I cannot help the incredulous laugh that falls off my lips as I blink at him, trying to get my vision clearer and clearer. My throat still hurts too much to talk, but there are a million questions swirling in my head. I feel like I just might explode if I don’t get the answers for them soon.Lemon is here. How bizarre is that? In my psyche, Lemon is associated with New Yoke, being the general life of the party, the young and genius boy who does bartending for a living and colors his hair a million times to suit his whims. He’s certainly a character, but a character who belongs in the big apple.So, what the hell is he doing here?“Dude, I need you to start from the beginning,” I tell him, trying to make heads and tails, “what are you doing here?”He pouts exaggeratedly, “aw, Jace, I thought you guys would be happy to see me here. Thought we became buddies after I saved your butt from being pummeled at my bar!”I sputter, “of course, I didn’t mean to imply otherwise, I just-“Then the
“Coraline!”“Lemon!”The said individuals collide in an exuberant hug, laughing their hearts out. At one point, Lemon raises Coraline off the ground and spins her.“Oh, my god!” Coraline cackles as she is set on the ground, “I really missed you, which is strange-““Considering how we only hung out for like three days forever ago, I know!” Lemon added, finishing the sentiment, “what can I say? I was bored of New York and thought I’d try to find more luck on the west coast.”“Oh, wow, you really just left New York like that, huh,” Coraline chuckles shaking her head, “How’d you run into Jace anyway?”“Oh, I was just gallivanting around Empire city when I saw him fleeing this huge ass dude,” Lemon confides, “and so I decided that I should give an old friend a hand.”Upon hearing that, Coraline whips her head at me, concern clear on her features, “Jace?!”“Um, yeah, so apparently, Stone and his lackeys still hadn’t forgiven me for ‘getting them expelled,” I cannot help but use my fingers t
Once we entered the police station, we were taken to the office of the senior detective who was now handling our case, a Mr. Hank Reverend.Hank Reverend is leaning on his desk, staring at a board with various pictures of evidence pinned on it, and some of the pins connected with red strings. He doesn’t even notice us entering until the officer accompanying us tells him, “Sir, these are the statement witnesses of the shooting case number 7.”Detective Reverend slowly turns towards us, eyes scanning us quickly. He is a tall man, rail thin, and dressed in a crumpled suit with his batch attached to a chain over his shirt. He had two days’ worth of stubble growing over his cheeks and bloodshot eyes. Greasy dark hair fell over his eyes, and he had a permanent scowl.He did look very much like a stereotypical detective one would see in a gritty crime drama.Oh, joy.“Good evenin’,” he inclines his head after nodding to himself, “My name’s Hank Reverend and I’ve been put in charge of the sh
“This is insane,” I mutter, “what the…do you have any idea why this persona has been stalking us?! Across the frickin country no less?”I question, feeling my voice shiver. Not even when I was being pursued by the bullies did, I feel like this! Because with the bullies I knew who was after me. I knew what they wanted to do, and I was ready to counter it because I knew them. I knew what it was like to deal with them.But this…except for Talon’s little ambush plan, I’ve never been stalked before. I’ve never had anyone follow me like this in order to take pictures of me and pin them to a wall in an apartment where a dead body is found.“Detective,” Coraline’s shaky voice joins, “can you tell what this might mean for us?”Oh, God, Coraline. It wasn't me who had become a target. She was in this with me as well. Judging by the pictures in front of us, the number of photos the stalker has of Coraline surpasses my own. She’s literally everywhere, and anyone could see who the stalker had been
Coraline is as pale as a ghost when we make it out of the police department. She sways as if she's just about to faint, and I find myself supporting her frame by putting my arm around her. I wonder if I’m overstepping, but Coraline shoots me a watery smile, and I realize this isn’t something she doesn’t want.Silently we make our way to the car in the CCPD parking lot, and I ask Laurent to take us home.I do not think either of us would be able to get any work done today. So, I message an SOS to Gerald and ask him to meet us at my father's estate so we could discuss this and what we have to do about it.“Jace,” asks Coraline when Laurent takes the car out of the parking lot. I turn to her, noticing that she’s cushioned her head on my shoulder. Even though my whole body feels like it’s been dumped in ice water, from where Coraline is leaning on me, I feel warm.I’m very grateful for that. My heart skips a beat.“Yeah?”“What are we going to do about it?” she questions in the same quiet
It’s nighttime.Those that needed to be notified of the unique situation Coraline and I found ourselves in had been briefed. My father had told me to do whatever it takes to ‘make sure that the both of us remain alive until the culprit is behind bars.’ Those were his exact words. He’s a real comfort, my father, and has such a way with words. Gerald was much more sympathetic to our plight and promised that he would stick around as well until this whole thing was over. Even if none of us would be able to do a thing if some gunman broke into the house and caught us all unaware, it felt nice to know that so many people are there in our corner.After I called my father, I called Erikkson and told him about the situation so I could get him to handle our anti-logging campaign and the activists. When I told Chief about what was happening, though, I got the strangest reaction.“We will come to the city,” he told me, “We would be able to hunt him before he can attack you.”Knowing that these we
Coraline is kissing me.Coraline.Kissing.Me.For a moment, I really want to pinch myself because by God I do not think this is real, I must definitely be dreaming. But I still feel the faint pain from nearly getting beaten up earlier today and that does a good job of assuring me that for better or for worse, this is actually my reality.I am being kissed by Coraline. The only thing my mind seems to be capable of at that moment is to come to a screeching halt, doing absolutely nothing but repeat the chant ‘Coraline is kissing me!’ over and over again. I can’t even move, but all my senses seemed to have been heightened by ten times. I feel the night chill more keenly on my skin, although the goosebumps that are all over my arms are not a result of it. I feel the softness of her plump lips on mine, a bit chapped, but still quite possibly the best thing I’ve ever felt. I have been kissed before, but I don’t think any of those fumbling could be compared to this moment.I feel like I wan
I lie on my bed, but sleep does not come so easily.Just moments ago, I bid night to Coraline, my best friend who just confessed that she was in love with me.Me.Coraline, who was the former head cheerleader of the high school I attended, dated the captain of the football team and was the most popular girl in school. Coraline, who had been in an abusive relationship when I met her again after many years, became my best friend after it ended.I did love Coraline, but I never let myself wonder in which way. Until today, I did not let my thoughts stray to a territory that was not platonic. I felt like I was doing something wrong whenever I got those thoughts, as it made me feel like I would be taking advantage of Coraline. I mean, she was my employee. There were already enough rumors about us, claiming that she was exchanging sexual favors with me for her job. The rumors were disgusting, and whenever I heard them, I made sure to glare at whoever even dared to relay the untruths. If the