ambivalent | hes

7

His question startled me. How had he found out? I went downstairs. Harry was holding a piece of paper in his hand, scanning over it. I walked over to him.

"This was taped to your front door." He told me, handing me the note.

I took it. It read:

Hey princess. I'll be released soon, and I'm coming for you.

-Tyler

I dropped the letter. Holy shit. I wasn't quite positive about my safety now.

"Should we call the police?" Harry asked.

In that short time, I had almost forgotten he was there.

"No! We shouldn't."

I had already gotten him in trouble with the cops. I didn't want him to get even angrier once he found out I reported the letter. I'd wait until he was in jail to do anything. It made me weak, but I was just afraid and didn't want any further trouble.

"What happened? Who is this guy?" Harry questioned.

So I told him. About what happened that night, how Tyler was in the hospital, the threats he was sending to Bea, my nightmares.

"Lyla, this is serious. We have to take this to the police. He could hurt you." Harry stated.

"I can't, Harry. It'll only make the situation worse."

"Then I'll help you." He said, putting his hand on my arm.

"No, I don't want you to get involved."

"But I want to get involved. You're home alone. He could come any night, love. You need some source of protection."

Harry did everything he could to convince me until I finally agreed to let him help me. We stayed at my house that night. I turned on a movie and microwaved some popcorn instead of us going out. I eventually fell asleep and to my surprise when I woke up, Harry was still on the couch with me. He looked adorable when he was asleep, his curls messy and out of place.

He had an arm wrapped around me, so I gently slid it away and quietly walked to the kitchen. I took my pills while he was asleep so he wouldn't question them, then I proceeded to make breakfast. I wasn't that great of a cook, but I fixed eggs, toast and bacon.

Harry came in while I was setting the table and began to help me.

"Would you like anything to drink?" I asked, making my way to the fridge.

"Orange juice, if you have it."

I took out the carton and poured two glasses, then set them in front of our plates at the table.

After breakfast, we cleaned everything up. As I was putting the last plate in the dishwasher, the front door opened, closed, and Beas loud voice rang out from the living room.

"Lyla!"

She walked into the kitchen, stopping abruptly when she spotted Harry.

"Damn, I leave for a couple months and you've already found a man," Bea walked over to Harry, shaking his hand. "I'm Bea, and you better not hurt her, or I'll hurt you."

I chuckled. "Bea, Harry is just a friend."

"Hmm," She said, stepping back. "This is awkward. I'm just gonna go watch TV."

Bea left the kitchen and Harry and I resumed our previous actions.

"Thanks, Harry. And sorry about her." I said as I started the dish washer.

"It's fine. She's an interesting character." He replied.

I smiled at his comment. Bea was always the type to never let anyone forget they've met, and that was always a memorable experience for the other person.

"I have to go home, but call me if there's an emergency." Harry announced as we made our way into the living room.

"Alright, I will."

We were at the front door now, and to my surprise, Harry pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Do you promise?" He whispered in my ear.

"I promise." I replied.

He held me in the hug for a bit before breaking the embrace. Before exiting, he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. My hand touched where his lips had laid just seconds ago, the tingling feeling remaining, and I smiled as I watched him leave.

"Have a good day, Lyla." He said, a smile on his face.

"You too, Harry."

His car took off down the street, leaving me bewildered in the doorway.