Chapter 7
864 Words
Alara sat curled on her living room floor, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. The room was dim, the only light coming from a single lamp by the window, casting long shadows across the hardwood floor.
Her phone buzzed again.
It was Kade.
> I’m not here to crowd you. But I’m around. And I’ve got that jacket to pick up when you’re ready to let me see your face again. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.
Stay safe.
She stared at the words until her vision blurred.
He hadn’t demanded anything.
He hadn’t asked what was wrong or accused her of changing her mind.
He just waited. Kind. Present. Steady.
And it broke something in her.
Because she didn’t know how to respond to someone who didn’t make her feel like she owed them a piece of herself just to be loved.
She blinked hard and placed the phone down.
Across the room, his jacket still hung on the back of the chair, like a ghost of last night. She’d almost returned it earlier — folded it up, considered dropping it off anonymously — but something stopped her.
Part of her still wanted to feel him here. Even if it hurt. Even if it complicated things.
She got up slowly and walked over to the window. The street outside was quiet, early evening shadows stretching along the pavement. For a second, everything felt calm again.
Then she saw it.
A figure, across the street. Leaning against a lamp post.
Arms crossed. Head tilted.
Watching her building.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Hoodie pulled low.
Her blood went cold.
She didn’t need to see his face.
Jared.
He wasn’t moving. Just… waiting.
And suddenly, she couldn’t breathe.
Her fingers fumbled for the curtain and yanked it shut.
He found me. Again.
She backed away, the air thick in her lungs. Her mind flooded with memories — nights when he would show up outside her job, just watching. Moments when he said nothing, but his silence echoed louder than any threat.
And tonight, after months of peace, after one night of joy with Kade…
He was back.
And worse, he knew.
She grabbed her phone, hands shaking. Her fingers hovered over Kade’s name.
No.
If she brought him into this, he’d become a target.
Jared was possessive. Manipulative. If he even sensed another man meant something to her...
She paced the room like a caged animal.
But then the image of Kade’s message returned to her mind.
> Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.
Her chest clenched.
Kade wasn’t the kind of man you could keep at arm’s length forever. And she didn’t want to push him away. Not really. She wanted to feel safe in someone’s arms again. To be seen and protected — not possessed.
And for once in her life, she didn’t want to go through the fear alone.
With trembling fingers, she typed.
> He’s outside.
I think he saw us last night.
I don’t know what to do.
The message sat there on the screen like a confession.
Her thumb hovered.
And then — she sent it.
The moment it delivered, her heart started racing faster.
She sat down on the edge of the couch and stared at the door.
Was she making a mistake?
---
Fifteen Minutes Later
A knock.
Three sharp taps.
Alara jumped to her feet, heart slamming against her ribs.
Another knock. Then a voice.
“Alara. It’s me.”
She rushed to the door and looked through the peephole.
Kade.
Still in his black jacket. Breath visible in the cold air. His brows furrowed, jaw tense. But his eyes — his eyes held only concern.
She opened the door slowly.
The moment he saw her, his shoulders dropped. Relief flooded his face.
“You okay?” he asked gently, stepping inside only when she moved back.
She nodded, swallowing hard. “I think he’s gone now. He was across the street.”
Kade stepped past her and walked to the window, parting the curtain carefully, scanning the shadows.
Nothing.
Still, he didn’t relax.
He turned back toward her, voice low. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Alara looked down. “Because I didn’t want to drag you into this.”
“You’re not dragging me,” he said firmly. “You’re inviting me. There’s a difference.”
Her eyes stung.
She wasn’t used to someone wanting to stand beside her in the dark.
“I don’t want him to hurt you,” she whispered.
Kade stepped forward, taking her hand. “Let me decide what I can handle. You’re not a burden, Alara.”
She met his gaze. “I don’t know how to do this. Let someone in.”
“You don’t have to know how,” he said. “You just have to let me try.”
And just like that, something inside her cracked open — not shattered, but healed just enough to let the light in.
She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.
And Kade held her — like he’d known all along that this moment would come.
Like he wasn’t going anywhere.
- Writer
