Emma stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror that evening, her hands gripping the edges of the sink. The overhead light flickered slightly, casting faint shadows across her face. She looked tired. The kind of tired that sleep couldn't fix.
She had never been the type to feel unsafe. She'd always prided herself on being strong, independent. But lately, every step she took outside felt weighted, every corner she turned filled with an invisible presence. And then there was Ethan. She couldn't shake the way he had looked at her in the coffee shop, like he was trying to peel back the layers of her soul and claim them for himself.
Her fingers moved to her phone, scrolling through her contacts. This time, she didn't hesitate. She dialed the number, pressing the phone to her ear.
"Hey, it's me," she said when her best friend, Lisa, answered. "Are you free to talk?"
"Of course," Lisa replied, her tone immediately concerned. "What's going on?"
Emma hesitated. How could she explain something that felt so intangible? "There's this guy... Ethan. I've seen him a few times at the coffee shop, and now I feel like he's everywhere. Like he's... watching me."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Watching you? Emma, are you sure?"
"I don't know," Emma admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe I'm overthinking it. But he makes me uncomfortable. I ran into him at the bookstore, and today he sat with me at the coffee shop. He keeps saying these things, like it's 'fate' that we keep meeting."
"Emma," Lisa said, her tone firm, "this doesn't sound like something to brush off. If you feel uncomfortable, that's enough of a reason to take it seriously."
"What should I do?" Emma asked, her grip on the phone tightening.
"First, trust your gut," Lisa said. "If he's making you feel unsafe, don't engage with him. Avoid places where you think he might be. And if it escalates, don't hesitate to involve the authorities."
Emma nodded, even though Lisa couldn't see her. "You're right. I'll be careful."
"Promise me," Lisa said. "And if you need anything, call me. Day or night."
"I will," Emma said softly. "Thanks."
After hanging up, Emma felt a small sense of relief. She wasn't alone in this. Lisa had always been her voice of reason, and hearing her validate Emma's feelings gave her the clarity she needed. She decided to stay home for the next few days, avoid the coffee shop, and focus on her work. Maybe some space would help her regain her sense of normalcy.
But Ethan had other plans.
---
Across town, Ethan sat in his dimly lit apartment, the walls covered with photos he had printed from Emma's social media profiles. They were harmless photos—pictures of her at a park, with friends, smiling at the camera. But to Ethan, they were pieces of a puzzle, fragments of the person he was determined to know.
He stared at the most recent photo he'd taken himself, a blurry shot of her walking out of the bookstore. She hadn't seen him, hadn't noticed the way he had blended into the crowd. That made him feel both exhilarated and frustrated. She was so close, but still out of reach.
Ethan's fingers hovered over his phone. He had memorized her routine by now. He knew where she worked, the coffee shop she frequented, the way she lingered by the window when she thought no one was watching. He wanted to reach out, to make her see that he wasn't just some stranger. He was someone who cared about her, someone who understood her in a way no one else could.
But he knew he had to be careful. He couldn't risk scaring her away.
For now, he would wait. Watch. Plan.
She would come around eventually. She had to.