Chapter 7

On Sunday Isaac called me on the phone and said good morning, it was just what I needed to start my day, we both really wanted to see each other and we would have made plans if it were not because I received a text message from Ezra reminding me that he would arrive in the afternoon to remove my stitches.

"Your neighbor is starting to annoy me," Isaac admitted to my surprise.

“Don't say that Isaac, remember that he is going to do me a great favor by removing the stitches.”

"Okay, I guess we'll see you tomorrow." I don't know if I will survive that long away from you.

"As always so dramatic," I scoffed.

“Behave yourself and don't get too close to that little doctor.”

“He is not interested in me, there is no reason for you to be jealous.”

“I would not be so sure.”

I frowned.

“Why do you say that?”

"I'm sure he sent you the roses."

I was quiet for a moment and processed what he was saying.

"I don't think so, he just met me," I concluded.

“And who else could it be?”

He didn't have an answer for that.

“I don't know, only time will tell.”

After my phone call with Isaac, I started cleaning the room and got everything ready for Ezra's visit. I had completely forgotten that I had a pending appointment with him, but thank heaven he let me know before arriving. The stitches on my hand were very uncomfortable and I couldn't wait to get rid of them.

My parents had a lot of backlog from their law office so they locked themselves in the upstairs office early and were catching up.

 Ezra was very punctual and knocked on the door exactly at the time he said he would. I ran down the stairs and opened the door, he was standing in the doorway and he looked ravishing, he was wearing gray pants, a white shirt and there was a very expensive black watch around his wrist. So far everything was fine, but he had brought his briefcase of supplies. For god's sake. I didn't even want to see his instruments of torture.

"Hi Kim, it's nice to see you," he said with a smile. His little angel face would melt anyone, but not me. My heart had an owner and it was called: Isaac, no other man in the world would tempt me to leave him.

“Welcome Ezra, please come forward.”

“What is this? Ezra asked lifting a doll off the ground.”

"No idea," I replied, surprised.

"Look at her," saying that, he passed the doll to me.

It was made of cotton, but there were no notes on it. Had someone dropped it?

"She's very pretty," he said.

"It's horrible," I corrected. "I don't like it at all."

“Who left it to you?”

“I don't know, it doesn't have any label. They just left it at the door, did you catch a glimpse of someone hanging around here?” I asked, looking up at the road. Everyone who passed by was unknown to me.

“No, not at all,” Ezra saw me and the doll several times, “it’s you! I can't believe it,” he exclaimed, fascinated.

“What do you mean?”

“Are you blind? The doll is identical to you, she has long legs, short hair, white skin, and big eyes. It only needs to have your name written.”

I looked at the doll more closely and realized that he was right. It was a replica of me.

"It can't be." That was all too weird.

“Where do they do these things? I need the address of this factory, I'm going to have a version of myself made.”

For Ezra it was a lot of fun, but for me it was too disturbing. I had a bad feeling, like something bad could happen. I accidentally squeezed the doll and he released a recording that took me by surprise: You are the love of my life! I was so scared that I dropped the doll to the ground and he had to pick it up.

"Besides everything, it comes with a phrase included, incredible." He pressed the doll's stomach again and we heard the same recording again, it was designed to repeat the same stupid phrase.

"I didn't expect that," I admitted with some fear. "I don't want to have her, I don't like her."

He made a cute face and hugged the doll.

“Can you give it to me?”

“Is seriously? Wouldn't you mind waking up and seeing that thing staring at you?”

“Not at all, it would be great for me to see a doll saying good morning to me by telling me that she loves me.”

I hit my forehead with my hand. It was impossible to talk to that man.

"It smells very good," he said before handing it back to me.

I did the same as him and found that it had a vanilla fragrance very similar to mine. There was no doubt that it was for me.

"Anyway, please come in." I stepped aside and closed the door behind him.

We both sat on the couch and he put his black briefcase on a small table.

“Then tell me, how have you been? He asked me kindly.”

“I have been very good, thanks for asking. And how did your work go?”

“It was a very quiet turn, I can't complain. Can you show me your hand?”

My heart started beating very fast. I wanted to get rid of the stitches with all the strength of my heart, but I was afraid of the process. Why was this so? Ezra opened his briefcase and caught a glimpse of a scalpel, I wish I had never seen it.

“I have to confess that I am terrified of all this kind of thing.”

Ezra smiled at me and conveyed reassurance.

“It will be faster than you think, trust me.”

I forced a nervous smile, gave him my hand and looked away.

“Breathe deeply.”

I did what he ordered and didn't even feel pain.

"Ready, we're done," he suddenly announced.

“Really? I can't believe it.” I looked at my hand and it was free of stitches. “It didn't even hurt. You don't know how much I appreciate it, they were very annoying.”

"Don't worry, I already told you that I'm available for everything you need" Saying that he winked at me.

I couldn't help but get thoughtful. Isaac was sure that he had sent me the roses, but I wasn't so sure. I wouldn't believe it until Ezra admitted it.

"You didn't answer my calls the other day, Kim," he accused me.

Oh my God. It was true.

“Yes, it's just that… I couldn't find anything to invent that day I fell asleep early.”

I hope you don't have me blocked.

“Not at all. I meant to call you back, but I didn't want to bother you.”

“A call from you would never be a bother.”

How easy it would be to get carried away by his sweet words and his pretty eyes.

“I'll keep it in mind.”

Ezra put all his supplies in their place and closed his briefcase.

“My sister is waiting for me because we are going out to do some shopping so I have to go.”

We both got up from the couch.

"One of these days I'll introduce you to Margaret. I'm sure you got along really well,” he commented as he walked him to the door.

"I'd love to meet her, I haven't seen your parents either," I mused.

“At the moment they are traveling and I have no idea when they will return.”

“I get it. Thank you very much for your help, I appreciate it very much,” I reiterated.

"If you need me, call me," saying that. Ezra left and I closed the door.

When I went up to my room, the first thing I did was keep that devilish doll under lock and key in my desk, for nothing in the world did I want to wake up from a nightmare in the middle of the night and see her by my side because if that happened I would probably have a heart attack.

That night I made myself comfortable in my bed and started a new reading while sipping my inevitable cup of coffee. I was so immersed in that fantasy world that my incoming call bell scared me. I turned to look at the clock and discovered that it was a little after midnight, who was thinking of calling me at that time? Was it a life or death emergency? I stared at my phone without being able to decide what to do, that unknown number did not generate confidence, but I answered the call anyway.

"Hi," I whispered doubtfully.

I waited in vain for an answer because that never happened, the same thing had happened to me before so it no longer seemed like a mistake, someone wanted to get too smart. Didn't I have anything to do?

"Hell, if you have something to say, speak up!" I screamed excitedly.

It didn't take me long to get an answer, but I wish I had never heard it.

"Kim..." the voice was barely a whisper, it was a man's voice but he didn't say anything else other than my name.

A chill ran down my spine and I was paralyzed for a moment in which I felt that time was not passing. When I was finally able to react I hung up the call and threw my phone away from me. I couldn't recognize that man's voice, in fact, I could barely hear him say my name. Doubts completely invaded me, a part of me was not sure I had heard that, but another part was sure I had. Was he imagining things? I'd actually be very relieved if it were, because that was easier than accepting that someone was out there bothering me.

I began to feel very distressed, all that was too much. First the notes, then the roses, the doll and, above all, the calls. When were they going to leave me alone? I had no idea who was behind everything because that person did not want to reveal his identity and that filled me with unease.

I had a hard time falling asleep after that call, all I knew was that I never wanted to hear anything like that again in my entire life.