I couldn’t stop thinking about Evelyn’s file.
She’s dead.
Tonight, the air in my room felt heavier than usual, the kind of stillness that made every sound sharper. My desk lamp cast a dim glow over my books, but I couldn’t focus. My eyes kept darting to the window, my heart pounding a little faster each time the curtains swayed slightly, even though the window was closed.
“Get it together, Lila,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head. Maybe I was just paranoid. After everything that had happened—the warnings, the fights, the lies—it wasn’t surprising that I was on edge. But this was different. This wasn’t just my imagination playing tricks on me.
I turned back to my notes, determined to push the creeping fear aside. But then I saw it.
A shadow.
It was faint, just a flicker of movement outside the window of my room, but it was enough to make my blood run cold. My chair scraped loudly against the floor as I stood up, my heart racing as I moved toward the window.
“Hello?” I called out, my voice shaking like I was the idiot in every horror movie who definitely wouldn’t survive.
Silence. Thick, deafening silence. This was the part where the audience would be yelling at the screen, “Don’t do it, Lila!” But, of course, I gripped the edge of the curtain anyway, hesitating just long enough to make it even dumber. And then, in one swift, totally regrettable motion, I pulled it back.
My breath hitched as I peered outside, my heart pounding. But… nothing. Just the faint outline of trees swaying in the breeze, looking harmless and eerie all at once.
I let out a shaky laugh, running a hand through my hair. “If this were a horror movie, I’d be dead already,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head.
But then, a voice behind me made me jump.
“Expecting someone?”
I spun around, my heart nearly leaping out of my chest. Grayson was standing by the edge of my bed, his hands shoved casually into his pockets, his expression unreadable.
“What the hell, Grayson?” I hissed, clutching my chest. “You can’t just break into people’s rooms like that!”
He raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by my outburst. “Your window was unlocked. Maybe you shouldn’t make it so easy for people to get in.”
“That doesn’t mean you can just—” I stopped mid-sentence, narrowing my eyes at him. “Wait. What are you even doing here?”
Grayson shrugged, leaning against the wall like he had all the time in the world. “You’re being watched.”
His words sent a chill down my spine. “What are you talking about?”
He nodded toward the window. “I saw someone outside earlier. They’ve been hanging around your house for a while now.”
My stomach dropped, but I forced myself to stay calm. “So, what? You’re saying you’re here to protect me?”
He gave a small, humorless laugh. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m just making sure you don’t get yourself killed before I figure out what kind of trouble you’ve stirred up.”
I crossed my arms, glaring at him. “How do I know you’re not the one watching me?”
Grayson’s smirk faltered, and his eyes darkened. “If I wanted to watch you, Lila, you wouldn’t even know I was here.”
“That’s not exactly reassuring,” I shot back.
“Trust me, I have better things to do than waste my time watching your boring ass,” he said flatly, brushing past me toward the window. “I’m not your stalker, Lila. But someone else might be.”
My irritation gave way to a wave of unease as I followed him. “If you’re not the one watching me, then who is?”
Grayson didn’t answer right away. He stood by the window, staring out into the darkness with a tense expression. His shoulders were rigid, his jaw tight.
“Grayson,” I pressed, my voice quieter now. “Who’s watching me?”
He turned to face me, his eyes sharp and cold in the dim light. For a moment, I thought he wasn’t going to answer. But then he spoke, his voice low and deadly serious.
“Someone who doesn’t want you alive. Come with me to the mansion. You’ll be safe there. For now.”