Allison
Relief washed over me as I sat in the now tidied room. The day’s and previous day’s events had left me drained, both physically and emotionally. I had decided to skip classes for the day, promising myself I’d make up for it tomorrow.
Thoughts of Nina drifted into my mind. She had been absent for a while, and I had bought a present for her. I wished she would suddenly appear that day so she could see it.
And just then, my phone buzzed, breaking the silence. Jayden’s text read, “Hey, I’m so beat,” accompanied by a laughing emoji.
A smile spread across my face. “Where are you now?” I replied, my fingers flying across the keyboard.
Jayden’s response came quickly. “Still at the hospital. What about you?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.
“My dorm,” I replied. “When are you leaving though and coming back to the campus, of course.”
My heart skipped a beat as I waited for Jayden’s next message. I leaned back in my chair, my mind racing with thoughts of Jayden and our relationship. Was I getting too excited now? More like, ahead of myself?
The silence was filled with my thoughts of the previous day. I had been drawn to Jayden in ways I couldn’t explain, and I knew that our connection went far beyond.
My mind went blank as a loud bang on the door made my body shake. What was happening? I stood up, my heart racing, and cautiously approached the door.
“Who is it?” I called out, trying to keep my voice steady.
The familiar voice sent chills down my spine. “Open the door, Allison!” Victor yelled.
I knew I shouldn’t open it, but my fear got the better of me. I slowly pushed the door open, and my heart palpitated so much that I thought it would run past my chest.
Victor sneered at me, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Look at this,” he said, holding up his phone.
My mouth fell open as I saw the video playing on his screen. It was Jayden and me having sex. That video that made me almost forget it existed in the first place.
“I’m going to post this,” he threatened, his voice dripping with venom. “I told Jayden to send me the money, but he refused and blocked me everywhere. But I’ll give you a chance. If you don’t want this video to spread all over the world, send me the money. Send me the fucking money.”
My heart was racing as Victor gave me an ultimatum. “You have two hours. After that, this video goes viral.”
With that, he turned and walked away, slamming his feet against the floor. I felt like I was going to collapse. My heart was escaping, and I squeezed it firmly, trying to process what was happening.
I quickly entered my room, shut the door, and sat down on the bed, trying to process what had just happened. I was thankful that Nina wasn’t home, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that someone might have heard Victor’s loud threats.
My phone beeped, breaking the silence. It was a response from Jayden. “I’m still at the hospital, but I’m soon going to leave. The doctor says my leg is okay now. Like my Dad said, it’s something really minor.”
I replied quickly, my fingers flying across the keyboard. “Victor just came here. He threatened and blackmailed me. I think he’s going to really post this video.”
Jayden’s response was immediate. “I’m coming there right now.”
But before I could ask what he meant, he went offline. I waited anxiously, my heart racing with anticipation.
Forty-five minutes passed, and I heard a knock on the door. I opened it to find Jayden standing there, panting heavily. His eyes were red, and his face was twisted in a mixture of anger and worry.
“What happened?” he asked, his voice low and menacing. His eyes scanned my face, searching for any sign of distress.
I went over to the bed and sat down, and looking at him now, I saw that his face was a picture of rage, his jaw clenched and his fists tightened. His eyes blazed with anger, and I could sense the fury simmering beneath the surface.
Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision until everything became a hazy, indistinct mess. I started sobbing, and my body shook uncontrollably. Jayden bent down in front of me, his face level with mine. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, interlocking my fingers tightly as I cried.
He gently wiped away my tears, his voice low and menacing. “I will kill that bastard,” he muttered, his anger evident.
He stood up abruptly, his footsteps heavy with fury. I knew I had to stop him. “Jayden, no, please don’t!” I begged, grabbing his arm.
But he shook me off. “Don’t interfere with this, Allison. I’ve had enough.” His voice was cold, detached.
I pleaded with him, desperation creeping into my voice. “Jayden, please! Are you going to do this again? Aren’t you going to talk to me first before doing whatever you think you want to do?”
Jayden stopped in his tracks, his chest heaving with anger. He let out a deep sigh, turned to me, and said, “Allison, please let me just take care of this.”
But I stood firm. “No, Jayden. Please don’t. I think I should tell you what I have in mind right now. So, I’m planning on sending him the money today.”
“What?” he yelled. “The fuck! But why?”
“Let me just do it, please, and then we can talk about what to do next,” I replied, feeling so frustrated already.
Jayden’s expression softened slightly, but his voice remained resolute. “No, Allison. I won’t let you pay him. I’ll talk to him myself. Don’t you worry, I won’t cause a fight.”
I swiftly grabbed Jayden’s hand, shaking my head fervently. My heart was racing with fear. “No, Jayden, don’t. After today, I’ll send him the money, and then we’re done. We won’t give him another penny, okay?”
“Fine.” Was all he could mutter, his voice bitter.
***
Nina and I stood in front of the mirror, both wearing the beautiful necklaces I had bought. She couldn’t stop staring at hers, her eyes shining with delight.
“Wow, we look so beautiful!” Nina exclaimed, turning to me with a smile. “Thank you so much for this, best friend!”
I chuckled and hugged her, feeling happy that she loved the gift. We continued to admire our reflections in the mirror, enjoying the sparkle of the necklaces.
“And the club party is today, wow!” she laughed.
“Me too, finally,” I said with a smile.
Just then, my phone beeped, breaking the silence. I checked the screen and saw a message from Gideon. My heart skipped a beat as I realized it had been a long time since we last spoke.
I opened the message, my curiosity piqued. “Can we see each other today?” Gideon asked. “It’s time I told you everything.”
He added before I could even type. “I’ll be the one to come to you this time around.”