Tormented

21. Bryan

Lucy pov

I lie in bed, wide awake with James's arms around me.

After failing to kick him out, with his reason for staying being my safety, he picked me up and brought me to my room. He went to the bathroom to get undressed and suggested I do the same in my room before he finished. Now in bed with him fast asleep against my back, I finally have time to think.

How did Bryan find me?

After years of torment, I finally got away, but now he's back. I admit, when Bryan and I went out back in junior year, I liked him. He was the school's golden boy, football quarterback, and everyone loved him.

I liked him because he gave a little nobody like me, attention. He asked me out and at first, things were great. Going out all the time, laughing with each other, I really liked him. But then things changed.

He started getting too possessive. Usually, I liked his jealousy, it made me feel loved, but it became too much. Every time he would see me with a boy, he'd go crazy, cussing at the boy, threatening to kill him.

It got to the point where he'd never let me out his sight. Always following me around like a lost puppy, and a guard dog whenever he saw a guy get too close to me. It started driving me crazy, and then I realized he didn't trust me.

He was too insecure to trust me.

After he got into a fight because a boy who was a friend of mine hugged me, just saying bye, I broke up with him. He begged and he pleaded and he even cried telling me not to leave him. But I had to, I had become toxic to him and the feelings that were there before had dried up.

That's when the stalking began. A week after breaking up with him, the notes showed up. Everywhere I would've regularly gone had a note somewhere there with a heart on it and my name. I didn't think about too much until they started showing up at my house. I asked everyone I knew, even Bryan if they had been the ones leaving the notes, even as a prank.

They all said no.

Then the feeling of being watched was next. It was like a spider on my back, crawling up to my shoulder and me completely oblivious, but knowing I was in constant danger.

Then he started touching me. It was really subtle, slight touches in the hallways, reaching for the same lunch tray, accidentally bumping into me. I knew something was wrong.

Then it escalated immensely.

He would come up to me when I was walking somewhere and hug me. I would struggle and kick and scream, but he'd put his hand on my mouth and squeeze my body tight against his. That's when I knew it was him. I decided to confront him, tell him to stop, but it only made matters worse. Once he realized he didn't have to hide his identity, everything increased tenfold. He would follow me, rub up against me, whisper disgusting things he would do to me and threaten me not to get a boyfriend or else.

After a few years of this and collecting enough evidence to send him to prison. I called the police and with all my proof of his harassment he was sent to jail, but I still felt I had to leave New York.

I was scared.

So I moved to Cali, and that still...it still had no effect.

I look down at my hands and see them shaking.

Maybe that's why I didn't want to go out with James. I was afraid he'd turn into Bryan. I'm still scared. But right now, with him here I feel safe.

I relax in his arms and lay back into his chest. Right here is where I belong. I drift off to sleep almost immediately.

My last thought, of how right he feels.