my phone tighter, praying for a miracle, for anyone to come through that door. But deep down, I know it’s just me and him. And the night has only just begun.
“You’re nothing but a little girl, Oakley,” Mr. Bryant sneers, his eyes narrowing in disgust. “Running to that Blackwood brat like he’s some kind of knight in shining armor.”
“Shut up,” I snap, the words coming out harsher than I intended. But I can’t let him see my fear.
“Oh, pretty boy,” he spits out the name, rolling it around his mouth like its poison. “He’s just a boy playing hero. He doesn’t even know you, not like I do.”
“You’re delusional,” I whisper, trying to keep my voice steady. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“Don’t I?” His laugh is chilling, echoing through the empty library. “I’ve seen you, Oakley. I’ve watched you. I know every move you make, every thought that crosses your mind. You’re mine, not his.”
I clutch my phone tighter, my thumb hovering overJeremiah’s contact. I need to act fast, but I can’t let him see me do it.
“He is going to kill you,” I say, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “Jeremiah and I...we have something real. Something you’ll never understand.”
“Real?” He steps closer, his breath hot against my face. “Your so-called ‘boyfriend’ is nothing more than a distraction. A toy you’ve been playing with. But that’s all over now. It’s time you face reality, my dear.”
My heart pounds in my chest, each beat beating against my skull. I can’t wait any longer. As he rants, I subtly unlock my phone and hit Jeremiah’s number. The screen lights up, and I drop it behind the desk, praying he doesn’t notice.
