She parked her SUV three lots away from where she usually parks her car. Ever since the death threat she received, her body and her brain are always in survival mode. She has now become paranoid!

Her paranoia means that they have to walk a long distance to get to their laboratory building. Luke was unhappy but his lips were tight shut.

"You parked your car so far away from your usual parking space, I get it as a form of safety measures, but do we really have to visit Jerry at this building?"

His face was an expression of utter disgust, talking about one of his toxic exes is not something he wanted to do right now. Not to add the fact that since he hasn't come out of the closet, visiting an old flame is a dangerous game.

Jerry was the only guy he dated that happened to be within the vicinity. He has a rule of never dating someone that is within his circle. But Jerry was an affair resulted from one of his rendezvous at some music festival.

Jerry introduced himself as someone from Hawaii. He thought he was a safe guy to have a weekend affair, only to find out later that they both were from the same university with majors closely related to each other.

The weekend love story had already happened and there was nothing he can do about it anymore. It was a good thing that just like him, Jerry was also hiding inside the closet and has no plan to be out anytime soon.

Hence, they both agreed to keep what happened that weekend as a good memory and act like they don't know each other on campus.

But the bitch Jess thought Jerry is a good excuse to use for the motherfvckers who were after her pretty ass. She was using the pretense of visiting Jerry in this building as an excuse for why she parked her SUV in the parking lot next to this building.

"We are not going to see Jerry," she told him while smiling at a random guy inside the elevator.

He shuddered with how Jess smile at the stranger. Jess has been acting like a psychopath nowadays. She smiles at everyone! She never smiled at anyone before. Thus the reason why she is called a snotty bitch in her back!

"If we are not here to see Jerry, why are we here?" his nostril flared in annoyance.

"You'll see," she replied mysteriously.

She scanned the hoard of students who were all like zombies, trodding back after the short-lived freedom called Spring break.

From the crowd, you can easily pick out the ones who had a good break from those who didn't.

After darting her eyes on the crowd, she pulled Luke to approach a nerdy-looking guy wearing a striped white and blue polo shirt.

"Hey,"

The guy was stunned to see a glowing goddess, talking to him. She has her long locks flowing over her shoulders, she is wearing a white off-shoulder blouse, exposing her sunkissed skin. A proper indication of an awesome summer break.

Her tan looks like a proper tan that was a result of staying under a glorious sun.

"Yes?" he replied, stammering. A pretty girl talking to him on the first day of hell called school is just a blessing from heaven.

"Uhm," she flipped her hair, "Can I ask you a question?"

Luke couldn't help but roll his eyes at the back of his head as he watched the nerdy guy melted under Jess' thumb. 'Sometimes, guys are so easy.'

"I'm looking for Jerry. Do you know him?" she asked in a tone that means business.

The nerdy guy was startled by the sudden change in Jess' demeanor. He shook his head vigorously. "No, no… I don't know a guy named Jerry," he replied, as he darted his eyes around them, as though he was looking for someone to save him from Jess.

Oh my gosh!" She lightly hit his shoulder while giggling, "I'm sorry. I thought you were Jerry's cousin Tom." she giggled, covering her mouth. "Sorry, bye Tom."

"My name is Felix!" the guy yelled behind them.

But Jess already turned her back at the nerdy guy she called Tom. The poor guy was flabbergasted, staring at the retreating figure of the beautiful woman in the throngs of students on the way to their classes.

"What was that?" He was puzzled about what had happened. He didn't understand what just occurred when he was right there when it was happening.

"Just walk for Jerry was still our target."

"Wh-what? Jerry did nothing to you, Jessica!" he called and ran after her who was already taking the stairs.

Why in the world did she take the stairs when they were on the fifth floor? He has no plan to do cardio today.

"Jess," he called taking two steps at a time for she was almost at the landing of the fourth floor, "I don't know what you are doing but please leave Jerry alone. And he doesn't have a cousin named Tom."

'Jerry. Tom.'

A crease appeared on his forehead when he furrowed his eyebrows, an understanding was slowly dawning in his brain, but he can't get a grasp of it because he was slightly panicking when Jess told him as soon as she parked her SUV that they are on a hunt for Jerry.

'Jerry has a cousin named Tom? Jerry. Tom.'

He finally reached the last flight of the stairs.

'Tom and Jerry.'

'Cat and mouse — wh- what?'

He was rooted on the last step of the stairs, a sudden coldness seeped through his bones. He saw Jess standing in front of the cafeteria, beckoning him to hurry up.

He could not move because his feet felt like they were shackled to the floor.

He stood there unmoving, having a panic attack. The thought that Jess has been dragging him all over the place because they were being followed was too much for him.

When he finally gained his bearing, he walked as casually as possible toward Jess. He was battling the urge to look over his shoulder.

He has no idea who was watching them and how did Jess know that there was someone following them.

"Let's have something to eat," she said all smiles as she playfully hooked her arm to his.

Jess acting all smiles and cheerful when someone is after them is creepy. He does not know this Jess. This Jess is level up to the one he knew from San Lucas.

"Jess, please stop smiling. You are creeping me out," he said in between clenched teeth.

You think I want to smile?" she asked, with a smile. "I want to run and cry right now but it won't help." She turned her attention to the woman behind the counter. "Two bagel sandwiches, please, and two cups of brewed coffee."

He gazed down at Jess' grip on his arms while her side was pressed firmly against his, like a clingy girlfriend.

He choked on his saliva when Jess asked him to pay what she ordered in a sultry tone.

He hesitantly pulled his wallet from his back pocket, took fifty bucks, and handed the cash to the cashier.

He bent his head to her shoulder and whispered, "You should do this act with Noah. He would have a seizure and you can ask him to give you some shares from his company."

"I don't want a share of his company. If I would aim for his money, I won't stop with just a share. I would make sure I got everything," she arched her eyebrow suggestively at him, taunting him to say some stupid thing again.

"Heh! You are a very dangerous woman, Little Miss Jessie," he pushed her to the side to pick up the tray but Jess beat him to it.

"Don't strain yourself, honeybun. You still haven't recovered from your shoulder injury."

She told him in a voice loud enough for people around them to hear as she carried the tray of their order to a vacant table near the window.

When both of them were seated, Jess continued her act as a sweet girlfriend. She cut his bagel sandwich into four before placing it in front of him to eat.

"Are they still following us?" he asked as he bit on his sandwich.

"Nope. They were gone a long time ago," she told him, shrugging her shoulders.

Luke gaped at her with the unchewed bagel sandwich in his mouth.

"Don't chew your food with your mouth open. That is not very nice table manners."

He chewed and swallowed the sandwich in his mouth, and asked a question, "If they were long gone, what was all that act?"

"I'm not sure if they were truly gone and it was so much fun to see you panicking!" she giggled like a naughty child.

He couldn't believe his ears with her reasoning.

"Have you forgotten that it is your life they were after?"