Chapter 1: The Man Across the Street
Chapter 1: The Man Across the Street
“Wait.”
Something in Noah’s tone made me freeze.
I followed his gaze through the window.
Across the street, partially hidden beneath a broken streetlamp, stood a man.
Watching.
Not walking.
Not smoking.
Not checking his phone.
Just watching my apartment building.
My stomach tightened.
“Do you know him?” Noah asked quietly.
I looked again.
The man immediately turned away.
Too quickly.
Too deliberately.
“No,” I whispered.
But I wasn't entirely sure.
Noah didn't take his eyes off the stranger.
“How long have you lived here?”
“Almost two years.”
“Has anyone ever bothered you?”
I hesitated.
“There have been a few weird things.”
Noah looked at me.
“What kind of weird things?”
I laughed nervously.
“Probably nothing.”
“Tell me.”
I swallowed.
“Missing mail.”
A pause.
“Someone entering the laundry room after midnight.”
Another pause.
“And a few times I thought somebody was following me home.”
The silence inside the car became heavy.
Very heavy.
Noah reached for his phone.
Within seconds, someone answered.
“Daniel,” he said calmly.
“I need a favor.”
I blinked.
The conversation lasted less than thirty seconds.
When he ended the call, he looked directly at me.
“You're not staying here tonight.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
I stared.
“You can't just decide that.”
His jaw tightened.
“No.”
He looked back toward the street.
“But whoever that man is has been watching this building for a long time.”
My pulse quickened.
“How do you know?”
Noah's expression darkened.
“Because he's not watching the building.”
May you like
A pause.
“He's watching your window.”
