Nova Johnson
Sweating bodies, hands all over the place, lips falling down to my breasts. The eruption of pleasure was filling me, Alexander knew what he was doing, he knew what my body liked and gave it to me.
It was the last thrust that made sure my body crumbled underneath him, he falls besides me and our panting breaths trying to catch up with one another.
My fingers rush through my hair as I release a soft laughter, my head turns to see Alexander smirking. The moment Alexander told me I was his, it was just silence between us, but the butterflies swarmed my stomach.
I rest my head against his chest, my fingers circling around the tattoos on his chest.
He slowly shifts out of the bed, stretching out his back as my eyes scale down his scars.
"I'm going to shower." He whispers.
"I'll join you." I slide my legs off of the bed, allowing them to dangle above the cotton carpet, as he nods and walks into the restroom.
I open the bathroom door and see Alexander rinsing the shampoo off his hair. After drawing the curtains open, I step into the bathtub. As I recall the first time I snuck into his flat, my fingertips slide down his biceps.
Alexander turns around, wiping his face with his hands before opening his eyes. As he draws me closer to him, the electric blue accentuates my tense body.
His lips press onto mine; I chuckle and wrap my arms around his neck.
"Stop, we have a busy day ahead." I whisper.
"And what's that?"
"I have work, in thirty minutes."
"That's enough time for me."
"No Alexander, I need to be early." He sighs and grabs the shampoo before handing it to me, I smile once more and kiss him.
Once we were both changed and dried up, Alexander was going to the gym and I was going to work. We decided to walk together, the snow was too much for us both to drive. I waited for him by the door of his apartment, I notice a black scarf hung on the cloak hanger. I slide it around my neck and wait for him to come.
Alexander walks out with a gym bag and an unzipped hoodie, "okay, let's go." I open the door and we walk out. "I have my maths exam tomorrow." Alexander looks down at me.
"Are you ready for it?" He asks me.
"Maybe tutoring tonight might help me," I suggest.
"And what do I get out of it?"
"An amazing night." We reach the bakery door, Alexander smirks and kisses me on the lips.
"Payment confirmed, I would have done it anyways."
"Oh so I don't need to beg anymore?"
"Not for maths, but for something else then yes." I push his chest slightly, before waving goodbye and entering the bakery.
Olivia's bakery was packed, I knew this was going to be a long day for me. I hurriedly rush to the back, and throw my coat and scarf to the side before grabbing my apron from my bag as I wrap it around my waist.
The moment I got out, I began picking up the plates from the tables so more customers could sit and eat.
I dump them into the kitchen sink while greeting the rest of the personnel. Olivia was near the cashier as I walked back out. I notice a stack of plates with croissant crumbs on them. I run into a body as I pick it up and turn. I didn't have to look up anything as I do with Alexander.
"Oh sorry-"
"Well, hello Just Nova." Derek smiles as he slides of his coat, and settles it onto the chair.
"Derek Shephard, surprise to see you here." I chuckle.
"I had no clue you worked here?"
"Part time, I'm sorry Derek, would it be okay to catch up later-we are swamped."
"No, of course go ahead." I smile, walking towards the kitchen with the extra plates.
Olivia walks past me and takes an additional pair of dishwasher glasses. I walk out and note that three orders have not yet been given; I grab the English tea and look at the receipt to see that it belongs to table four.
I look ahead and walk towards Derek, I set it down onto his table. "English tea?"
"Yes, thank you."
Hours pass by, the bakery then begins to slowly quieten down.
The bell of the door rings and more come in from a trip it seems, and behind them was Alexander; Olivia gasps and throws the towel she was using to wipe the table before kissing his cheek. They begin exchanging a few words as I pick up the next few plates.
Alexanders eyes lock with mine, "just a black coffee Olive." Olivia nods her head, I drop the plates into the sink and walk back out to see Alexander sat in the back.
"Nova, hand this to table eleven."
"Yes Olivia," I take the black coffee from her and walk towards Alexander.
I set the coffee down onto his table, he glances up and his blue eyes lock with mine. "Black coffee right?"
"Two sugars."
"Just how you like it." I whisper.
I was ready to leave when I felt a stinging feeling against my ass. As I walk away, I throw my head back and rub it, while Alexander sips his black coffee and reads a book which he took from his gym bag. He slapped my behind. Prick.
◾◾◾
I stretch my tense limbs before gazing around, and my gaze is drawn to the book that Alexander always reads. I reach down to get it, but the top cover slips from my grasp and the hard copy smacks into the floor.
"Shit," I mutter.
I bend over to pick it up and pause the moment I saw the cover.
I pause.
Lisa Johnson - The Silent Neighbour
Why on earth does he have this book? Why does he have my mother's book in his apartment?
I look back at the bathroom door to hear him switch on the shower as I flick the book open, I see annotations all over the papers-pages. He has been writing in it. I slam it shut, not wanting to read nor touch this book any further. But then I contemplate, why has he written all over this book?
I sat there, on the bed holding this book that I promised to never read nor even touch. And I want it to stay like that, I settle the book back into the first cover that he has put and left it on his night stand before walking towards the bathroom.
However, I pause.
Should I just read it?
No, I have invaded his privacy enough.
Maybe he was just interested in the book.
I leave my fears and open the first page.
They were so silent that you couldn't hear their new born baby scream. All of my neighbours told me not to move next to them, but I didn't listen since I wanted a good story. They were the only ones. As a journalist, you must be willing to take chances. I relocated my entire family, including my daughter, Nova Johnson, solely to find out who the Silent Neighbours were.
Then I glance at the arrow pointing to the post it note;
Daughter - Nova Johnson
19 YEARS OLD
Mathematician
I look back, he still has not come out. He-He knew who I was?
I skip through pages, until I see capital letters filling the entire page.
My daughter referred to him as "the little boy." He often stood at the window, staring at my small daughter like a stalker, and I could tell he observes her from there—watches her change, sleep, and play. He was nothing more than a teenage paedophile, and I wouldn't be surprised if he photographed her as she was changing.
How could my mother write something like this? Was this why she taped my windows?
I glance at the arrow which pointed to a red post it note;
- ALL FUCKING LIES.
- DESERVED TO DIE.
- I will ruin her.
- The way she ruined me by going after the only thing she has.
Nova Johnson.
My heart damps into black, I slide of the bed fully and open his bedside draw to shove the book in only to see a pile of maths book inside.
My eyebrows rose as I flick through them, has he been learning maths to lure me in? I hear something click, my head slowly turns around and I see Alexander standing by the bathroom door.
His eyes fall to the book in my hands and then-it hits me.
It was all a plan.
His eyes were filled with anguish, yet they also had the warmth and energy of the sunny surface. They were a thousand shades of blue with a hint of hazel radiating in softly sweeping arcs. "Nova-"
"This was all part of a plan." I whisper, my eyes locking with his. I was at a loss of words; I grab onto the covers of the bed and wrap it around my body in utter shock.
"I can explain." I graze my mouth with the palm of my hands.
"Explain? Explain the fact that you-you-..." Alexander walks to the opposite side of the bed, he looks between me and the book. I slowly step back.
"I'm the little boy Nova."