𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒

Ep 3. Fleeting Glances

The next morning, I woke up with a pounding headache. Barely any sleep and way too much thinking about the events of last night.

What even happened?

He had practically shoved me out of his house, told me it wasn't safe. There was someone at his door in the middle of the night—someone who made him panic. My mind kept turning it over like a puzzle with missing pieces.

I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes. The daylight made everything feel a little less urgent, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Something about him was still pulling at me, something I couldn't explain.

And I still didn't even know his name.

Later That Day

School felt painfully slow. My mind wasn't in it. As soon as I sat down in first period, Mia plopped into the seat next to me, eyes bright with curiosity.

"You okay? You look like you barely slept," she whispered, nudging me with her elbow.

"I didn't," I muttered, trying to focus on my notebook. "Just... a weird night."

Mia raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Weird how?"

I hesitated. There was no way I could explain the strange encounter from last night without sounding completely insane. "I went for a walk and met someone," I said vaguely. "He was... weird."

"Weird? Like creepy or hot weird?" Mia asked, smirking.

"Both," I admitted, trying not to blush. "He just moved into one of the new houses."

Mia's eyes lit up. "Wait, so there's a hot guy living nearby and you haven't introduced me yet? What's his name?"

I shrugged, suddenly feeling awkward. "I... don't know."

Mia blinked. "Wait, you didn't get his name? You were with him and didn't ask?"

I shook my head, feeling even more ridiculous. "It wasn't like that. He was kind of... distant. And then he made me leave. It was... weird."

Mia's smirk widened. "Mysterious and hot. This is my kind of story. You have to introduce me next time you see him."

I forced a laugh, but inside, I couldn't shake the unease. There was something more to him than just "mysterious." Something that felt dangerous. But I didn't say that out loud.

Unexpected Encounter

The rest of the day dragged on, my mind stuck in that endless loop of questions. By the time school let out, I was exhausted. I walked out the front doors, head down, scrolling mindlessly through my phone.

Then I saw him.

Standing across the street, leaning against the fence near the school entrance, his eyes hidden under a hood, but there was no mistaking him. The same dark jacket. The same tall, silent presence.

My heart skipped a beat. What is he doing here?

He wasn't looking at me directly, but I could feel it. He had noticed me. For a second, I considered walking over, but something held me back. Instead, I just stood there, watching him.

It felt like he didn't belong here, like he was just passing through.

Mia, of course, spotted him immediately. "Oh my god, is that him?" she whispered, practically bouncing with excitement.

I nodded, my mouth suddenly dry.

She grabbed my arm, tugging me toward the sidewalk. "We have to go talk to him! Come on, you can't let this go."

I hesitated, but Mia was already pulling me forward. By the time I could protest, we were halfway across the street, heading right toward him.

As we got closer, he finally looked up, his stormy eyes meeting mine. A flicker of recognition passed between us, but his face remained unreadable.

Mia, being Mia, was completely unfazed. "Hey! You're new here, right? I'm Mia. I live in the neighborhood." She flashed him her brightest smile, completely ignoring the tension that hung in the air.

He barely glanced at her, his eyes locked on mine. "You shouldn't have come over," he said quietly, his voice just as calm and unsettling as the night before.

My heart raced. "Why? What's going on?"

Mia looked between us, clearly confused. "Wait, do you two know each other?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he straightened up, pulling the hood lower over his face. "You should go," he said, almost a whisper.

I could feel Mia's eyes on me, waiting for me to say something, but I didn't know what to say. There was so much unsaid, so much hanging in the air between us. I felt that same strange pull—the one that made me want to stay, to ask more questions, to get closer.

But before I could speak, he was already turning to walk away.

"What the hell was that?" Mia asked, staring after him. "That was... intense."

I couldn't find the words to explain it, so I just shrugged. "Yeah... I don't know."

But deep down, I knew there was more to this than I wanted to admit.

That Evening

Later that night, back in my room, I couldn't stop thinking about him. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face—those dark eyes, the way he looked at me like he was trying to warn me about something without actually saying it.

There was something about him, something that felt... wrong. And yet, I couldn't stop thinking about him.

Who is he?

My phone buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was Mia.

Mia: So what's the deal with him? He totally ignored me, but he was staring at you like you were the only person on Earth.

I stared at the message, unsure how to respond. Mia was right—he hadn't even looked at her. It was like she wasn't even there. And then there was the way he'd told me to leave, like he was trying to protect me from something.

I quickly typed back.

Me: I don't know. There's something off about him.

Mia: Off how?

I hesitated, biting my lip.

Me: Like... dangerous.

There was a long pause before Mia replied.

Mia: Well, dangerous can be fun, right? 😉

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the small smile that crept onto my face. Mia's words had no idea just how dangerous he actually seemed. But something told me that this wasn't the kind of danger you wanted to flirt with.

I glanced out the window, my mind still buzzing with a million questions.

Who was he? Why was he avoiding me? And why, despite everything, did I want to see him again?

To be continued...

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What did he mean?👀

What's going on??

Stay tuned to find out!

⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆☥⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺