The Morning After
Warmth.
That was the first thing Anna noticed.
The second was the solid weight pressing against her back.
Her eyes flew open, and for a brief, terrifying moment, she had no idea where she was. Then last night's events slammed into her like a brick wall—Alex, the stalker, her confession.
And Alex stayed.
Oh no.
She swallowed, turning her head ever so slightly.
Yep. Still there. Still asleep. And way too close.
Alex's arm was draped across her waist, his fingers resting lightly against her stomach. His face—normally sharp and unreadable—was softer in sleep, his dark lashes resting against his cheekbones.
Anna's breath hitched.
Okay. Don't panic.
She carefully—very carefully—lifted his arm, trying to wiggle free without waking him. But the second she moved, Alex shifted too, his grip tightening.
Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.
Abort. Abort.
She tried again, but this time, her foot caught in the blanket. Before she could react, she lost her balance—
Thud.
Anna landed face-first on the floor with an undignified yelp.
A deep groan came from the bed, followed by a rough, sleepy voice.
"…Did you just fall?"
Anna winced, pushing herself up. "No."
There was a long pause.
Then, "Then why are you on the floor?"
She scowled up at him. Alex was awake now, blinking sleepily at her, his hair slightly tousled. It should have been illegal to look that good first thing in the morning.
She scrambled to her feet, trying to act normal, which was hard when she'd just thrown herself onto the floor. "You were—uh—holding me hostage. I had to escape."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Holding you hostage?"
"Yes," she said, clearing her throat. "I couldn't move."
His gaze flickered down to the bed, then back to her. "So your first instinct was to fall off?"
"It wasn't intentional."
His lips twitched, and for a second, she thought he was going to smirk. But then, as if remembering last night, his expression turned unreadable.
The awkwardness hit like a tidal wave.
Neither of them spoke.
Anna shifted uncomfortably. Alex rubbed the back of his neck.
"So… uh…" Anna started, staring at anything but him.
"You're fine now," Alex cut in, getting out of bed. His usual composed demeanor was back, but there was an unusual stiffness in the way he moved.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," she echoed, wringing her hands.
More silence.
Anna cleared her throat. "You stayed."
Alex paused, his jaw clenching slightly. "Yeah."
Another awkward beat.
"I—I appreciate it," she added quickly, feeling the need to fill the silence. "I mean, I didn't think you would, but you did. And, um… thanks."
Alex glanced at her, then exhaled. "It's fine."
More silence.
Why is this so weird?
Anna gestured vaguely toward the door. "I should, uh, get ready for work."
"Right. Work," Alex said, as if just remembering. He suddenly seemed very interested in adjusting his watch.
Anna nodded too fast. "Yeah. Work."
"Good."
"Great."
Neither of them moved.
Anna wanted to scream.
Finally, Alex cleared his throat. "I'll go. But I meant what I said last night."
She blinked. "Huh?"
His gaze met hers, unreadable but firm. "You're not dealing with this alone anymore."
Something in her chest tightened.
Before she could respond, he turned and left, leaving her standing there, heart hammering, stomach twisting.
What the hell just happened?
Later That Morning – At Work
Anna sat stiffly in the conference room, hyper-aware of Alex sitting at the head of the table. He was back to his usual self—sharp suit, cold gaze, completely unreadable. If last night had never happened, she might've thought he didn't remember a thing.
But she knew better.
Because every now and then, his eyes flickered to her, brief but assessing, like he was making sure she was still in one piece.
The meeting dragged on, filled with reports and discussions she barely processed. She nodded when needed, scribbled some nonsense on her notepad to seem engaged, and avoided Alex's gaze at all costs.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the meeting ended.
"Anna, stay behind," Alex said casually, flipping through some papers.
Her stomach dropped.
Lisa shot her a look as she gathered her things. "Ooooh, what did you do?" she whispered.
Anna elbowed her. "Go away."
Lisa snickered before leaving with the others.
Soon, it was just Anna and Alex.
The door clicked shut.
Alex leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable as he steepled his fingers. "You're moving."
Anna blinked. "I—I'm what?"
"You heard me." His tone was calm, controlled.
Anna let out a half-laugh. "I think I missed the part where we discussed me moving."
"You can't stay at your apartment anymore," he said simply.
Her amusement died. "Alex, I—"
"It's not safe," he cut in, his voice firm but not unkind. "Last night proved that."
She swallowed, gripping the edge of the table. "And where exactly am I supposed to go?"
He exhaled, like he'd been waiting for that question. "Next door to me."
Silence.
Anna stared at him, positive she had misheard. "Excuse me?"
"There's a vacant apartment beside mine," he said, like it was the most logical thing in the world. "I'll take care of it. You're moving in."
Her brain short-circuited.
"Okay, no," she blurted. "That's ridiculous. You can't just decide where I live."
Alex leaned forward slightly. "You have a better idea?"
"Yes! I—I could… I could stay with a friend!"
His expression darkened. "Who?"
Anna opened her mouth. Closed it. Because, honestly? She had no one.
Suzy lived too far. Lisa had a tiny shared apartment. And staying in a hotel long-term wasn't an option.
Alex watched her, his sharp gaze reading every thought running through her head.
"Exactly," he said.
Anna groaned, running a hand through her hair. "This is crazy."
"Maybe," Alex admitted, standing up and adjusting his suit jacket. "But you will be safe."
Anna exhaled sharply. "What, are you going to babysit me now?"
"If that's what it takes."
Her breath hitched at his certainty.
For years, she had handled everything on her own. Fought through fear. Pretended to be fine. And now here he was—offering protection without hesitation, without conditions.
It was overwhelming.
Alex must have sensed it because his voice softened slightly. "It's temporary. Until we handle this."
Anna hesitated.
Every logical part of her wanted to refuse, but deep down, she knew—Alex was right.
She nodded slowly. "…Fine."
Alex's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Good."
"But," she added quickly, "if you try to control my life, I will fight you."
A ghost of a smirk flickered across his lips. "Noted."
Anna rolled her eyes, but for the first time in a while, the fear in her chest didn't feel so suffocating.
Maybe—just maybe—she didn't have to do this alone...