chapter five:
you're not on Facebook?

Judith was a rather hard woman to follow, she walked around with such grace. Speaking to every single person who she knew or wanted to know. Joe trialed behind her, watching every single step she took.

She spoke on the phone, so loudly if anything. Joe could practically hear every word from a mile away. How on earth was Luke friends with this chick?

She was ruining his life, deep down inside she was making the man miserable. Joe couldn't just let her keep going like this, with her fake hair extensions and the thousand scents of perfume. That all likely cost a grand with the way she sprayed them.

She could never just pick one, the scent of it was exhausting he stood a decent few feet back. Yet every time he'd inhale, the perfume would enter his nostrils and make him weep in disgust.

She turned down a street, her high heels loud as she unlocked her front door. Joe watched her with such a deep gaze as he trailed behind her.

She ended her call, her mouth opening to sigh but never came out. Instead she felt the deep pain running along her spine as blood slipped out of her lips onto the wooden floor.

She cried out feeling the knife deepen into her flesh, it burned as it slipped out of her wound. Slicing across her throat with one movement. She gagged as she fell towards the ground, her eyes widening as she looked at Joe who hovered over her.

He didn't speak, his lips sealed shut as he slammed the knife into her chest. She grew still, blood piling along the floor as Joe carefully stepped over it.

He'd wait until nightfall to move the body, it didn't seem smart moving forward with the sun out. Anyone could see and call the police, Joe would be screwed if he got caught so soon.

He washed his hand and face clean of any blood. Placing the knife gently into the safety of his bag, no one would look in his kitchen for it.

He threw a blanket over Judith's body, and then he waited until nightfall entered the sky. But things don't always work out in his favor.

—

Luke sat alone at the coffee shop, sipping away at his third cup of tea as he waited for Joe. He looked at his phone the time moving at such a slow pace. Maybe he had just gotten busy or forgot about the date. Regardless Luke was losing his patience.

The door chimed, his gaze meant Joes the man smiled at him weakly as he walked forward. "Sorry I'm late, I got caught up at work with late orders".

Luke smiled "that's alright, I was just trying out a few new teas while I waited. My mother used to make me tea every morning before school, which of course it wasn't really pleasant. She never made it the way I liked it, but my father did".

Joe hummed, he was learning more things. Such interesting things, maybe this would be easier then he thought. Judith's body rested inside her bathtub, just waiting for Joe to dispose of.

"I didn't know you were such a tea drinker, I can have it every once in a while". Luke tapped his fingers along his cup, his eyes looking outside the window beside them.

"Reminds me of home, speaking of home.. I wonder if Judith made it back to hers. Paris called and said she wasn't going back for another month, claimed she wanted to settle down here for a bit".

Joe tensed up for a single moment "Judith tends to stop by my work a lot, I think she's trying to play matchmaker or either scare me away".

Luke laughed lightly "maybe a bit of both. She's rather protective of me, claims my love life is a sacred thing I should be careful of. Her last boyfriend turned out to be this crazy stalker, he used to break into her house, steal her clothes and shit, one night when she got back from Paris, she saw him inside her bedroom. Just sleeping there while he laid on her clothes. She of course called me after the cops showed up. She stayed with me for a few weeks".

Joe hummed, he didn't know this information "what happened with the guy? Did he ever show up again?". Luke shock his head "he just stopped, it was almost like he disappeared or something. Judith thinks he just ran off back home, found someone else to stalk for a few more days".

Luke set his cup down, the liquid gone as he looked at Joe "what about you? Got any crazy exes? any of them post about you on Facebook? Because mine did that once. He said I had fake teeth... it was pretty hilarious because everyone believed it".

"I actually don't have Facebook" Luke blinked "you're not on Facebook? I honestly don't blame you, I barely use it myself, the last time I posted anything, was probably like four years ago".

"I never really understood the whole obsession of posting your life onto Facebook or online, it seemed like something I couldn't get into".

Luke stood up "my mother made me get it, claimed it'd help with our business. I never use it anymore. Come on let's get outta here, this place is depressing and I drank so much tea, I might die".

Joe laughed as they walked outside. The cold air tugged away at them as they walked down the sidewalk, he felt himself tense up when he felt the warmth of Luke's hand in his.

He smiled as they kept walking he didn't think about Judith's body or the fact that he was slowly gaining Luke's trust. No, he just melted away into this moment, this felt right and he enjoyed it.

Luke stopped walking "alright I would invite you in, but honestly I'll likely pass out the second I get inside, today was a long day at my job".

Joe looked at Luke's door "I have work tomorrow anyways, besides I'm sure we'll see each other again, I promise next time I won't be late".

Luke smiled "next time why don't you plan the date, I'll meet you somewhere, good night Joseph". He walked inside his house, but he still felt the lingering gaze that is Joe Goldberg.

Not edited (well sorta lol)
authors notes:
Finally, this is the last draft I had prewritten. Which means the next one is gonna be ten times better. Plus it won't need to be desperately edited. I'm lazy alright I don't think I'll ever actually go through and edit anything old, but anything new yes! Anyways last draft, next one will be new!