Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars

by Melisse Aires

  "That guy...Oh, nothing."

  By the time Noah looked up, the man seemed to disappear into thin air. Noah ran his fingers through his spiky, strawberry blonde hair and looked bewildered at her.

  "You feeling alright?" Mallory asked, placing a concerned hand on her shoulder.

  "That was the strangest thing. I could have sworn I saw someone standing there, watching me." Maddie shook her head as she picked a handful of streamers off the ground.

  "Just like you saw someone watching you at the grocery store last night or the video store the night before? I think you are losing it." Mallory shook her head.

  "I know what I saw." Maddie snapped at her best friend.

  Mallory shrugged as she threw away the used paper plates.

  "Want to know what I think?" Mallory asked.

  "No, but you're going to tell me anyway," Maddie nonchalantly said.

  "I think you need to get laid."

  At her friend's suggestion, Maddie couldn't help but laugh.

  "Getting laid is going to stop me from seeing a random guy watching me from a distance?" Maddie asked.

  "What I am saying is you need to shake things up right now. Do something crazy before you drive all of us insane. When was the last time you left Charleston? Or went out on a date? Or done anything other than go to work, hang out with me, and spend time with your parents or brother?" Mallory questioned.

  "I broke up with someone a few months ago," Maddie defended.

  "Oh, yes, Douglas. That nerd."

  "He wasn't a nerd," Maddie stiffly responded.

  "Oh, yes, he was. Sorry, Madison. That guy was a nerd. He wasn't even a cool nerd. He didn't like Doctor Who," Noah chimed in.

  "And I know you two never had sex," Mallory said.

  "And how would you know that?" Maddie placed her hands on her hips.

  "Maddie, you have been my best friend since we were teenagers. We've lived together for the last eight years. Sad as it is, I can hear what goes on, or rather, what hasn't gone on in a long time."

  Maddie wrinkled up her nose at the idea, not liking her best friend had kept tabs on her sex life.

  "Brad was the last one, wasn't he?" Mallory delicately asked.

  Before Maddie could even answer, Noah chimed in again.

  "Ah, yes, Brad. I liked him. What happened to him?" her brother asked.

  "He's married," Maddie stiffly said.

  Any time the two women had a conversation about Maddie's dating life, Brad's name would come up. She had dated Brad for six years and thought they were going to get married. She was surprised when he broke things off with her, having fallen in love with someone named Kristina. That was five years ago. Now, here she was at thirty, alone, living with her best friend since high school.

  A part of her did feel a little sad, even if she wouldn't admit it to Mallory or her family. Most of her friends were married and having children. Mallory would be moving out at the end of their lease in a few months to marry her boyfriend, Kyle. Maddie did have a crush on someone at work but didn't have the nerve to talk to him.

  "Now there was a man, unlike Douglas. What kind of a name is that, anyway?" Mallory asked, breaking into Maddie's thoughts.

  "A nerd," Noah pointed out.

  "Thanks, guys. This has been a big help." Maddie sighed.

  "Why don't you ask out that tech support guy?" Mallory asked.

  "There's a tech support guy? Why haven't I heard of this?" Noah asked.

  "Because if you knew, you would hound me to talk to him," Maddie told her brother.

  "So tell me about this tech guy," Noah encouraged.

  "His name is John and she's been crushing on him since she started working there. I've caught a glimpse of him once. He's good looking," Mallory told Noah.

  "Thanks, Mallory," Maddie said sarcastically.

  Noah touched Maddie's hand, pulling her attention to him.

  "Don't get down on me, Sis. I'm just worried about you," he softly told her.

  "I don't see why." Maddie shook her head.

  "You've become complacent, and I'm not sure why. You are one of the smartest people I know. You have a Master's degree in both engineering and theoretical physics, yet, you are working in a call center. Once Mallory moves out, you'll be single and alone."

  "Noah, I appreciate your concern, but it isn't necessary," Maddie said.

  "I'm worried about you, too. You need a change of pace desperately. Your life is just so...boring," Mallory said.

  "I like boring," Maddie told her.

  "No, boring is comfortable. You've grown too comfortable, Maddie. You don't want to stay in it for too long or you'll get stuck."

  Later that evening, Maddie looked at her reflection in her bathroom mirror. It had been too long since she had a haircut. Her dirty blonde hair hung just above the small of her back. She always felt like her baby blue eyes were too large for her heart-shaped face. Her lips were slightly swollen, evidence she chewed on her bottom lip. Maddie never wore makeup. She didn't even own any, which was one of the reasons why she never believed anyone when they have told her they thought she was pretty. She just didn't see herself that way.

  She washed her face and frowned. She kept thinking about what Mallory and Noah said after the birthday party. It was true it had been years since she had done anything out of her normal routine. To be honest, she hadn't thought much about it. She worked a full time job. She spent her weekends with her family. She wrote stories and poetry in her spare time. She didn't see anything wrong with her life. Maddie began to wonder why everyone seemed worried about her. She could hear Mallory with her fiancé, Kyle, through the walls. Maddie rolled her eyes as she flopped down on her bed. She turned on some music to drown the noisy couple out. Another week was getting ready to begin.

  #

  Maddie sat alone at a table in the break room, picking at the food in front of her. The pasta salad was becoming more and more unappetizing the more she looked at it. She glanced up unhappily at the clock. If only she had the power to speed up time. She still had four more hours of work. Maddie hated her job at the call center, but it paid well. She had started working there after the technology company she had worked for, Samberg Industries, moved its offices to Florida. She had declined the offer to relocate with them, not wanting to be away from her family. She'd worked hard to find another job in Charleston but gave up and became a customer service representative for a cell phone company.

  Maddie pushed the bowl away from her, unable to pretend to eat anymore. She pulled a book out of her purse, checking the clock one more time. She still had twenty minutes left of her lunch. Rather than reading, Maddie used it as a guise to look over at her crush, John Brooks, who was sitting at a table with his two older brothers. She chewed on her bottom lip as she watched one of the brothers, Seth, tell a story animatedly. John was laughing so hard he was slapping at the table. Seth's twin brother, Logan, who was normally very stoic, was laughing hard as well. Maddie blushed red when John looked over in her direction. Thankfully, the book seemed to give her a little measure of protection.

  "Hey!" Maddie exclaimed in surprise as a man sat down at her table.

  She let out a gasp and her eyes grew huge as she recognized him as the guy she thought had been following her for several days.

  "How did...Who are...How did you get in here? It's a secured building," Maddie asked.

  "That doesn't matter. I need you to come with me now," the unknown man told her.

  "I don't think so." Maddie shook her head.

  She gave an anxious glance over to the Brooks' table, fear bubbling up under her surface. Should she scream or cry out? Should she run? Her muscles felt frozen in place.

  "I mean you no harm, Madison," the stranger told her.

  "How do you know my name?" she asked.

  "For starters, it's on your name badge," he pointed out.

  Maddie swallowed the hard lump forming in her throat.

  "I don't want to scare you, that is not my int
ent. But I do need you to come with me," the stranger said.

  "Why?" Maddie squeaked out the question.

  "For your protection. You are in danger."

  "You must be confusing me with someone else." Maddie shook her head.

  "Madison, I know this sounds weird but you have to trust me," he implored her.

  "Is everything okay?" John asked, coming to the table. The sound of John's raspy voice made Maddie jump.

  "Everything is fine," the stranger did not take his brown eyes off of Maddie.

  Maddie looked up at John and shook her head. Thank God he was paying attention, she thought.

  "Logan, call security." John ordered.

  Logan immediately obliged, alerting security by a panel in the lunch room wall. John gently grabbed Maddie by the arm and pulled her away from the table. Logan and Seth flanked the stranger, grabbing his arms with force. A security team came into the lunch room and carried the man out with Logan following. Maddie's heart was racing as she watched them leave.

  "Are you okay?" John asked.

  All Maddie could do was nod.

  "Who was that guy?" John asked.

  "I don't know. I think he's been stalking me," Maddie said.

  "Well, I don't know how he got into this building, but we're going to make sure he doesn't come back. I'm John, by the way."

  "Madison. Um, Maddie." She corrected herself, chewing on her bottom lip.

  John gave her a crooked grin that nearly made her knees buckle.

  "It's nice to finally meet you, Maddie," he told her.

  "Finally?" She asked.

  "Oh, yes, Johnny Boy has been trying to work up the nerve to talk to you for months," Seth said, sliding into the chair the stalker had been sitting in.

  "Shut up, Seth," John snapped.

  "Come on, little bro. I just did you a favor." Seth grinned.

  "Um, thank you. I owe you," Maddie said, blushing again.

  "You can make it up to him by going out to dinner tonight," Seth spoke up.

  "Seth!" John warned through gritted teeth.

  "I would love to. That is, if it is a real offer." Maddie's face turned bright red.

  John's face softened. "Great. Give me your number and I'll text you."

  Maddie quickly wrote her number down on a slip of paper and handed it to John.

  "What's going on?" Logan asked, rejoining the group.

  "I just got John a date," Seth said gleefully.

  A smile threatened to tug on the corner of Logan's mouth. Seth's bright green eyes were twinkling with his amusement.

  "I better get back to my desk," Maddie sheepishly said.

  "I'll see you later," John said.

  Maddie was practically giddy by the time she reached her desk. The stalker was already forgotten about by the time she clocked in. She finally talked to John and got a date tonight! Maddie texted Mallory her happy news then went back to work.

  #

  "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to resolve your issues today. We appreciate your business and have a great day," Maddie said into her headset, finishing up her last call for the day.

  "Finally," she said under her breath as she threw her headset down and logged off the phone.

  John had been texting her throughout the rest of their work shift. She had just enough time to get home and change before he was going to pick her up for dinner. Maddie had just pulled her keys out of her purse when a loud noise rang out in the parking lot. Everyone around her gave a startled cry. Instantly, Maddie ducked down and threw her arms over her head to protect herself. She turned to run back inside but had already ventured too far into the parking lot.

  The large flower pot two feet away from Maddie shattered as another shot rang out. Maddie's heart began to race as she realized it was gun fire. She ran desperately toward her car, only to see that a bullet had struck one of her tires. A long, black car with tinted windows pulled up beside her in the parking lot. The back door flew open and an arm reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into the car. Maddie screamed but the car was already pulling away from the call center.

  "What's going on?" Maddie sputtered out the question.

  Sitting in the backseat with her was the stalker from earlier in the day. She screamed and then tugged on the door handle, but it would not budge. She rammed her shoulder into the door, but it wouldn't open.

  "Madison..." the stranger started.

  "Leave me alone," Maddie said in a forceful tone, pulling out a can of pepper spray from her purse. This act made him chuckle.

  "You can put that away. If I wanted to harm you, I would have left you in the parking lot," he gently told her.

  "Who are you?" Maddie demanded.

  "You didn't give me a chance to explain earlier. My name is Jackson Gray." He introduced himself.

  "You've been watching me," she stated.

  "Yes." Jackson nodded.

  "Why?"

  "It's a long story."

  "Well, you've got me trapped here." Maddie crossed an arm defensively over her chest; the other still held the can of pepper spray pointed at him.

  "Not here. Any explanation I could give will just give you more questions. We're going to a place where all your questions will be answered."

  "Oh, no. You've got to take me home. I'm not going anywhere with you," Maddie said.

  "You don't really have much of a choice here."

  "I have a date. He will worry when I'm not there and call the police."

  "Not tonight you don't. And don't worry about John or Mallory for that matter," Jackson flatly said.

  How had he known John's name or about Mallory? This man had been stalking her longer than she knew. In an attempt to get information, Maddie started to bombard him with questions.

  "What happened back there? Why would anyone shoot up the call center?" she asked.

  "They were looking for you. But don't worry; we're in a bullet proof car. No harm will come to you."

  "Looking for me? Why would someone try to kill me?" Maddie asked. She had no enemies she was aware of.

  "It's a little hard to explain right now. Just please believe me you are safe."

  She slowly lowered her pepper spray. He hadn't made movement to touch her and, even if she blinded him, she doubted she could make her way out of the car. There was a protective glass separating the front and the back seat. Maddie doubted she had the force to break the glass to use her pepper spray on the driver. Maddie took this time to study her backseat companion. Jackson appeared to be the same age as her with short brown hair, brown eyes and an athletic build. Not muscular but she could tell he was fit. She thought to herself she might consider him handsome, if he wasn't taking her captive. Jackson seemed to be watching her with equal amounts of curiosity and amusement. He smiled at her and shook his head.

  "What's so funny?" Maddie defensively asked.

  "You're just so different," Jackson stated.

  "So different than whom?"

  "You."

  Maddie was confused by his statement. At his words, though, his face changed. It was no longer amused but in a hard frown.

  "What's wrong?" she asked.

  "I just don't envy you. In a few minutes your whole life as you know it is going to be turned upside down. For that, I am sorry."

  Maddie looked puzzled but he refused to answer any questions. Life as she knew it was about to change, he said. That thought scared her. She was happy with her life the way it currently was.

  "I'm sorry to mess up your date, Madison," Jackson gently told her.

  "I appreciate that."

  They rode in silence the rest of the way.

  #

  The car came to a stop inside a parking garage. The driver and Jackson came around and opened up her door. Jackson grabbed her arm, preventing her from being able to run anywhere. Maddie was ushered into an elevator that went down.

  "Where are we going?" Maddie asked nervously.

  "I'm sorry," was all Jackson would say to her a
t that point.

  The elevator doors slid open, and Maddie was pushed into a long hallway. Jackson still held her by her arm and escorted her into what appeared to be a conference room. Maddie sat down in one of the chairs that surrounded the oval table and was left alone.

  Maddie lost track of time while waiting. She had gotten lost in her own thoughts when the opening of the door startled her.

  "Sorry to keep you waiting," Jackson said upon entering.

  "You've been apologizing a lot to me since we've met," Maddie flatly said.

  "It's not going to stop either."

  Maddie paused for a moment, remembering what Jackson had said earlier.

  "Alright, I think I'm owed an explanation."

  "I'm afraid you're right."

  Jackson paused right by the door.

  "Again, I'm sorry, Madison," he told her before knocking on the door.

  It swung open, and a woman walked into the room. The woman had short, dirty blonde hair but there could be no mistake: she looked exactly like Maddie.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Shock rippled through her body. The only thing Maddie could do was stare. A part of her screamed to run out of the room, but she felt frozen. The woman who looked identical to her leaned against Jackson, watching her with.

  "It's hard to believe I used to look like that." The woman grinned.

  "Apart from the hair, I don't think you look that much different," Jackson said.

  "No way. She looks so innocent."

  Maddie continued to stare in shock at the two of them, still unable to move.

  "Is there something wrong with her?" the unnamed woman asked.

  "I told you to let me handle this my way," Jackson told her.

  "You would just coddle her. We don't have a lot of time here. She needs to know and understand the situation," the woman stated.

  "Situation?" Maddie was barely able to get the word out.

  "She speaks." The woman raised an eyebrow, looking at Maddie highly amused.

  "Situation?" Maddie repeated, her voice cracking.

  The look-a-like and Jackson exchanged glances before they sat down at the table.

  "This is going to be difficult for you to hear but, please, do not freak out. I need you to listen carefully to what I'm about to say. Do you understand?" the woman asked.