Mine until Midnight

Mine Until Midnight - The Wrong Shadow

CHAPTER SEVEN

Aurora didn't sleep much that night.

The photograph was still on her phone.

Her own face.

Her own room.

Her own bed.

Someone had taken the picture while she was asleep, and the thought made her skin crawl.

But there was something else that bothered her even more.

The stranger had known about it.

He had known someone else was watching her before she did.

Aurora sat at her desk with the journal open in front of her.

She picked up her pen.

**Who is he?**

Nothing.

She waited.

Still nothing.

Aurora tapped the pen against the desk.

**You said someone else was watching me. Who is it?**

The page remained blank.

"Of course."

She leaned back in her chair.

"You're impossible."

A few seconds passed.

Then the ink slowly appeared.

**You don't need to know yet.**

Aurora stared at the words.

Her eyebrows lifted.

She immediately wrote:

**I think I do.**

The answer came quickly.

**Not yet.**

Aurora groaned.

"That is your favorite answer."

Nothing.

She stared at the page for another moment before writing one final question.

**Are you jealous of Jason?**

This time, the silence lasted much longer.

Aurora waited.

One minute.

Two.

Five.

Nothing appeared.

She smiled.

"Interesting."

She closed the journal.

For some reason, the lack of an answer felt like an answer.

The next morning, Aurora arrived at campus earlier than usual.

She wanted a normal day.

No strange messages.

No photographs.

No mysterious shadows.

Just classes.

That was all.

She was halfway across the courtyard when she heard someone call her name.

"Aurora."

She turned.

Jason was walking toward her.

"Morning."

"Morning."

He smiled.

"You look tired."

Aurora almost laughed.

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Maybe everyone is right."

"I'm fine."

Jason looked at her for a moment.

Then he held out a coffee.

Aurora stared at it.

"No."

He laughed.

"Relax. It's just coffee."

She took it carefully.

"How did you know what I drink?"

Jason shrugged.

"You told me."

"When?"

"Yesterday."

Aurora frowned.

She couldn't remember telling him.

Maybe she had.

She had been distracted during their conversation.

"Thanks."

Jason smiled.

"You're welcome."

They started walking toward the lecture hall together.

Jason talked about their upcoming assignment, and Aurora listened.

He was easy to talk to.

That was the problem.

The more time she spent around him, the harder it became to believe that he could possibly be the person Lucien was warning her about.

Maybe Lucien was wrong.

Maybe he was simply jealous.

The thought made Aurora smile.

Jason noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You've been smiling a lot lately."

Aurora looked at him.

"Maybe I'm just in a good mood."

"Good."

They reached the lecture hall.

Jason held the door open for her.

Aurora walked inside.

She didn't notice the figure standing across the courtyard.

Watching them.

After class, Aurora couldn't find her phone.

She searched through her bag twice.

Nothing.

She checked under her books.

Nothing.

"Looking for this?"

Aurora turned.

Jason was standing behind her.

Her phone was in his hand.

She stared at it.

"Where did you find that?"

"It was on the bench."

He handed it to her.

Aurora took it.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

She slipped it into her pocket.

Then paused.

"Did you look at it?"

Jason looked surprised.

"No."

Aurora nodded.

"Okay."

He smiled.

"Why would I?"

"I don't know."

Jason laughed.

"You're suspicious."

"Maybe."

He walked away.

Aurora watched him for a few seconds.

Something about the encounter bothered her.

Not enough to accuse him of anything.

Just enough to make her wonder.

She pulled out her phone.

There was a new message.

Unknown number.

**Don't trust him.**

Aurora stared at it.

Her eyes moved toward Jason.

He was standing at the other end of the hallway, talking to someone.

She typed:

**You really don't like him.**

The reply came almost immediately.

**No.**

Aurora smiled.

**Then why do you care so much about him?**

No answer.

She waited.

Nothing.

Aurora shook her head.

**You're jealous.**

Still nothing.

She put her phone away.

For some reason, she felt victorious.

Then another message appeared.

**I don't like the way he looks at you.**

Aurora stopped walking.

She read it again.

And again.

Her heart gave a strange little jump.

She typed:

**Why?**

The three dots appeared.

Disappeared.

Appeared again.

Then nothing.

Aurora stared at the screen.

"Seriously?"

She put the phone away.

But she couldn't stop thinking about the message.

I don't like the way he looks at you.

What exactly did that mean?

Later that afternoon, Aurora went to the library.

She needed somewhere quiet to study.

She sat near the window and opened her laptop.

For almost an hour, everything was peaceful.

Then she noticed a shadow moving across the glass.

Aurora looked up.

Nothing.

She looked around the library.

Students were reading.

Someone was typing.

A librarian was arranging books.

Everything seemed normal.

Aurora returned to her work.

A few minutes later, her phone vibrated.

Another photograph.

This time, it was her sitting in the library.

Aurora's stomach tightened.

She looked around immediately.

Nobody was looking at her.

She typed:

**Was this you?**

The reply came.

**No.**

Aurora stared at the answer.

She believed him.

For the first time, she actually believed him.

She looked at the photograph again.

Someone had been watching her.

And it wasn't Lucien.

Aurora closed her laptop.

She needed air.

Outside the library, she found Jason waiting.

"You okay?"

She stopped.

"Why are you here?"

"I was looking for you."

"Why?"

He shrugged.

"I wanted to see you."

Aurora didn't know what to say to that.

Jason smiled.

"Walk with me?"

She hesitated.

Then nodded.

They walked through campus together.

Jason kept the conversation light, making jokes about their professors and complaining about the food.

Aurora laughed.

She almost forgot about the photograph.

Almost.

Then she noticed something.

Their reflection in the window of a closed shop.

Someone was walking behind them.

Aurora stopped.

Jason turned.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

Aurora looked back.

The person was gone.

She frowned.

Jason followed her gaze.

"Did you see someone?"

"I thought so."

"Probably just a student."

"Maybe."

They continued walking.

Aurora didn't notice the way Jason looked back.

He glanced toward the empty street.

His expression changed for a brief second.

Then he turned toward Aurora again.

"You really shouldn't be walking around alone."

Aurora looked at him.

"I know."

"I'm serious."

"Why?"

Jason smiled.

"Because there are strange people everywhere."

Aurora laughed softly.

"You're starting to sound like someone I know."

"Who?"

She hesitated.

"No one."

Jason smiled.

They reached the dormitory entrance.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay."

Jason walked away.

Aurora watched him disappear.

Then her phone vibrated.

She already knew who it was.

Unknown number.

She opened the message.

**You were with him again.**

Aurora rolled her eyes.

She typed:

**You really are jealous.**

The reply appeared.

**No.**

She smiled.

**Then prove it.**

There was a long silence.

Aurora waited.

Finally, the answer appeared.

**Stay away from him.**

Aurora shook her head.

"You're impossible."

She walked into her room.

Mia was sitting on the bed.

"You seem happy."

Aurora dropped her bag.

"Maybe I am."

Mia smiled.

"Jason?"

Aurora paused.

"Maybe."

Mia raised an eyebrow.

"I knew it."

Aurora laughed.

She didn't notice the black journal sitting open on her desk.

She didn't notice the new words appearing across the page.

**You have no idea who you're trusting.**

Outside the dormitory, Jason walked alone.

His phone vibrated.

He looked down.

His expression changed.

He quickly put the phone away and continued walking.

Behind him, across the street, a dark figure stood beneath a streetlight.

Watching.

Jason didn't see him.

But Lucien watched until Jason disappeared around the corner.

Then he looked toward Aurora's window.

The light was still on.

His jaw tightened.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

A message was waiting.

**She's getting closer to him.**

Lucien stared at it.

Then typed only one word.

**I know.**

He put the phone away.

Across the street, Aurora closed her curtains.

She had no idea that two people were watching her.

And she had no idea that she had already placed her trust in the wrong one.