Evelyn awoke to the warmth of sunlight spilling through the thin curtains. For a brief, fragile second, she could almost convince herself that everything was normal. That the heartbreak, the betrayal, the fear — it had all been some cruel dream. But as she shifted beneath the covers, the faint ache in her chest reminded her it was real.
The events of the night before flashed through her mind. The confrontation with Elias, the shocking truths, and Noah's arms around her as she sobbed. She let out a shaky breath and rubbed her eyes. Her phone was buzzing relentlessly on the nightstand. Dozens of missed calls, text notifications lighting up the cracked screen.
She reached for it hesitantly, already dreading what she would find. Most were from Elias, as expected.
"I need to see you."
"Please, Ev. Don't do this to me."
"I made a mistake."
"I love you."
And then one message that made her stomach twist into knots.
"You belong to me."
Her hands trembled as she dropped the phone back onto the nightstand. A gentle knock at the door made her jump.
"Hey… it's me," Noah's voice came softly from the other side.
She hesitated, then pulled herself out of bed. Her legs felt weak, as if the weight of everything threatened to drag her back down. She opened the door, and there he stood — messy hair, a concerned expression, holding two cups of coffee and a paper bag.
"Figured you might need something strong to get through the morning," he said with a faint, reassuring smile.
Evelyn's lips tugged upward for the first time in hours. "You didn't have to."
"I wanted to."
They sat together at the edge of her bed, sipping the scalding coffee in silence. The warmth of it grounded her, the bitterness a reminder that she was still here, still standing.
Noah was the first to break the quiet. "I meant what I said last night, Evelyn. I'm not going anywhere."
She looked at him, the sincerity in his eyes nearly undoing her. "I don't know if I can handle this," she whispered.
"You don't have to," he replied gently. "But you don't have to handle it alone either."
The words settled between them, heavy and honest.
Evelyn's phone buzzed again. This time, a message from an unknown number.
"You think you're safe now? You have no idea what you've started."
Her blood ran cold. She turned the screen to Noah.
His jaw clenched as he read it. "Is this him?"
"I don't know. It's not his number."
"Block it. And save the screenshot. Just in case."
She did, but the dread lingered.
Later that day, Evelyn tried to reclaim some normalcy. She attended her afternoon class, though her mind was anywhere but the lecture hall. Whispers trailed her like shadows.
"Did you hear what happened with her and Elias?"
"She dumped him. Publicly."
"Some guy named Noah's involved now."
Evelyn kept her head high, though every whispered word felt like a tiny needle against her skin. She just needed to get through the day.
After class, she found Noah waiting by the steps of the library, but his expression made her stomach drop.
"What is it?" she asked, immediately on edge.
He gestured toward the parking lot. "Your car."
A sense of foreboding twisted in her gut as they hurried over. The sight made her gasp.
The windows of her car were shattered, the tires slashed. And across the hood, in bold, red spray paint, a single word:
TRAITOR.
A small crowd had gathered, phones out, murmuring in fascination and pity.
"Oh my God…"
"Who would do this?"
"It has to be Elias."
Evelyn's hands shook as she took in the wreckage. Her breath came in short, ragged bursts.
"I'm calling campus security," Noah growled, already reaching for his phone.
Before she could respond, her phone buzzed again. Another message from an unknown number.
"Leave Noah or the next message won't be a warning."
Her stomach lurched. She showed it to Noah.
His face darkened. "This isn't just Elias anymore."
Security arrived, but their attitude was almost dismissive.
"Probably a jealous ex or some prank," the officer said as he took down her statement. "We'll check the cameras."
It was clear they didn't believe it was serious.
That evening, Noah insisted she stay at his apartment.
"I'm not letting you sleep alone with whoever this is out there," he said firmly.
Reluctantly, she agreed.
His place was small, a single-bedroom apartment on the second floor of an older building. But it was clean, warm, and most importantly — safe. Or so she hoped.
They made tea in the tiny kitchen, the air between them thick with unspoken fears.
"I hate that you're being dragged into this," she murmured.
"I'm exactly where I want to be," he replied.
Evelyn swallowed hard. Part of her wanted to tell him to leave, to get as far away from her as possible. But a bigger part needed him there.
As night fell, she lay on the couch while Noah took the floor beside her.
"I'll keep watch," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.
She managed a weak smile.
Sleep came in fitful waves. At some point past midnight, a sharp creak woke her. She sat up, heart pounding.
"Noah?" she called.
He appeared instantly in the doorway, gripping a baseball bat.
"I heard it too," he said.
They approached the window together. It was ajar. Evelyn swore she'd closed it.
"Maybe the wind," Noah muttered, though his tone was far from convinced.
She didn't sleep after that.
By morning, she felt like a ghost.
Noah offered to drive her to campus, but she declined.
"I need to face this," she said.
He nodded, though his worry was obvious.
Classes passed in a blur. She avoided Elias. Whispers still clung to her, but she ignored them.
Until she found a note slipped into her locker.
"You can't escape the truth. Soon you'll know who you should've feared all along."
Her pulse pounded. She spun around, but the hallway was empty.
Evelyn clutched the note as she rushed to find Noah.
"This isn't over," she whispered.
That night, back at Noah's apartment, Evelyn was too rattled to eat. Every shadow felt menacing. Every knock against the wall made her flinch.
Around 10 p.m., Noah's phone rang. Unknown number.
"Put it on speaker," Evelyn said, her voice barely audible.
He did.
A distorted voice hissed through the line. "Tick tock, Noah. You should've stayed away."
The call cut off.
Evelyn stared at him, her face pale. "What does that mean?"
Noah's expression was grim. "It means this has nothing to do with Elias anymore."
And then, a knock at the door.
They both froze.
It wasn't a casual knock. It was loud. Deliberate.
Three sharp raps.
Neith
er of them moved.
The knock came again.
Noah grabbed the bat, his knuckles white.
Evelyn's phone buzzed.
A single message.
"Open the door, Evelyn. It's time you knew the truth."