UNTIL YOU STOP BREATHING

--- *EPISODE 1: THE MAN IN THE PARKING LOT* 11:47 PM. Houston General Hospital. I hated night shifts because of the parking lot. It was too empty. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that made you hear your own breathing. "Amara, you dey go? Your perfume customer dey wait for t****k o," Kemi shouted from the nurses' station. "I'll reply later. My feet are dead," I laughed, dragging my bag. "Text me when you get home." The Texas heat was still heavy even at night. I pushed the back door open and the hot air hit me. My old Toyota was parked under the flickering light — Spot C7. Always Spot C7. But tonight, there was another car beside it. A black Range Rover. Brand new. The kind of car that shouldn't be in a nurses' parking lot at midnight. And leaning on it, was a man. Tall. Dark hair. White shirt, sleeves rolled up, black slacks. Even from far I could smell his cologne — expensive, cold, like rain. He wasn't looking at his phone. He was looking at me. My heart did a stupid little jump. "Your car won't start?" he asked. His voice was low. Calm. I clutched my bag tighter. "No... my car is fine." "I know," he said, and smiled. "Toyota Corolla, 2019. You always park at C7. You work nights, Tuesdays and Thursdays. You buy coffee from the vending machine, but you never drink it." My blood went cold. "What did you say?" He took a step closer. His eyes were blue. Like ice. "Amara Jones," he said softly, like he was tasting my name. "24. Nurse. You live in Apartment 4B on Westheimer. You make perfumes in your kitchen. Vanilla and rose is your bestseller." I couldn't breathe. "How... how do you know me?" "I know everything about you," he whispered. He was close now. Too close. I could see the stubble on his jaw. "I've known you for two years, Amara. I watched you before you ever knew I existed." He reached out — not to grab me, but to tuck a loose curl behind my ear. His fingers were cold. "You dropped this two weeks ago at Target," he said, and opened his palm. My silver hoop earring. The one I lost. I stumbled back and hit my car. "Who are you?!" I screamed. He smiled again. But this time, it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm Elijah Cole. And I'm the man who has been loving you from afar. Now..." He leaned in, his lips close to my ear, and whispered the words that would ruin my life. "...it's time you love me back. Until you stop breathing." Behind us, the hospital light flickered and died. And I was alone in the dark with him. --- *End of Episode 1* Hook for Episode 2: Who is Elijah Cole really? Is he in her apartment?