The Watcher Read online

  Copyright © 2016 Rhiannon Jean

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This story contains sexually explicit material and is intended only for persons over the age of 18. By downloading and opening this document, you are stating that you are of legal age to access and view this work of fiction. All the characters involved in the sexual situations in this story are intended to be 18 years of age or older, whether they are explicitly described as such or not.

  Editing Services Provided by Michelle Jacksier

  Cover Created by Imagination Uncovered

  www.imaginationuncovered.weebly.com

  Formatting Services Provided by Rene Folsom

  www.ReneFolsom.com

  Dedication

  To My Hoochie Mamas: Mandy, Cindy, and Dawni—

  Without your love, enthusiasm, and endless stream of GIFs, The Watcher would have never been a reality. I love you.

  Table of Contents

  The Watcher Part One: Falling

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  The Watcher Part Two: Deceiving

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  The Watcher Part Three: Shattering

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Three Months Later

  About the Author

  The Watcher Part One:

  Falling

  “Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the thousand small uncaring ways.”

  – Stephen Vincent Benét

  Chapter One

  *****

  Lily

  After my last final of the semester, which was on a Monday evening, ugh! I stood up and stretched. I was almost the last one left, because I compulsively re-checked each answer. I turned to collect my things off the floor and caught a glimpse of the guy in the back. Dressed all in black, the hood from his sweatshirt pulled up and hair hanging in his eyes, he was openly staring at me. The intense glimmer in his green eyes startled me and I almost dropped my backpack. I’d noticed him a few times, only because he was late to class on a regular basis and stood out by dressing in all black. I’d never even made eye contact with him, let alone seen him staring.

  His pencil was down, his test still sat on his desk, and I could feel the seconds ticking by. The professor cleared his throat, reminding me I still needed to turn in my own test. I lowered my eyes to the floor and shook my head slightly, trying to clear the fog that had just settled. I picked up my backpack, dropped off my test on the professor’s desk and made my way to the door. I glanced to the back of the classroom and saw those green eyes still staring at me, making me blush slightly. I rushed out into the hallway, suddenly in need of fresh air.

  Outside I took a deep breath and continued to my VW Bug parked in the furthest lot from the building. The parking here was a joke, but it was a great way to keep me in slightly better shape. I saw my reflection in the driver’s side window and took a second to really look at myself. I too had green eyes, but more of a hazel color, nothing like the Ireland green of his eyes. I had plain, dark brown hair, curvy hips and thighs, and a few tattoos. I’d grown to have a love/hate relationship with my curves. Really though, I wasn’t special; I didn’t stand out in any way. Why was he staring at me like that?

  I climbed into my car and turned on the engine only to hear my favorite Blue October song, Hate Me. I sat there, taking a few deep breaths and listening to the lyrics. Lately I’d been in a funk, my relationship with my husband was stagnant, my mother was driving me crazy as usual, and every day I mentally promised myself that I’d quit my job. I hadn’t had sex in months, I’d been unable to write anything of substance, and I was pretty sure I had just barely managed to squeak by the semester with a C. I was tired; I was bored; I was frustrated; I was stuck.

  Was this normal? I was about to turn 35 and I felt like I hadn’t accomplished anything. I was married, but had no children. I already had a bachelor’s, but I was still working on figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had a full-time job as a receptionist/admin, so I was basically someone’s bitch. Most days I felt old, washed up, and like life had come to a complete standstill.

  I had gone back to school to try and better myself. I wanted out of this hole and I was hoping that getting my MBA might be the path leading to a better life. My husband had been supportive in the beginning, but now he was hardly home enough to have dinner with me after class. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to go home or take some “me time” and go out. I was hoping that maybe he’d have dinner waiting with flowers and candlelight. Secretly I was hoping he remembered this was my last final and that he’d want to celebrate with me. I’d been working so hard and I wanted him to be proud. Part of me knew, though, that none of that was going to happen. It was wishful thinking and getting my hopes up yet again was only going to crush my spirits. I was a hopeless romantic, always wishing for what I couldn’t have.

  I opened my eyes, took one more deep breath, and began to pull out of the lot to head home when all the hairs raised up on my neck. My windows were down and a slight breeze sent a chill down my spine. Staind was playing It’s Been Awhile and my head was bobbing to the guitar strains. I looked around the mostly deserted lot and noticed a figure sitting on a bench waiting for the bus. It was dark out, the sun just having set, so I couldn’t make out the facial features, but I recognized that black hoodie.

  My headlights had hit him dead on and those haunting green eyes were once again following me. I drove by slowly, heading towards the exit, breathing a little heavier, and watched him watching me. I’d never had a man stare so openly at me, like he was drinking me in and savoring every sip. The right side of his mouth curled up into a hint of a smirk and the deepest of dimples showed itself. He was bobbing his head in time to Staind and mouthing the lyrics just as the lead singer crooned about remembering how his girl tasted. My face turned deep red and I hit the gas a little harder and sped away.

  *****

  Gabriel

  My palms were sweating and my breath was coming in short gasps. I had finally made contact with her. Even though we hadn’t spoken, the moment she looked into my eyes I felt it. That zap of electricity when like recognizes like. God she was fucking beautiful. The terrible part was, she had no clue.

  Her dark hair and pale skin matched my own, but her eyes were what stole my breath the first time I ever saw her. That greenish-brown color reminded me of the forest that I loved so much. But it wasn’t just the color, it was what flashed in them. I could feel her pain and her longing
for something...more. She was hiding her true self from everyone and I wanted to bring that out of her. She was so quiet and reserved, but those eyes told a different story.

  It had taken months for me to get up the courage to make myself known to her. I thought it would be best to blend into the background for a while, so I attended one of her classes. I knew it was the last one she needed this semester, so I wanted to move faster than the snail’s pace I had taken so far. I sat in the back, dressed all in black so as to seem unassuming and mysterious. For weeks, she barely looked my way. She was so absorbed in her studies, which made me fall for her even more. Every time she put her glasses on and pulled out her laptop to take notes, I wanted to smile. God, she was sexy when she concentrated. All kinds of bad thoughts would cross through my mind while the instructor droned on and on about plots and characters. I wanted to know what her hair smelled like and what the skin under her ear tasted like.

  Finally, on the last day of classes, I knew I had to make my move. I wanted to see her outside of class, but in order to do that, I had to make her notice me. She stood up and stretched after the final and I caught a glimpse of that beautiful pale skin as her shirt lifted slightly. Her white cotton panties peeked out from the top of her jeans and my thoughts went to even darker places. I had a fetish for white cotton panties. I wanted to rip them from her luscious body with my teeth. I must have made some sort of noise while imagining this because as she began gathering her books and computer, her eye caught mine. Shit, I was staring again. I looked straight into her eyes, silently willing her to see the thoughts racing through my head.

  I watched her breath catch and her bag slip in her hands. I sat perfectly still while celebrating that small victory in my head. I had affected her. She had noticed me. My plan had finally been set in motion. She threw everything into her bag, turned in her test and lifted her head to look at me once more. The blush that crept up her gorgeous neck and face made my dick hard instantly. I had to have more of those eyes looking into mine.

  I gave her a few minutes to get to her car and made my way to the bus stop in the school’s parking lot. I knew she drove by it every night after class. She was blasting It’s Been Awhile by Staind and I smiled to myself at the perfection of her song selection. She had amazing taste in music and it actually mirrored my own. I wondered what she’d think if I sang to her. I watched her sit in her car for a few minutes, knowing that she was dreading going home. That prick she was married to didn’t deserve her. I knew he took her for granted and couldn’t care less about all that she was. Someday I wanted to show her how a real man should treat her.

  She started the car and drove towards me. I could tell she saw me, even though it was dark, as I could see that gorgeous blush creep up her skin again. Staind was singing the perfect line about remembering the way his girl tasted as she drove past me. Never taking my eyes off hers, I sang the lyrics to her with a silent promise to taste her someday soon.

  Chapter Two

  *****

  Lily

  I arrived home, not remembering the drive there, too wrapped up in thinking about the way he was staring at me. I’d been with my husband for almost 6 years, married for 2, and I loved him, but he’d never looked at me like that. I unlocked the door and was immediately greeted by the sounds of a video game blasting through the speakers. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it biting back my tears.

  He hadn’t remembered. I didn’t want to have this fight again: the one where I would ask him to turn it down and he would then proceed to tell me everything that was wrong with me, from my selfishness to my weight. I was mentally exhausted and I just wanted to have a few shots, listen to some music, and forget about life for a bit --not end my night slamming the bedroom door in tears. I weighed my options: I could either continue into our cramped little space, argue with him about using his headphones, smell the garbage that hadn’t been taken out, see the pile of dirty dishes in the sink…or I could call out hello, change my clothes, and head out for some “me time.”

  Feeling too tired to fight, I chose the latter. I needed time away from our mess of a marriage, I needed loud music, and most of all I needed alcohol. I headed into the bedroom, waving at him as I passed by the living room. He nodded as he continued to yell obscenities at the TV. I greeted my fur balls who were cuddled up on the bed in a rare moment of getting along. I had two cats, Ted and Poe. They were truly a gift from the heavens. They were sweet, loving, and had gotten me through some really rough times in my life.

  After much petting and kitten talk, I changed into my dark wash, boot cut jeans and a sheer dark hunter green button up. Then I threw on my black leather jacket and black leather lace up boots. I added some black eyeliner to my simple makeup and smeared on some gloss. I sent my friend Emma a quick text, asking if she was up for a drink. She replied right away, saying she had just finished her last exam and was ready to escape her brain for the rest of the night. I asked if she wanted to meet at the dive bar near school and she quickly replied YES!! I smiled and shook my head, thankful to have someone who wanted to spend time with me.

  For a moment I thought about the man in the next room and my mood began to darken. He used to want to spend time with me any chance he got. We loved to explore the city, discover unknown restaurants, and try all the cupcake places we could. He used to think my life was important enough to set the video games aside. He would have the house cleaned by the time I got out of work and school. Dinner would be ready or at least started. He used to care where I was or who I was with. He stopped asking questions months ago, stopped cooking, stopped cleaning, and stopped being interested in us. He was out late more and more often. He got texts at all hours of the night, but kept a passcode on his phone so I couldn’t see who they were from. He was becoming this completely different person. Only two years into this marriage, I wondered if I had made the wrong choice.

  I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and promised myself I’d do my soul searching tomorrow. For now I just wanted some down time, away from being a responsible, married adult. I grabbed my purse and keys and waved goodbye. He yelled out asking where I was going, stopping me in my tracks, and making me wonder if he had been having the same thoughts about us. I told him I was meeting up with Emma. I had just opened the door when he yelled again, telling me to behave and not act like a ho while I was out. A proud smile was on his face and he was laughing at his own joke. My eyes teared up and I closed the door and turned around to face him.

  “What did you call me?” I asked incredulously.

  “Oh lighten up! Quit being such a bitch and take a joke,” he replied.

  “Did you seriously just call me the ‘b’ word?”

  “Oh my god, here we go with the waterworks. Why are you such a sensitive baby anymore? I can’t have any fun with you.”

  “I’m not being a sensitive baby, I’m sick of you calling me names and joking about things that aren’t funny.”

  “I know I know, your mom called you a bitch growing up, you hate that word, blah blah blah, get over it.” I just stared at him, tears welling in my eyes and streaming slowly down my face.

  “When did you get so hateful?” I asked quietly, “You used to like me and compliment me and actually want to be around me.”

  “Oh Jesus, stop sobbing about everything! When did you become such a fucking sissy? You used to be able to take a joke. Now you act like you’re on your period all the fucking time, crying at the drop of the hat. Stop letting your emotions rule you and maybe you’d be more likeable.”

  “So it’s me? You’re sitting here, playing video games, yelling, and calling me names, but I’m the one at fault? I just finished one of the toughest semesters of my life all the while working 40 hours a week and cooking and cleaning and keeping our house in working order and you don’t even have the decency to ask me how I am! What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  “You, you are wrong with me. You’ve become this crazy bitch about everything. I work 60 hours a wee
k and pay for that food that’s showing up on your ass. You’re a spoiled brat, you know that Lily? I’m allowed to come home and relax and play my video games and do whatever the fuck I want with my time off. I don’t have to be with you every second of the day!”

  “Ryan, I haven’t seen you in a week, except sitting here on this couch playing on the computer or watching TV. You don’t even let me sit in here anymore because you want time to unwind. I have to hole up in our bedroom and hide. This isn’t a marriage, we’re freaking roommates! Do you even love me anymore?”

  “I did before you got fucking fat. Did you ever use that gym membership I got you? Maybe I’d want to be around you more often if you weren’t such a fatass! Don’t you have any pride in yourself? Don’t you look in the mirror? Jesus, Lily, you’d think you’d want me to be attracted to you! How can I love you if I don’t even want to touch you? Maybe you should take some advice from Katie, she works out all the time and runs health food seminars online. You could learn a thing or two from her.”

  I stared at him with my mouth hanging open and tears running down my face. As he said her name, I could feel it start again. My body began to feel hot with rage and I stayed perfectly still, as though I were prey trying to trick my hunter. The bars of self-preservation came down hard, like the jail cell I felt I lived in. Over my eyelids, they fell first, hiding any thoughts and emotions. Then the bars closed down over my skin, so his touch wouldn’t fool me. Then finally, they moved over my heart to protect it from further damage.

  Although, sometimes the bars not only protected me, they hurt me as well. They held in the pain that sliced new wounds into the old scars that had finally healed. I told myself to breathe evenly and remain calm, though the demons inside were clawing at my skin to escape. Deep down I had known her name would eventually come up, but I wasn’t prepared for the damage it would cause.