When I gained the ability to read minds, Keith Portillo, who had been looking out for me for years, thought to himself, “Too bad I didn’t put a camera in her bathroom…” Keith had looks, wealth, and a gentle personality. I thought I had misheard him, but I found a tiny camera in my bathroom the next day. In the midst of my panic, Anthony Osborne, the pure-hearted guy who had been chasing me for half a year, suddenly showed up at my door. He thought, “If you don’t say yes today, I’ll just put you to sleep. I’ve wasted too much time.” My head buzzed, and with trembling hands, I smiled awkwardly and let him in. The young man sat on the couch and gave me a shy smile. “Eliza, I bought the Mille-feuille you like.” He handed me the dessert, and the bashful look in his eyes made it hard to refuse. My mind-reading ability wasn’t always reliable. But the moment Anthony walked through the door, it stopped working. A chill ran through me. I acted as casually as I could, placing the dessert on the coffee table. “Thank you. What brings you over today?” With his light brown eyes, Anthony looked at me and smiled sheepishly, “For you, I always have time…” Then, just like always, he hesitantly asked if I would be his girlfriend. I instinctively turned him down, and I could see the sadness flash across his face. But thinking of the thought I had heard when I opened the door, I suddenly felt a little uneasy. “I knew it would be like this,” he sighed softly, changing the subject. “I waited in line for a long time to get this Mille-feuille. Try it, Eliza.” I was afraid he might do something drastic if I rejected him again. So I took a bite of the Mille-feuille and said it was sweet. Anthony stared at me intently with a strange smile. “Is it?” I froze. The dessert felt like sand in my mouth, and it was almost impossible to swallow. Oh no.
Ding ding ding… My phone rang just as Anthony shed his harmless disguise and began to eye me with a predatory gaze. I quickly dropped the second piece of Mille-feuille and answered the call. “The club has an event tomorrow. Can I come by puck you up to help set up?” Keith’s voice felt like a lifeline, bringing me relief. I immediately agreed. After hanging up, I realized my palms were covered in cold sweat. I didn’t even notice when Anthony had moved closer and sat beside me. Suddenly, his strong arms wrapped around me. “Eliza, I really like you,” he said, resting his head on my shoulder and sounding a little aggrieved. “Can’t you give me a chance?” I swallowed hard, too scared to move. “Keith’s about to be downstairs. Let’s talk later…” “Keith Portillo?” His arms tightened around me. I tried to push him away, but he suddenly grabbed my neck and forcefully pushed me down onto the couch. “I can’t take it anymore. You’re always so close to him. Do you like him?” I thought, “You are the same to me.” “No, he’s just a friend. Get off me.” Before I even finished speaking, a violent kiss shocked me into silence. I struggled with all my strength, but he didn’t move an inch. I was about to suffocate when he finally pulled back. “Eliza, I’ve been chasing you for so long, but you still don’t like me… “What should I do with you?”
My father died in a car accident during my sophomore year, and I spent every day in sorrow. That was until Keith appeared. He was like a big brother to me, comforting me and helping me get out of the shadow of losing my father. Over time, I became more and more dependent on him. Looking back, he was like a patient hunter. Everything he did was to make me walk willingly into his trap. Now, even though I knew he was as dangerous as Anthony, I felt that no one but him could give me peace. “Your lip… How did it get wounded?” Keith looked aloof, but his voice was gentle. His eyes always made their hearts race when they locked onto anyone. He looked down, staring directly at my lips. “The air conditioner was turned up too high, and my lips cracked from being too dry.” I hadn’t looked in the mirror since I ran away from home, but I was sure the blood on my lips was obvious. Anthony had kissed me too hard. My lips still felt numb. Keith glanced at me, his expression unreadable, and then fell silent as he drove. When we arrived at the club, I rushed to the restroom and rinsed my mouth with water for a few minutes. The scene setup was finally finished by evening. “I’ll drive you home,” Keith said suddenly. I politely made up an excuse to decline. He didn’t argue, only telling me to go home and get some rest.
I didn’t dare go back, afraid that Anthony might still be at home. He thought, “I wish there was a camera here…” Wait!?! He thought, “Too bad I didn’t install a camera in her bathroom.” This meant Keith had cameras set up elsewhere, but I had only removed the one in the bathroom. No wonder his call came at just the right time… It was Keith calling. For some reason, I felt uneasy. I ignored his calls and let them ring. I found a hotel to stay the night. The next day, I went to school, and everything seemed calm. But the more peaceful things felt, the more uneasy I became. After class, I heard from a friend that Anthony was in the hospital and asked if I wanted to visit him. I made up an excuse and didn’t go. When I got home, the box of Mille-feuille was still on the coffee table. I had gotten a little dizzy after eating a piece yesterday, so I was glad I hadn’t finished it. That night, I dreamt of a giant snake. It coiled tightly around my body, making it hard to breathe. My mouth felt blocked, and I could only take weak breaths through my nose. The next morning, I woke up to find a large red mark on the inner side of my thigh and a sore waist. I couldn’t make sense of it and went to class with a sense of confusion.
After class, my friend Rose Grant excitedly came up to me and said. “You’ve known Keith for so long. I thought you two would end up together.” I was puzzled. She saw my reaction and asked, “You didn’t know?” “What?” “Keith’s dating someone! Beverly Fields from the next department!” We hadn’t been in touch since I stopped picking up his calls. I didn’t expect him to have time to start a relationship. Honestly, I felt a bit melancholic and empty. For the past two years, he had been looking out for me. Even though he wanted to do evil things to me, I couldn’t just walk away immediately. I knew what I felt for him wasn’t love. I felt like a helpless fool who couldn’t function without an older person around. How had I become like this? Was it because of Keith? My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a ringtone. I hesitated but answered the call. “Eliza?” His deep, gentle voice came through the phone. I responded with a complicated “Mm.” “The club has a social event coming up in a few days. Do you want to join?” To be honest, I wasn’t in the mood to see him. “No, I need to focus on my paper.” There was a brief silence. “Alright. But could we grab a meal sometime? I’d like you to meet my girlfriend.” I felt a mix of emotions. “I don’t think I’ll have time anytime soon.” “It’s okay. Whenever you have time, we can meet then.” Why did we have to meet? Would the world end if we didn’t? I sighed, feeling exhausted.
Since staying at the hotel, I had been thinking about moving. After a few days, I finally found a new place. This neighborhood felt safer than the last one. I also submitted my resignation from the club, which was a huge relief. Keith once said that joining the club would help with social connections and make things easier once I entered the workforce. So I had been part of this club for two years. But the truth was, I didn’t like socializing at all. At the time, I joined to keep myself busy and stop thinking about my father, so I followed Keith’s suggestion to sign up. Not long after I submitted my resignation, Keith called. “Why do you want to quit the club?” Keith’s voice sounded colder than usual. “It’s written on the application form.” “Eliza, you’re about to be a senior. The position of president…” Keith went on and on about the downsides of quitting and the benefits of staying in the club. But I remained firm. He sighed and finally gave up. “Fine. If you want to quit, and then quit.” In class, my friend Rose secretly leaned over to gossip with me. I quietly listened, but suddenly my face froze. She thought, “She’s always trying to get close to Keith, saying Keith likes her. Now that Keith has a girlfriend, she’s probably going crazy. If it weren’t for trying to talk to Keith, I would never have stuck around with Eliza, that delusional girl, for so long…” My fingers curled into a tight fist, and I stared at the textbook in front of me, letting out a bitter laugh.
This sudden mind-reading power was really unsettling. When did I ever say that Keith liked me? When did I ever try to get close to him on purpose? Accusations, unfounded and one after another, piled up on me. “Eliza… Eliza?” I turned to look at Rose. She furrowed her brow and said, “I’m talking to you. Can’t you hear me?” I silently studied her face before looking away. She poked me with her finger in annoyance. “What’s up with you? Is it because of Keith? Don’t be upset. Anthony, the guy who used to chase after you, was really handsome, you know…” I fought the urge to snap at her and interrupted, “Keith and I are just friends. And by the way, I already have a boyfriend.” She looked shocked. “You have a boyfriend? No way! You’ve always been single!” I quickly made up a story. Once she realized I didn’t like Keith, her expression grew heavier. The mind-reading ability disappeared at that point, and I couldn’t understand why she was making that face. But thankfully, I didn’t want to think about it anymore.
That night, I had another strange dream. This time, there were no images, just voices. A voice kept calling my name over and over again. The sound of heavy breathing seemed to come from right next to me, warm and close. It felt like something was pressing down on me, and no matter how hard I tried to push it away, I couldn’t. It only got heavier and tighter. At 8 a.m., I woke up feeling completely drained. Looking down, I froze. Red marks on my calves, thighs, waist, and the inside of my arms… it was hard not to let my mind wander. In a state of confusion, I skipped class and went to a store to buy a few tiny cameras to install in my room. I went through every one I could suspect in my head. Finally, I settled on Keith. A few days later, I ran into him at the club. But now, I didn’t have mind-reading anymore! The handover of club matters was done, and as I was about to quietly leave, Keith approached me. “All set?” he asked with a slight smile. I stopped and replied, “Yeah, all done.” “Summer break is coming up. Didn’t you want to go to Srborea? My family gave me a few tickets. Want to go together?” I was about to decline, but my eyes froze on the hickeys on his neck. It was faint, but I was quick to notice. He lifted his hand to touch it, and I quickly looked away, trying to pretend I hadn’t seen it. But he was candid. “It’s from my girlfriend. Is it that obvious?” I thought for a moment, “It’s not too bad. From far away, you can’t really see it, but up close, it’s a bit obvious.” He chuckled lightly, “So, you wanna go?” I shook my head. “You and your girlfriend should go. I’m not really interested in tagging along.” He nodded gently. “Alright. So, do you have any plans for the summer?” I answered, “Going back home.” “I really want to lock you up in my bedroom forever. Summer vacation is a perfect opportunity.”
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