Chapter 6

THE ENVELOPE

" What's wrong?" Rodrigo asked as he picked up the envelope that fell from my hand and looked into it.

" Fuck, girl they've been tailing you, who could it be? Doesn't this person have something else to do than following you around?"

The pictures were of me leaving the house this morning, and all other places I've visited. Who could be so desperate to wipe me off the face of the earth that they had to be everywhere I go?

Could it be the lady who bumped into me earlier?

" We should report this to the police," Rodrigo said as he held my hand and we both started walking out of the restaurant.

" We can't,"

" Why is that?" He asked, surprise evident in his voice.

" We just can't, whoever is doing this just wants me to be scared, and involving the police would just put me more in the spotlight and soon enough it would be all over the media, I don't want that to happen,"

" Then what do we do?" Rodrigo asked as he opened the car door for me but instead of getting in, I took the envelope from him.

" We act like nothing happened and keep letting them make a fool of themselves," I said as I tore the envelope and threw it into the waste can cleaning invisible dirt from my hand.

" This didn't happen, we have nothing to worry about," I said to Rodrigo before entering the car.

" You know you're taking this too lightly," Rodrigo closed the door and walked to the driver's side driving us away from the restaurant.

Rodrigo parked outside my house but none of us came outside the car.

" Lilly, I'm worried about you, don't you think it's best we tell the police?"

" I've said it before and I'm going to say it again, it's a no, no, we're not telling anything to the police, when did you become such a scared chicken?" I opened the car door and stepped out with him doing the same.

" If you say so,"

" Hush now, you wouldn't want anyone to hear about this,"

" If it isn't the two trust fund babies," When did she start living in my house? God give me the strength not to kill her.

" What are you still doing here? The party's over you should be returning to your place by now,"

" What if I don't want to?"

" I wouldn't force you, just stay out of my way," I didn't wait to hear her annoying response, I just dragged Rodrigo going upstairs to my room.

As soon as I was in the comfort of my room I rushed to the box that I hid beneath my bed. I dragged it out and opened it while Rodrigo just silently watched me.

He didn't understand what was going on.

" This is why I said we shouldn't give whoever sent those pictures a chance, I've been receiving pictures of myself everywhere I go for the last couple of years before I left for Italy, at first I thought it was just pictures from a secret admirer or some crazy stalker, but whoever the person was, he or she was persistent, but when I traveled to America everything stopped, but now that I have returned, I think whoever this person is, he or she is back to stalking me."

" So you mean to tell me someone had been watching you when you were in Italy and you didn't tell me?" Rodrigo asked, sounding offended.

" I didn't want you to be worried and remember at that time you just lost your sister back then, sorry I didn't mean to bring back the memory,.." I said as soon as I saw his face covered in sadness.

" It's okay," He simply said.

" And you know at that time you were super weird and paranoid, you'd think your sister's ghost was taking secret pictures of me,"

" Okay you're over exaggerating, I wasn't that crazy,"

" At least you admit you're crazy,"

" Okay let's stop joking, you hid something like this from me and it's not fine, I'm going on a bestie leave, I'm offended," He said with a pout on his lips trying his best to look angry but failing.

" Okay, what can I do to earn your forgiveness?" I asked him as I took hold of his hand shaking it like a child would do his mom when she has offended her.

" Be my date for tonight, since you're back I don't need to take weirdos on dates anymore, and you can't refuse or I'll be mad at you forever," he said the last part like he was trying to cast a spell on me.

" Fine, fine, I'll go with you,"

" That's not all," he said with that evil smirk I was used to whenever he was planning something he was well aware I wouldn't like.

" Whatever you want to say don't say it," I told him as I took a step back.

" It's not that bad,"

" I've known you all my life, whatever you're about to say I wouldn't like it,"

" Like what? Would you want me to stay mad at you or do you want to do what I want?" He asked me, feigning innocence.

" Fine, what do you want?" I asked him with a grumpy face.

" You know blue is cool and one of my favorite colors…." I know where this conversation was going.

" Yeah?"

" Your blue Ferrari is quite lovely," before I could argue about it he snatched my key and immediately ran out of the door his laughter echoing through the halls.

" I swear Rodrigo if you so much as scratch that car I'll ruin you," I knew he didn't hear me but Rodrigo knew better than to leave even a scratch on my car.

I Put the box back under my bed making sure to lock it.

All my life I've felt like I've been watched, but I didn't let it make me paranoid, I didn't care who it was that was always watching me. I felt whoever it was must definitely be a coward because if he or she wasn't scared of me then why not face me?

I went into my closet to get something to wear, this would be my first public event in Italy after a long time and I wanted nothing more than to look my best.

I picked out a short red dress, the dress was handless and had a small slit by the side. I picked a silver six-inch shoe and a silver clutch purse. I kept all I needed on the bed and then I went to go take a shower. I knew I was going to take hours to get ready.

" Are you serious? I went home, got dressed and I'm back and you're still not done getting dressed? Women," Rodrigo said as he entered my room.

" I have to look my best, wouldn't want me looking like the weirdos you always bring with you," I said to him as I did the final touch on my makeup.

" Ready?"

" Now that's how a woman should look, come on do a spin,"

" Let's get going before I change my mind,"

We arrived at the location for the dinner party Rodrigo opened the car door for me like the gentleman he is and I stepped out. As soon as I got outside the car the cameras started flashing. They need to stop this or whoever the host was would definitely think I came here to steal the spotlight. Especially if it were a woman.

I was able to escape the flashes of the camera with the help of Rodrigo but the moment I stepped into the room I wished I had faced the cameramen instead.

In front of me was someone I didn't expect to see, not in a million years. They always say it was a small world but I had hoped I wouldn't be faced with such situations, especially not with him.

Even worse, he had to lock eyes with me like he had been expecting me.

The night was going to be a long one.