Eight

Juliet sat in front of the TV trying to distract herself, but she could barely concentrate on the movie and her whole mind was preoccupied with something else, or rather someone else… Alex. Why couldn't she stop thinking about him. He was just a nice samaritan and nothing more. But he had strangely comforted her. She had felt a peace in her heart when she was with because with him, she couldn't hide her feelings deep within her. She was vulnerable when she was with him and a part of her hated that. If he kept showing up, she didn't want to slowly start relying on him. A stranger, was he still a stranger now. Yes! He was a stranger, she only knew his name and that was all. She groaned and turned the volume of her TV… Why couldn't she stop thinking about him!. Her phone rang, startling her a bit. She picked it and saw that it was her boss. The deadline! She had totally forgotten about it. She sighed exasperatedly and waited for her phone to ring to the end… but it started to ring again a few seconds later and she knew she couldn't ignore it. She picked up the phone and answered the call. 'Hi Julie. I thought you weren't going to answer" Sonia, her unfiltered boss said. 'I didn't hear my phone ring the first time and I was about to call you back" Julie heard Sonia sigh at the end of the line and deduced she was trying to be calm and not snap at her, which was a bit hard for Sonia to do. 'I know that everything must have taken a great toll on you darling but you do know we have a deadline to meet and only a few days left…" Sonia started and Julie almost rolled her eyes. She only cared about the deadline. Was it so long to take a few days break? 'I know Sonia. I promise I won't miss the deadline you don't have to worry" 'Yes I don't have to…and I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the wake darling. My condolences. You do know working is a really effective drug. It helps get your mind off things…you should try it" 'Thank you" Julie said and ended the call a little mad. She sat in her living room trying to steady her breath, but the house started to feel all stuffy. She couldn't stand it anymore. She changed her clothes and decided to go for a late jog to clear her mind… _________________ _________________ Alex stopped his car in front of her house staring at her door. He was back here yet again… He couldn't stay at home and ended up here. His new found peace. He sighed thinking about what she would say if she saw him again. Would he look like a creep then? He had just seen her earlier but here wss again, running away from his reality and going to hers. Her front door soon opened and he watched as she came out of her door and jogged away. Alex came out of his car and slowly went after her. His footsteps slow and steady. His eyes on her as she stopped running to catch her breath. He was able to meet up with her this time and she finally saw him approaching. She didn't wait or try to speak with him, but instead she took off running but later stopped because of how tired she felt, she instead started to walk fast. Alex soon caught up with her and she stopped in her tracks… Juliet Stopped jogging and turned to look at him. 'Why are you doing this to me?" She said, trying not to hide the annoyance in her voice. 'What am I doing" Alex tried to act like he didn't know what she was talking about but it wasn't going to work. She was already on the peak of getting mad. 'Why do you keep showing up? What do you want from me? I told you I was fine!" She said, almost yelling. She could see curious looks from a few people that passed by them, but that wasn't her main concern right now. Alex tried to hold back a smile as he ran his hand through his hair. He was asking himself the same question so how could he give her an answer. 'I just came for work. The park is a public place" Julie scoffed. She couldn't believe him. Was he really expecting her to buy that? 'I don't know what to say right now, but please do not follow me" She said with finality and walked off, but she could hear slow footsteps behind her… she turned, made this time to look at him and Alex immediately tried his hand in the air in surrender. 'I'm going this way" Julie turned towards the way she was going and then at him. She could avoid him by following the other way back, but she was sure she would pass out before she got to her house. It would be really far away. She sighed and glared at him. 'Just Don't talk to me" Alex nodded and walked slowly behind her with a smile on his face as they walked in silence passing by a few people… Julie couldn't stand the silence anymore and stopped in her tracks. She turned to look at him and he had stopped also and was staring at her… She hesitated for a few seconds before she finally asked. 'Are you from around here?" Alex shook his head and she nodded. 'I thought so. You don't look like you are from around here" 'So Where are you from?" She continued, trying to hide the curiosity in her voice. 'A place, but not here" Alex replied, and she glared harder at time. He was trying to evade her question. Was he some kind of big shot that she shouldn't know about or was he perhaps wanted by the police. She gasped in her mind at her thoughts. It almost made her laugh out loud but she was able to hold it down… 'if you aren't from around here, then why are you here now?" When started to walk again and Alex slowly met up with her pace. 'I stumbled upon this place by accident once night and Met someone" He answered truthfully. Julie glanced at him. Was it perhaps her. That night that she had seen him… 'And… You shouldn't be here" 'No, I think I should… I like it here" Alex said, the smile on his face became wider when she looked away. 'There isn't much to like here" There wasn't much to like in a place like this. Was it the nosy neighbors, who didn't like to mind their business. Or the glances of people here anytime She passed. She hated it here, but couldn't afford to move yet. She didn't have enough for the big move she wanted. With everything that had happened it had really set her back and she had to dig into her savings so she wouldn't lose the house when her mother was ill and now that her mother was gone she was stuck here and had nowhere to hide. The only person that wasn't all that nosy was Florence, but she was getting married and had moved to a new city a few days back. Now she was really on her own and had no one to speak to except this Stranger. She couldn't escape to work, because she worked from home. 'You don't like it here," Alex said, cutting through her thoughts like he could read her mind. 'Yes you are right, I hate it here" They had continued to walk and Julie hadn't even realized that they had gotten to her house till she decided to look around. She stopped and glanced at him. She had been the one to blabber even after telling him not to speak to her… 'This is my stop," She said, waiting for him to leave but Alex walked with her to her front door. Julie stopped in front of her door and squinted her eyes a bit at him. 'You can't come in"