The silence in Anna's apartment stretched thin, the weight of the night pressing against her chest. She sat frozen on her bed, her heart pounding as she strained to hear beyond the faint hum of the city outside.
The footsteps had stopped.
But that didn't mean he was gone.
She forced herself to move, sliding off the bed as quietly as possible. Her phone was still in her hand, her fingers gripping it so tightly her knuckles ached. She should call someone. Suzy? No, it was too late, and she didn't want to drag her into this.
Alex.
The thought of him made her hesitate. Telling him meant admitting the truth—admitting that the past she had tried to outrun had caught up with her.
A soft tap against the window made her breath hitch.
She whipped around, her stomach twisting. The curtains were drawn, but the vague outline of a figure lingered just beyond the glass.
Her pulse roared in her ears. He was watching.
Her hands trembled as she tapped out a message.
Anna: Someone's outside my window.
She sent it before she could second-guess herself. The moment it showed as delivered, she moved toward the door. If he was watching from the window, maybe she could slip out—
A knock.
Not from the window.
From the front door.
Her breath caught.
Two knocks. Sharp. Purposeful.
She backed away, every nerve in her body screaming at her to move, to run, but her feet refused.
Her phone buzzed in her hand.
Alex: Stay inside. I'm coming.
She swallowed hard. Could she wait?
The knocks came again, louder this time.
No.
Her fingers curled around the doorknob, and she took a shaky breath. She wouldn't open it—not for anything—but she needed to see. Needed to know.
Slowly, she peered through the peephole.
The hallway was empty.
A chill ran down her spine. She knew what she had heard. Someone had been there.
Her phone buzzed again.
Alex: Five minutes away. Don't do anything stupid.
She let out a shaky breath and turned away from the door. Five minutes. She could wait five minutes.
But then, from the corner of her eye, she saw something on the floor—something that hadn't been there before.
A single white envelope, slipped just beneath the door.
Her blood ran cold.
With trembling fingers, she reached down and picked it up. The paper was smooth, unmarked—except for the handwriting on the front.
Her name.
She didn't want to open it. Didn't want to see whatever twisted message lay inside. But she had to.
Taking a breath, she unfolded the paper.
Only four words were written inside.
Did you miss me?
A shudder ran through her, and suddenly, five minutes felt like a lifetime.
---
The doorbell rang.
Anna's breath caught in her throat as she scrambled back from the door. She hadn't expected it to be Alex so soon. He must have been closer than he said.
But then she remembered. The stalker had knocked earlier.
Was it him? Was Alex already here?
Her heart raced as she made her way slowly toward the door, her hand shaking as she reached for the peephole once again.
This time, the face that stared back at her wasn't the one she was expecting.
It was a man. A stranger. Dark eyes, face obscured by a hood, and a barely visible smile curling beneath the fabric.
Who are you?
Her pulse quickened, her stomach a tight knot of fear. The last thing she needed was to open that door.
Then another thought struck her, sending a chill down her spine: What if it wasn't the stalker at all? What if it was something worse?
Her phone buzzed again, pulling her away from her racing thoughts.
Alex: Don't open it. I'm right outside.
That simple text brought a sense of relief, but the tension didn't ease. The knock came again, louder this time, and with it, a feeling of finality that she couldn't shake.
The man outside had begun to speak, his voice muffled but unmistakable.
"You don't have to be scared, Anna. I'm not going anywhere."
It was him.
Her ex.
The man who had been haunting her thoughts for too long.
Without thinking, she backed away from the door, her hands shaking as she pressed the phone to her ear.
"Alex, he's here."
Alex's voice was calm but firm on the other end. "Stay where you are. Don't open the door. I'm coming."
But Anna could feel the suffocating pressure of the moment closing in on her. It felt like every second stretched longer than the last. What if he did something to her before Alex could get there? What if he—
Another knock. This time, harder.
"I know you're there, Anna," came the voice again, now clearer, darker. "I've missed you. I think you've missed me too."
Anna pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to hold back the sob that threatened to break free. She couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. The walls were closing in.
She glanced at her phone again, checking the time. Alex was still on his way. She had to stay calm. She couldn't let him see how afraid she was.
The knock came again, and this time, the man spoke with chilling certainty.
"Open the door, Anna. It's been so long. Don't make me wait any longer."
And that's when Anna knew. He wasn't going away.
Her ex wasn't just trying to scare her anymore. He had come back to claim what he thought was his. And she had no idea how far he would go to do it.
---
Alex had barely reached the bottom of the stairs when he heard the muffled sound of footsteps. His body tensed, his instincts kicking in. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he didn't need to check it. He could feel it. He was close.
Anna needed him.
The closer he got to her building, the faster his pulse raced. When he turned the corner and saw her apartment, he heard the soft creak of a door, followed by the faintest sound of footsteps—running.
His gaze flickered up toward the window and saw him.
Her ex.
Alex's blood ran cold. He didn't hesitate. He charged up the stairs, three steps at a time, and without a second thought, he slammed his shoulder into the door. It gave way with a sharp crack, the wood splintering under the force.
He didn't waste time looking at the door; his eyes were on Anna.
She was on the floor, pale and trembling, her breathing shallow.
"Anna!" Alex shouted, rushing to her side. He pulled her into his lap, his hand brushing her cold face. Her eyes fluttered slightly, barely responsive.
"Stay with me, Anna," he murmured. "You're safe now."
Her body shivered, her lips parting as though trying to speak, but nothing came out. And then, as if the weight of it all had finally collapsed on her, her body slumped against him.
She had fainted.
Alex's jaw clenched as he looked toward the door. He was too late to catch the stalker, but he wouldn't let this slide.
Gently, he pulled her closer, his heart pounding with a mixture of fury and something else—something raw and unshakable.
Anna was his responsibility now.
And he would make sure no one ever laid a hand on her again.
---