Lara's POV
I noticed it.
The way Aunt Elena watched me.
Not just casually, not the way someone watches to make sure you don't forget your keys or step into traffic but, the kind of watching that lingers. That follows you even after you turn away.
I felt it on my back as I stepped out of the apartment.
Felt it as I pulled the door shut.
For a second, I almost turned around.
Almost asked her what she wasn't saying.
But I didn't.
Because I already knew the answer wouldn't be simple.
And right now…
I didn't want complicated.
"I'll be back," I had said.
She nodded.
But her eyes had said something else.
Be careful.
The morning air hit me as I stepped outside, cooler than I expected. Los Angeles was already awake, cars passing, people moving, the low hum of a city that never fully slept.
Normal.
Everything looked normal.
And that was exactly what I needed.
I exhaled slowly, adjusting my bag on my shoulder as I started walking.
"You're fine," I muttered under my breath. "You're just overthinking."
Again.
Always that word.
Overthinking.
But this time, I meant it.
I had to mean it.
Because if I didn't, then everything I'd been feeling, seeing, questioning…
Would start to feel real.
And I wasn't ready for that.
The bookstore came into view sooner than I expected.
I slowed slightly as I approached it.
I didn't even know why I was here.
That was the truth.
Or maybe I did.
I just didn't want to admit it.
Adrian.
The name came easily now.
Too easily.
Like it had settled somewhere permanent in my mind.
I had written it down.
Seen it.
Read it again.
And every time I did…
It felt familiar.
Too familiar for someone I had only met once.
I pushed the door open.
The soft chime echoed faintly as I stepped inside.
The smell hit me instantly, paper, dust, ink. Old pages and quiet stories stacked on shelves that had probably been here longer than I had.
Comforting.
Grounding.
I glanced around.
Half expecting—
No.
Not expecting.
Hoping.
But he wasn't there.
Of course he wasn't.
I let out a quiet breath, shaking my head slightly.
"This is ridiculous," I murmured.
What was I even thinking?
That he would just be here?
Waiting?
Still…
I didn't leave.
Instead, I moved further inside, letting my fingers trail lightly along the spines of books as I walked. Titles blurred together, names I half-recognized, stories I had never read.
Something about being here made my chest feel lighter.
Quieter.
Like the noise in my head had dimmed just a little.
I stopped at a shelf near the back.
Old classics.
Worn edges.
Faded covers.
My hand paused on one.
I pulled it out slowly, glancing at the title.
It felt familiar.
Not because I had read it.
But because it felt like something I should read.
I walked over to one of the small chairs tucked between the shelves and sat down, crossing one leg over the other as I opened the book.
The pages were slightly yellowed.
Soft.
Delicate.
I started reading.
One page.
Then another.
For a moment…
Everything else faded.
No strange feelings.
No tension.
No watching.
Just words.
I barely got through the second page before I felt it.
A presence.
I didn't look up immediately.
I didn't need to.
I knew someone was standing in front of me.
My heart skipped once.
Just once.
Adrian.
The thought came instantly.
Naturally.
Like it had been waiting.
I lifted my head—
And the moment broke.
Not him.
A stranger.
The disappointment was subtle.
But it was there.
"Oh," I said softly, blinking once as I adjusted.
He smiled.
Not in a strange way.
Not threatening.
Just… normal.
"Hey," he said. "What are you reading?"
I glanced down at the book briefly, then back at him.
"Just something I found here," I replied.
He nodded, like that was enough.
Like he hadn't expected more.
"Old classics section," he said, glancing at the shelves around us. "You either come here when you're bored… or when you're looking for something."
I raised an eyebrow slightly.
"And which one do you think I am?"
He smiled again.
But this time, there was something different about it.
Something quieter.
More knowing.
"Definitely not bored."
I frowned slightly.
"Why's that?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he moved.
Sat down in the chair beside me like he had every right to be there.
Like this wasn't strange at all.
"I've seen that look before," he said finally.
"What look?"
"The kind that doesn't belong to someone who's just reading."
I stared at him.
Something about the way he spoke made my chest tighten slightly.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
But something close.
"You don't know me," I said.
"No," he agreed. "But I don't have to."
That made me pause.
There was something about him.
Not his face.
Not his voice.
Something else.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
He leaned back slightly, his gaze steady now.
Focused.
"It means…" he said slowly, "you've started noticing things you weren't supposed to notice yet."
My stomach dropped.
I let out a small laugh, shaking my head.
"Okay… that's a weird thing to say to someone you just met."
"Is it?" he asked calmly.
"Yes," I said. "Very."
But my voice didn't sound as sure as I wanted it to.
He studied me for a second longer.
Then—
He said it.
The one thing that made everything else fall quiet.
"They're watching you now."
My breath caught.
"What?"
But he was already standing.
Just like that.
No transition.
No hesitation.
"I should go," he said.
"Wait—" I stood up quickly. "What do you mean? Who's watching me?"
But he didn't answer.
Didn't even turn back.
He walked away.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Like he hadn't just said something that didn't make sense.
"Hey!" I called, stepping after him.
He turned the corner between the shelves.
I followed immediately.
But when I reached it—
He was gone.
I stopped.
Looked left.
Right.
Nothing.
No footsteps.
No movement.
No sign that anyone had been there.
"That's not possible," I whispered.
The space wasn't big enough for him to disappear like that.
There was only one exit.
And I would have seen him.
My chest tightened slightly.
"No," I said quietly. "No, this is...this is stupid."
I walked forward, scanning the aisle again.
Still nothing.
I turned in a slow circle.
The bookstore looked exactly the same.
Quiet.
Still.
Normal.
But it didn't feel normal anymore.
Because I knew—
I hadn't imagined that.
I stood there for a few seconds longer before finally stepping back, returning slowly to where I had been sitting.
My book was still open.
Exactly where I left it.
I stared at it.
Then closed it.
"They're watching you now."
The words echoed in my mind.
Over and over again.
I exhaled slowly, pressing my fingers lightly against my temple.
"Okay," I muttered. "You're not doing this again."
But it wasn't like before.
This wasn't a feeling.
This wasn't me overthinking.
Someone had said it.
And then disappeared.
I swallowed hard, glancing around the bookstore one more time.
Half expecting to see him again.
But there was nothing.
Just shelves.
Books.
Silence.
Still…
I couldn't shake the feeling.
That something had shifted.
That whatever this was.....
It wasn't staying hidden anymore.
I picked up my bag slowly and stood.
The book remained on the chair.
Forgotten.
As I walked toward the exit, the air felt different.
Heavier.
Like I was stepping out of one world and into another.
I pushed the door open.
The city noise rushed in immediately.
Cars.
Voices.
Movement.
Normal.
But I didn't feel normal.
I stepped outside and paused.
Then....
Without thinking.....
I looked across the street.
And there....
Someone was standing.
Still.
Watching.
"And this time…I didn't look away."