Chapter 221: Can Someone Keep Me Company

Angelia

“You should consider everyone, even us.” Riccardo stated, my eyes widened.

“You?” I gasped

“Why on earth would you suggest that?”

“Because, statistically speaking, there was a bigger chance that your stalker is someone you know rather than a stranger.”

Wel, that was the kind of information that I knew wouldn't stop turning in my head. It would keep me guessing and wondering and overthinking.

“Is it someone I know or could it be an acquaintance too?” I asked, feeling more and more dumb at not having researched this subject myself ages ago. So much for wanting to clear this up on my own.

“It can be anyone, strangers or someone you have passed on the street. Someone you only say hi to, those you hang out with at school. There is really no limitation of who it could be, unfortunately.” Riccardo replied.

Great, this is just great. I could sense my brain trying to work its gears, but the exhaustion was like cobwebs in my mind. It was both a blessing and a curse, for once, I didn't have the ability to overthink and for once, overthinking might have helped solve this mystery faster.

“That is comforting.” I said dryly, it was something I had wondered about before.

If he was someone I know, someone I had talked to, someone I trusted. It made me sick to my stomach to think about it. I stared at my plate in dismay, still having much to finish before Kingston would allow me to leave and get the sleep I desperately longed for. I needed an escape from all of this, from my feelings for them, their feelings for me and especially from the thought of him. I was finally safe and my body was noticing it, I didn't need to be on constant watch, and my body didn't need to be alert every second of the day. Bit by bit, I was relaxing and with it, came the tiredness that had built up over these weeks.

Would Kingston let me leave the plate as it was or… I looked up to see his own eyes narrow as if he were reading my mind. I was guessing that was a no, he would not accept anything less than me finishing everything he had ordered me to. With more effort than anyone else eating his food would have struggled with, I chewed and swallowed again and again until each of the items he had demanded I would eat was gone from my plate. My stomach didn't necessarily hurt from all that food, but I didn't think I had ever felt this full before. Though, I had probably only eaten about half of what I normally did before all this.

“I am all done.” I said proudly, like I was some child who wanted to get praise from her parents.

And when I thought that I realized it wasn't much different, because I did want praise for doing what I had been ordered to do, it wasn't even anything sexual about it. I just…it felt like a reward of sorts and I wasn't disappointed.

“Good girl,” he praised me, lighting something up inside me.

His hand went to the back of my neck and squeezed almost lovingly and it felt like he wanted to pull me closer to him. As if he wanted to give me a kiss or something.

“You can be excused now.” He said and regrettably let me go.

“Sleep well, little one.” 

The other two murmured something of the same kind and I was disappointed and suddenly nervou. Foe some reason, I had thought that…fuck, I didn't know what I thought. That I wouldn't be alone anymore? That they would constantly keep me company so I would feel safe? Why would they ever do that when I was the one who broke things up with them? It wasn't like I had voiced what I wanted and it wasn't like I should expect them to do more for me than they already did. I rose from my seat but I didn't get further than to the kitchen entryway before I hesitated. The thought of being alone even if I had only been a few rooms down and in close proximity to them made me feel jittery.

“Are you okay, baby girl?” Marshall asked, I looked over my shoulder and gave him a tentative smile as I wrung my hand.

“Yes, I just…”

“We can't help you if we don't know what you need, honey.” Riccardo urged me softly. Letting out a sigh, I spoke shyly.

“Could someone keep me company, maybe? I don't…I am not all that comfortable being alone yet, you don't need to stay the whole night if you don't want to but I just don't want to be alone right now.” 

“Of course,” Marshall said without any sort of hesitation.

“We should have thought of that.” I shook my head.

“You couldn't have known.”

“We definitely could have.” He disagreed.

“Well…” I kept wringing my hands, feeling more out of place by the second, but not because of them but more because my fear left me exposed and I didn't like that.

“I will just go get ready for bed.” I said, leaving it up to Marshall and Riccardo to figure out who would join me. I already knew Kingston would refuse, or at the very least only stay until I had fallen asleep.

Twenty minutes later, Riccardo joined me in bed and promptly pulled me to his front so he was spooning me. His head snuggled the crook of my neck, he was never one to miss a chance to cuddle with me and come to think of it, neither was Marshall. I truly and sincerely didn't mind it at all.

“Marshall wanted to come but he needed to get some work done before tomorrow.” He informed me, his mouth moving against my neck as he spoke and I stiffened. He misinterpreted my reaction and started pulling away.

“Sorry, I…”

“No, I…” I began.

“I forget about school.”

“School?” He asked, slightly confused.

“Angelia, you are in no condition to go school tomorrow.”

“But…” I signed and turned around facing him.

“I can't miss more days, I have skipped too many already.”

“You won't be skipping this one, you will take a few days, it's not more off.”

“What, no. I can't do that.” I objected, feeling the weight of the pressure to not give up, to not fail at getting the degree I had always wanted.

“You can and you will.” 

“But…” he reached out and cupped my cheeks gently.

“Remember you promise us to listen when we are taking care of you?” I nodded.

“This is me trying to take care of you, you need rest and you need to recharge. You can't do anything on empty batteries or else you will crash harder than you are doing now and I promise you that if that happens, it will take a lot more for you to get back on track. We will fill out an online medical absence from your university tomorrow and I will get my doctor to come see you and have her write your professor a doctor's note as well.” My heart swelled.

“You really do think of everything, don't you?” I whispered.

“All for you, my Honey bunny. It is all for you.” He whispered back and the intimacy of his words were more powerful than any kiss I have ever had. He leaned over and placed a kiss on my forehead.

“Now get some sleep, I will be here all night.”

As tired as I was, and as comfortable as he had made me, I couldn't sleep. What Kingston had said about my phone being hacked was nagging at the back of my head.

'You can place your phone here.’  the sound of Adanna's voice echoed in my ears as he had pointed at the basket by the desk.

The only place I ever left my phone unattended outside of work was when I had been at Pleasure Palace. They had a rule against phones in the club, I didn't always have it on me at my jobs either but having seen Ben being beaten, I could at least rule him out. But that left my co-workers at the Kingston's club as well as Adanna. I remember that she hadn't like me from the beginning before I met Marshall and started the arrangements with him and the guys. I had never really thought about why she had disliked me from the second she met me. 

Could she have had anything to do with this? Could she somehow have helped him? But why would she have done that? Why did she dislike me so much? If she had done it, then she would know who he is.