Whispers In The Dark

A Step Too Close

The dorm was quiet that night, the kind of silence that made every creak in the walls louder. Ethan sat at his desk, trying to focus on his notes, but his eyes kept drifting to the drawer where the letters were hidden.

Four now. Four pieces of evidence that someone was watching him. Wanting him.

He pulled them out, laying them side by side. The first—gentle, flattering. The second—personal, almost tender. The third—from the party, hurried, almost possessive. The fourth… still blank space in his mind. What if another appeared tonight?

A chill crept down his spine at the thought.

Behind him, Liam stirred in his bed, half-asleep, muttering something unintelligible. Ethan glanced at him, suddenly hyperaware. Liam lived with him. He could have slipped something into Ethan’s things at any time.

But then again, Noah had been watching him closely lately. And Adrian… Adrian’s quiet words in the library still echoed: Seeing someone who belongs.

Ethan shivered.

⸻

The next morning, he left early for class, hoping the brisk air would clear his head. His locker waited in the dim hallway. He hesitated, then opened it slowly, bracing himself.

And there it was.

A small box wrapped in plain paper, sitting on his books.

Ethan’s stomach lurched. He glanced up and down the hall—empty. Heart hammering, he tore the paper off. Inside was a black wristwatch. Expensive-looking. Too expensive for a casual gift.

And tucked beneath it, a note:

“So you’ll think of me every time you check the time.

Wear it for me.”

Ethan’s hands shook. This wasn’t just letters anymore. This was possession. A claim.

He slammed the locker shut, clutching the box to his chest as though it might burn him.

“Whoa, easy there.”

Noah’s voice made him flinch. Noah stood a few feet away, brows furrowed in concern. “You okay? You look… pale.”

Ethan scrambled for words. “I—I’m fine. Just… running late.”

Noah’s eyes lingered on him, suspicious, but he didn’t press.

⸻

All day, Ethan felt eyes on him. In the cafeteria, in the library, even walking across the quad. Someone was always there—just out of reach, just out of sight.

By evening, the weight of it was unbearable. He sat on his bed, turning the watch over in his hands. It gleamed under the lamp, cold and beautiful.

Liam plopped down beside him. “Nice watch. Who gave you that?”

Ethan froze. “Nobody. I bought it.”

Liam raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you buy yourself fancy stuff?”

Ethan’s chest tightened. Liam’s grin looked playful, but his eyes… sharp. Curious. Too curious.

And Ethan realized with a jolt—whether it was Liam, Noah, or Adrian—his admirer wasn’t going to stay in the shadows much longer.

They were already at his side.