Her hands. She has the softest, most delicate hands I’ve ever seen. Blake thinks to herself as the pretty waitress takes her plate away. “I’ll be right back with the check,” she says as she flashes Blake a kind smile. And her teeth are perfect. 

“Thank you,” Blake replied, returning the smile. She watches the stunning waitress walk away. Alex was her name. Alexandra Elizabeth Parker. She’s twenty-seven, not married, and has no kids. She’s from Seattle, but moved to Connecticut when she was ten. She graduated from Applecrest High School and has worked at Lucky Hedgehog’s Diner for five years now. She was born on May 11th, 1996. Judging by her social media posts, she loves coffee, reading, and hiking. She appears to have a really close-knit group of friends named Jamie, Harper, and Charlie, who all graduated with her. She has brunch with her mom at a small restaurant called Sally’s Kitchen every Sunday. She’s adorable. It’s amazing what you can find on the Internet. 

Blake turns off her phone, as she sees Alex returning to her table. Everything's in slow motion. She walks so elegantly, as her hips sway slightly. Her shimmering, honey blonde hair is in a loose ponytail that swings rhythmically from side to side. Her baby blue eyes are radiant and her perfect teeth and dimples appear with every smile, which makes Blake melt in her chair like ice cream on a hot summer day. 

“Here’s this for you, sweetie pie,” Alex said while handing the check to Blake. Sweetie pie. Blake noticed she had a small tattoo on the inside of her wrist. It was a less than sign with a number three next to it. It’s perfect. Just like her. 

Blake, lost in her thoughts, quietly says, “Thank you. Oh and this is for you.” Blake scrambles to find her wallet. When she finally finds it, she takes out a hundred dollar bill and with shaky hands she softly hands it to Alex. 

With wide eyes, Alex stands there for a moment before she says, “Wow… oh my gosh, thank you so much! Today’s been really slow, so I really needed this.” Of course, anything for you.

“You’ve been really great to me. You deserve it.” Blake says with a shy smile. Alex smiles back and blushes profusely while looking down at her shoes. 

“Thank you,” she says again shyly. They wished each other a good day before Blake left the diner. Thoughts clouded Blake’s mind, as she walked to her car. Is this what true love feels like? I can’t lose this feeling. She’s mine. I need her.

Alex had never had a customer make her blush before. She was used to being hit on by smelly old men with beer bellies and scruffy beards. They would make vulgar comments about her body and say things like, “Are you on the menu?” She would simply smile and chuckle nervously before walking away. She only ever got to serve creeps and weirdos. So she was always delighted when a genuinely nice and polite customer came in, which was unfortunately very rare. It was also rare that the same nice customer would return, which is why Alex was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face from a couple weeks before.

“Hey, sweet pea! How are you?” Alex says excitedly as she approaches the tall brunette.

“I’m good. It’s great to see you again,” Blake replies quietly, fiddling with her fingers. Alex’s smile widened, as she found Blake’s shyness adorable. There was just something about her that drew Alex in. She was mysterious and quiet. Some might find this off-putting, but not Alex. She found it attractive and took it as a challenge to get to know her better. She didn’t want it easy. Her life had never been easy. Growing up with an abusive drunk for a dad who would rather spend money on booze than food for his family does something to a person. That certainly wasn’t easy, but she knew it made her who she was today. She was proud of that. People need hard experiences to truly discover themselves. Deep in thought, Alex grabs a menu and gestures for Blake to follow her. Blake sits down and thanks Alex for the menu. Her hand grazes Alex’s by accident and it makes her heart skip a beat. I would kill to hold her hand, Blake thinks.

“I’ll be right back,” Alex says with a smile. Blake returned the smile and began to look over the menu. She had avoided eating at the diner again for a few weeks because she didn’t want to come off as creepy. Plus, she needed time to get to know Alex a little better. Getting to know Alex has been the most incredible experience Blake has ever had. She looked so cute having brunch with her mom the other day. Blake thinks back to last Sunday. A small smile forms on her lips as she takes out a small notebook from the pocket of her hoodie. She flips to a random page and reads.

Sunday, October 21, 2023: 8:00 am - She wakes up and goes for a run. Her hair is tied back. She’s wearing a pink windbreaker, black leggings, and a black baseball cap. 9:06 am - She returns home. She takes a shower. When she gets out, she makes a cup of coffee. Two tablespoons of creamer. One teaspoon of sugar. She grabs her cup and curls up on the loveseat with a blanket and a book. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Good book. 10:47 am - She heads to Sally’s Kitchen to meet her mom. She walks, as it’s only a few blocks away. She’s beautiful. She’s wearing a fluffy, oversized cardigan and baggy bl–

A gentle hand on her shoulder makes Blake jump. “I’m so sorry sweetie pie, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Alex says with an apologetic look on her face. Sweetie pie. 

“No, it’s okay. I wasn’t paying attention,” Blake reassures her. 

“No worries at all, you seemed really focused. What are you working on?” Alex asks,

tilting her head to get a better look at the small journal. Blake quickly slams the notepad shut and jams it into her pocket. Startled and confused, Alex begins to apologize before Blake cuts her off. 

“No, you’re fine. It’s nothing really, just something for school,” Blake replied quickly,

avoiding Alex’s eyes. 

“Oh, what school do you go to?” Alex asked with curiosity. Shoot. Blake’s heart races as she scrambles to come up with an answer. She remembers that there is a school not too far from here, but she can’t remember the name of it.

“I just take a few online classes at the university down the street,” Blake replied confidently. She flashes Alex a charming smile before averting her eyes. “I think I’m ready to order,” she says quickly to avoid any more questions. Alex nods and reaches for her notepad to take Blake’s order. After she writes it down and walks away, Blake takes out her notepad again and writes down what Alex is wearing. Blue button up, dark jeans, and black Converse. As she waits for her food, she makes note of Alex’s body language with other customers. She’s friendly, but something is off. She’s uncomfortable. These disgusting pigs can’t seem to keep their hands off of her. They don’t deserve her breath. If this wasn’t a public place, I would beat-

“Here you are, sweetie pie,” Alex says, gently setting the food on the table. Blake snaps out of her thoughts and thanks her for the food. Alex’s mood seems to lighten a bit, now that she’s away from all of those creeps. She turns to walk away to allow Blake to eat her meal in peace before stopping in her tracks. She turns back around and meets Blake's eyes. Her mind is clouded by the warmth she receives from staring into her eyes. They’re almost hypnotizing. Any voice in her head that’s screaming at her, telling her that she shouldn’t do this because she would never stand a chance, suddenly feels like a whisper. Plus, her love life was so pathetic at the moment and it was hard to find potential romantic partners in her small town. This was her chance. She knew she would regret it if she didn’t jump at this opportunity. Feeling a rush of confidence, Alex suddenly blurts out, “Do you wanna have dinner with me at my place tomorrow night? I can’t cook, but I was thinking we could order takeout. I’d really like to get to know you better. If you don’t want to-” 

“Yes,” Blake replied, cutting her off. She’s nervous and... unsure? If I don’t want to? How could anyone not want to? There’s nothing I want more. “I would love to.” They share warm smiles and Alex blushes.

“Great. Does seven work for you?” Alex asks, playing with the ring on her finger. Blake actually told her boss that she would work late tomorrow, but that didn’t matter anymore. Not when Alex was on the line.

“That’s perfect,” she replies. Alex smiles and takes out her pen. She writes her phone number and address on a napkin and hands it to Blake. 

“I’ll see you then,” she says. After Alex walks away, Blake stares at the address and chuckles a bit. If only she knew. She stuffs the napkin in her pocket and eats her food. She imagines how tomorrow night will go. She can’t wait to fully experience Alex – to see how she lives and share her space with her. To breathe the air she breathes. Alex checks up on Blake periodically and they are both so obviously excited for tomorrow. After Blake finishes her meal, she hands Alex a hundred dollar bill. They share a warm hug and say their goodbyes. When Blake finally exits the diner, she gets in her car and sits in the parking lot for a while, watching the bubbly girl interact with other customers. Tomorrow can’t come fast enough, she thinks.

The next day, Blake wakes up and immediately thinks about the girl that consumes her mind throughout all hours of the day and night. She smiles when she remembers their plans for this evening. This gives her the energy to get out of bed and get ready for the day. She decides to call in sick for work, as she can’t risk having to work later. Nothing was going to get in the way of this evening’s plans. Blake does some basic house chores and runs a few errands to keep busy throughout the day. She resists the urge to stop by Alex’s house and watch her. Just wait, you’ll see her tonight, she repeats in her head. No matter what she does, she can’t seem to get Alex off of her mind. The day goes by slowly, but when the time finally comes, Blake gets ready and texts Alex that she's getting ready to head out. Before heading over to Alex’s, she stops by a bakery to get a pumpkin pie. Halloween was right around the corner, so she thought it was fitting.

Before she knew it, she was standing at Alex’s front door, trying to find the courage to knock on the door. After standing there for a couple of minutes, she finally knocks and hears Alex’s footsteps soon after. Even her footsteps are delicate. Alex opens the door with a huge grin on her face, as Blake loses the ability to breathe. She was breathtaking. She looked like a Lana Del Rey song. Her glossy blonde hair fell effortlessly over her shoulders. It looks more bronde now and matches some of the leaves on the trees. Her irresistible, serene blue eyes match her light blue sweater and blue jeans. Oh, and those dimples never failed to make Blake weak in the knees. Alex greeted Blake with a hug and said, “I’m so happy you’re here.” Blake wanted to cry at her words. No one had ever wanted her before. They embraced in the doorway for a while before Alex welcomed her in and took the pie.

Blake was immediately overwhelmed by Alex’s home. She had never seen it in such detail. It was so… her. It was comfortable, soft, and delicate – just like Alex. It smelled like coffee and cinnamon and everything was so organized. The books on her bookshelves were placed perfectly and the fluffy blankets on her couch were folded neatly. There wasn’t a crumb of food on her kitchen counter. Actually, there wasn’t a crumb of food or speck of dirt anywhere. It was perfect. She could imagine her and Alex living here together. They would laugh and make memories. They would bake cookies for the neighbors and be known as the cute young couple next door. They would raise a family here. They would be happy. Blake knew what she had to do. She couldn’t let Alex get away. She couldn’t lose her. She wouldn’t.

With one swift motion, Blake grabbed a knife and Alex’s arm, forcing her to sit down. Scared and confused, Alex began to cry and asked Blake what was going on. Blake stayed silent and quickly rummaged through all of the drawers and cabinets in the kitchen. She found duct tape and approached Alex, the knife still in her hand. She started to scream, so Blake ran over to her and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Shh…shh. I promise I’m not going to hurt you. I love you, Alex. I knew it from the day I saw you. I know this doesn’t make sense to you right now, but it will. I just need time to figure things out.” Blake said softly while stroking Alex’s face. “In the meantime,” Blake said, “I need you to trust me.” She slowly removed her hand from Alex’s mouth and began to wrap duct tape around the leg of the chair and Alex’s leg. Alex saw this as her only chance to fight back before she was completely bound to her kitchen chair. She began kicking and screaming and flailing her arms wildly to get Blake away from her. Blake tried to shush her and grab her arms, but it was no use. She reached into her pocket, desperately trying to fish something out while holding off Alex with one hand. She finally found what she was looking for – a syringe. It was filled with a tranquilizer. She didn’t want to have to use this, but she couldn’t risk someone hearing Alex’s screams. “I have to,” whispered Blake, “I’m so sorry… it’s the only way I can keep you.” She quickly tried to steady her hand to prepare to inject Alex. All of a sudden, Blake hears a loud pop and everything else goes silent.

Within a few seconds, Blake was on the ground and she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She looked around, trying to figure out what just happened. An officer rushed over to Alex and asked her if she was okay. Another officer walked around the property, observing the situation and taking note of what happened. The officers don’t check on Blake. They hardly even looked at her, but Alex did. That was all Blake needed. That was all she ever wanted. So this is it. This is the end for me, she thinks.

Alex genuinely liked Blake and wanted to get to know her. She never imagined in a million years that Blake would do what she did. Luckily, she was able to use her phone to quietly alert the authorities while Blake was rummaging through her kitchen. When the officer rushed in and saw the struggle between the two girls and the syringe in Blake’s hand, he acted fast and shot Blake to prevent her from hurting or possibly killing Alex. Alex’s mind was racing, as she stared at Blake. She didn’t know what to say or think, but she did know that she needed to talk to Blake. So, she asked the police officers if she could have a moment alone with her. They were hesitant at first, but she assured them that she would be okay. They looked at each other and nodded before stepping outside to give the girls a moment. Alex slowly crouched down next to Blake, trying to read her. She was mad at her for what she did – for putting her through this trauma and heartbreak.

“I can’t believe this,” whispered Alex, “I trusted you, Blake.” Blake laid there, unable to speak while shaking and gasping for air, as she was practically drowning in her own blood. She stared at Alex with sorrowful eyes. Alex teared up at the sight of Blake struggling to cling on to her last moments of life. She had really fallen for Blake, but she needed help. Alex didn’t want it to end this way, but she was too dangerous and probably beyond help. In another life, maybe, Alex thinks. She watched the life slowly leave Blake’s eyes. All of the color had drained from her face and her breaths became slower and less frequent. Alex kissed her on the forehead and sighed before whispering, “Rest easy, sweetie pie.”

Alex stands up and stares down at Blake for a moment. She quickly wipes the tears that slide down her cheeks and begins to step away slowly. After what felt like forever, she finally turned around and approached her front door. She opened the door to step outside and talked to the police officers. She had gotten what she wanted. Another moment with Blake.

“Mike, can you grab her blanket?” says the officer to his partner. Mike nods and makes his way to the car. Alex looks back at the front door nervously, fearing that at any moment she would see Blake run out. The police officer notices Alex’s worried face and begins to speak softly.

“Hey… it’s gonna be okay. He’s gonna take you down to the station. He’ll take good care of you and make sure you get home safely when you’re done. Okay?” he says, trying to comfort the very shaken woman in front of him.

“Thank you.” is all Alex can say as she flashes him a shy smile. Mike comes back and hands the blanket to Alex. He pulls his partner aside and talks to him for a minute. Alex takes a seat on the front steps, trying to take in everything that has happened. I can’t believe she’s gone. Alex thinks as she tries to recall when it all went wrong. She wondered if there were signs that she hadn’t picked up on. How did I not realize there was something off? What made her choose me? Did I say or do something to trigger this? A million thoughts raced through Alex’s mind. She’d have thought about it all day if Mike hadn’t interrupted her.

“Are you okay?” he asks with a concerned expression. Alex nods and tries to stand up. He helps her up and leads her to the car.

“Hey Oz!” He shouts. “We’re gonna head out now, I’ll catch up with you later.” Oscar nods and walks toward the front door. Mike opens the door for Alex and allows her to get situated while he starts the car. Just before he drives off, Oscar runs out of the house. He begins to yell and he flails his arms wildly to get Mike’s attention. Mike and Alex immediately look at Oscar with confusion, as they see the frantic look on his face. Mike steps out of the car, leaving the door open. As he does so, Oscar has already caught up to the car.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Mike asks, trying to understand what Oscar is saying in between heavy breaths. After what seemed like an eternity, Oscar managed to catch his breath and he finally spit out the words.

“She’s gone.” he says with a worried look. Mike looks at him, then at Alex, and then back at him. He stumbles over his words, trying to figure out what to say.

Alex looks as if her whole world has stopped. She stares at the slightly ajar front door, unsure of what to say or do. How can that be? She’s supposed to be dead. Alex quickly looked around, suddenly feeling very unsafe. She had so many unanswered questions that only overwhelmed her even more. She drowned out the world around her, feeling as anxious as ever, as she scanned her surroundings carefully. She got goosebumps from the chilly air that greeted her skin through the open car door. The wind caused the trees to sway and some leaves to fall. Alex suddenly got an eerie feeling in her stomach and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She whipped her head around and examined the dense area closely. She could have sworn she saw a familiar face peeking from behind a tree in the distance.