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Acquaintances

  You walked out of the office with a smile on your face.

  Confidence had come knocking at your door today, or maybe it was lady luck. Whoever it was, you didn't care; you were just grateful for their company. You sat back down at your desk, shuffling the papers to a neat stack. Tossing notes that no longer matter away, your eyes were drawn towards the paper Jed had given you earlier. Staring at it, you thought about the possibilities that lay with the published article. You debated whether you should even write it. If you published an in-depth article on how you escaped a serial killer who has never had a surviving victim, would your survival continue?

  You sighed as you pulled a journal towards you. You pulled a pen out of your favorite mug, one that displayed a picture of you and your best friend. You missed them like crazy, as they were currently exploring the world. You made a mental note to call them later; they were going to love all the drama happening in your hometown. You started to scribble notes down in the journal as flashbacks flooded your mind. You winced as the searing pain flared through your neck, the memories bringing back the feeling. Your hand rushed up to soothe the wound, feeling the texture of gauze on your fingers.

  You softly rubbed the area, getting lost in thought as you recalled how close to death you were that night. Why were you lucky enough to survive when so many others had not? Including your boss, someone who surely didn't deserve to be violently murdered. Had he been afraid? Had he fought back? If he had, did he do any real damage? Your hand stalled on your neck as you tapped the pen on the notepad, setting a steady rhythm. What would have happened if the police were ten seconds later in their arrival? Ten seconds earlier? Would Ghostface be in jail right now, unmasked? 

  You're startled out of your thoughts as a hand is placed on your shoulder. You tilted your head up to a smiling Jed, his eyes holding an intense look of concern. "Are you ok Y/n?" His thumb rubbed on your shoulder blade, causing an intense flurry of butterfly flutters in your stomach. You hoped a blush hadn't shown on your face, immediately reaching up to fiddle with the strands of your hair.

  "I'm fine. Why?" You continued to play with the hair strands, rolling them in between your fingers smoothly. You maintained eye contact with him as you answered his question, returning it with one of your own.

  "Well, you're rubbing at your neck." He pointed towards your wound, sending a strike of understanding into your mind. You casually pulled your hand away as you gave a breathy laugh, turning your face away from the man.

  "I was writing an outline for the article you wanted me to write. I guess I subconsciously started messing with it as I took notes." You smiled, turning your attention back to Jed. His eyes met yours and you swore, for just a second, there was malice. However, if it was there, it was quickly replaced with a joyful gaze. 

  "I'm glad. I can't have the eye candy of the office wear a frown." Jed lets out a laugh as he says this, showing you he has no darker meaning behind his words. You laugh with him, mentally having a fistfight with the swarm of butterflies in your mind. His hand let your shoulder as the front door chimed, signifying the entranceway opening. You whipped your head towards the door, trying to not let out a groan of annoyance.

  "Hey, Y/n. Or should I say ShutterGeek?" 

  "I thought I told you not to call me that William." You winked as you said this, causing the man's face to go red.

  "I thought I told you not to call me William. It's Billy." You chuckled as you stood up, walking over to the table full of coffee cups. You grabbed one and handed it back to him a smile of mischief on your face.

  "I agree to start calling you Billy when you stop calling me ShutterGeek." Billy took the coffee from your hands, a look of subtle anger spread across his face. He inhaled the scent of the coffee before taking a sip. You liked to think he was checking it for poison, but in reality, he was probably just enjoying the comforting smell. His brown hair swept in front of his green eyes as he leaned forward, and as he straightened up the forest green shirt he was wearing creased ever so slightly.