Absolution | +18

Chapter 23

Val

The night air was colder than I expected, a sharp bite against my skin as I walked down the dimly lit streets of New York. Each step echoed in the quiet, the city that never sleeps somehow managing to feel abandoned in this moment. I kept my eyes forward, my hands stuffed into the pockets of my coat, but no matter how fast I walked, I couldn't shake the feeling.

Someone was following me.

I tried to convince myself it was paranoia, just my nerves after that strange encounter with Silas. But the prickling sensation at the back of my neck wouldn't go away. Every few steps, I glanced over my shoulder, catching glimpses of shadows that seemed to shift with my movements. My heart pounded harder in my chest as I quickened my pace, my footsteps falling louder, sharper, against the cracked pavement.

I was close to home now. Just a few more blocks. My fingers curled tighter around the strap of my bag, my entire body tensed as I crossed the street and finally reached my apartment building. I forced myself to breathe, my breath fogging the air as I darted up the front steps. Fumbling with my keys, I nearly dropped them before shoving one into the lock and twisting the knob.

The second the door swung open, I slipped inside and slammed it shut, locking it behind me. I leaned back against the wood, finally letting myself exhale. My heart still raced, but the relief of being inside, of the door between me and the world, was almost enough to calm me. Almost.

I shrugged off my coat, shaking off the cold, but just as I turned toward the living room, I froze.

A knock echoed through the apartment.

My blood ran cold, fear clawing up my throat. No one came here, especially not this late. My heart pounded so loudly in my ears I could barely think. The unease from earlier, the feeling of being followed, all came crashing back at once. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to move, to do something. I grabbed the pepper spray from my bag, clutching it so tightly my knuckles turned white. Slowly, step by step, I made my way toward the door.

The knock came again.

I felt the walls closing in around me as my trembling hand reached for the handle. I braced myself for the worst—whoever had been following me, whoever had tracked me here. With one last shaky breath, I unlocked the door and cracked it open.

"Maddie?"

Relief hit me like a tidal wave, my knees nearly buckling beneath me. Maddie stood there, her usual smirk tugging at the corners of her lips, her dark hair tousled from the wind. She leaned against the doorframe casually, like it was perfectly normal to show up unannounced and scare me half to death.

"What the hell, Maddie?" I gasped, my hand still gripping the pepper spray for dear life.

She raised an eyebrow, glancing down at the canister in my hand. "You gonna spray me or invite me in?"

I rubbed my hands over my face, trying to process everything that had just happened. Maddie being here, after the strange encounter with Silas... it all felt too surreal. I glanced over at her on the couch, casually making herself at home, but something gnawed at me.

"Maddie?" I asked, my voice coming out more hesitant than I intended. "Were you... following me?"

Maddie raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth twitching in amusement. "Following you? Girl, no. Why would I walk in this weather? It's freezing out there." She shrugged, running her fingers through her wind-tousled hair. "I got out of a taxi and saw you running inside. Looked like you were in a rush."