Chapter 19

Andrew Blake

There were many ways to start a conversation without sounding like a jerk, but I chose to congratulate her. In my defense, it wasn’t a bad start, but it wasn’t the best, either. I could have told her that I missed her, that I’ve always wanted to call her just to hear her voice, her sassy remarks, or her laughter when she found me funny.

She probably didn’t know that every time she walked home, I made sure to walk with her, silently hoping she would sense my presence from behind the scenes. I bet she never even realized she was being followed. She never turned back while walking.

Sometimes, I was amazed by how carefree she could be, and other times, I wanted to pull her close and kiss her in the darkness. But I know that would be crossing the line, given that I walked her home. It would come off as creepy stalker behavior, which was definitely not my intention.

Today was one of those days when I wanted to show my support. Not just