Chapter Five
647 Words
Evangeline spent the rest of her shift in a daze. She forced herself to focus on work, but no matter how many books she shelved or customers she helped, Lucian’s presence lingered like a shadow she couldn’t shake. Every time the door chimed, she half-expected him to walk back in, as if he’d changed his mind about leaving.
By the time her shift ended, exhaustion weighed heavy on her shoulders. She bid Hannah a quick goodbye and stepped out into the cool evening air, her breath hitching as she scanned the street. There was no sign of Lucian, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t watching.
Shaking off the thought, she turned and made her way home. The walk was supposed to be calming, but paranoia crawled up her spine, making her hyperaware of every shadow, every passing car. Her pulse didn’t settle until she finally reached her apartment, locking the door behind her with shaking fingers.
She exhaled, pressing her forehead against the door. “Get a grip, Evangeline.”
After slipping off her shoes, she moved through the small space, her mind still racing. The apartment was silent, but it didn’t feel empty. It felt like something was lurking just beyond her reach, an invisible presence pressing in on her.
And then she saw it.
A single red rose on her kitchen counter.
Her breath stalled. She hadn’t left that there. Her fingers trembled as she reached for it, the soft petals a stark contrast to the ice spreading through her veins. A note was tucked beneath the stem.
You can’t run from me, angel.
She dropped the note as if it burned her. Lucian had been here. In her home. Her sanctuary.
Her stomach twisted. How had he gotten in? How long had he been here? She glanced around, suddenly feeling trapped.
Her phone. She needed her phone. She rushed to her bag, but just as she grabbed it, a knock echoed through the apartment.
She froze.
The knock came again, harder this time.
Heart hammering, she forced her feet to move, inching toward the door. She hesitated before looking through the peephole, and when she did, a wave of relief crashed through her.
Not Lucian.
It was Asher.
Without thinking, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Asher?”
Her friend’s brows furrowed as he took her in. “Evie, are you okay?”
She swallowed, her throat tight. “I… I don’t know.”
He stepped inside, his gaze scanning the apartment. “I was in the area and thought I’d check on you. You left the store looking… off.” His eyes landed on the rose and the note on the counter. “What the hell is this?”
Evangeline hesitated. She wanted to tell him everything, but fear held her back. Asher was a good man, but he had no idea the kind of danger Lucian posed.
“It’s nothing,” she said, forcing a weak smile. “Just an old… acquaintance.”
Asher didn’t look convinced. “Evie—”
A sharp vibration cut him off. Her phone. She glanced at the screen, her stomach twisting at the name flashing across it.
Lucian.
Asher saw it too. “Who’s Lucian?”
Evangeline’s throat went dry. “No one.”
The lie tasted bitter, but admitting the truth was worse. She silenced the call, but she knew Lucian wasn’t the kind of man who would be ignored for long.
“I should go,” Asher said, his expression unreadable. “But if you need anything, you call me, okay?”
She nodded. “I will.”
But as she closed the door behind him, she knew the only person who could help her was the same man she was trying to escape.
Lucian wasn’t going to let her go.
And deep down, she wasn’t sure she wanted him to.
- Writer
