Into her Darkness

Chapter 2: A Persistent Ghost

Isla hated how Caleb lingered in her thoughts. Days had passed since their brief encounter at the restaurant, and yet, her mind stubbornly replayed the moment—his steady eyes, the warmth in his voice, and the maddening ease with which he seemed to see through her. She told herself it didn't matter. She was used to men coming and going, intrigued by her until they realized they couldn't break through her walls. Caleb would be no different.

But something about him nagged at her. It wasn't just the way he looked at her; it was the way he didn't push. He'd made no attempt to win her over with hollow words or shallow compliments. He had simply left her to wonder. And now she hated him for it.

Isla poured herself another cup of coffee, trying to focus on the editing work she had neglected all morning. Her client's manuscript sat in front of her, untouched. Instead of diving into the usual rhythm of marking up grammatical errors and fixing plot inconsistencies, she stared out of her apartment window, watching the rain streak down the glass like a broken mirror.

Her phone buzzed, breaking her trance. It was Megan. She stared at the screen for a moment before answering.

"Hey," Isla said, her voice flat.

"Wow, nice to hear the enthusiasm in your voice," Megan teased. "What are you up to?"

Isla rubbed her temples. "Working."

Megan scoffed. "Yeah, sure. I'm betting you're staring at your screen doing nothing. What's up? You've been weird since dinner the other night."

Isla bristled. "I'm fine."

"Uh-huh. Does 'fine' have anything to do with Caleb?"

Isla's heart skipped a beat, though she quickly masked it. "No. What about him?"

Megan let out a laugh. "Girl, you are terrible at pretending. I know you were shaken up by him. I get it. The guy is seriously intense in the best way."

"Shaken up? Please. He was just some random guy."

"Random? He literally asked me about you after you left. Wanted to know if you'd be back."

Isla tensed. "You didn't—"

"No, I didn't give him your number. I'm not a psychopath. But Isla, come on. I think you should give him a chance. You've got nothing to lose."

Nothing to lose? Megan's words echoed in Isla's mind, a bitter laugh rising in her throat. She had everything to lose. Her heart, her control, the careful life she'd built to avoid the wreckage of love.

"I'm not interested," Isla said sharply, cutting the conversation short. "It was a fluke. Just drop it."

Megan sighed, her tone softening. "I'm not trying to push, I promise. But you deserve to be happy, Isla. Maybe he's someone who can show you that."

Isla's jaw tightened. "I'll talk to you later."

She hung up before Megan could say anything else, her heart pounding with a mixture of anger and something she couldn't quite name. Fear, maybe. Fear of what? That Caleb might actually be different? That he might be the one man who could see beyond her defences?

Isla couldn't afford to go down that path. She had spent too many years keeping herself safe, guarding her heart like a fortress. Letting someone in now would undo everything.

As she sat back down, her mind stubbornly refused to settle. She reached for her laptop, determined to drown herself in work, when a knock at the door startled her. Frowning, she stood, wondering who would visit her unannounced. No one ever did.

Opening the door, she froze.

Caleb stood on her doorstep, rain dripping from his dark hair, his deep brown eyes locked on hers with that same quiet intensity she had tried to forget. He looked as if he'd stepped out of her thoughts and into reality, and Isla's stomach twisted.

"Hi," he said, his voice calm, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. As if her heart wasn't currently in freefall.

She should have slammed the door. She should have told him to leave, that he had no right showing up like this. But instead, she just stood there, silent and unsure, trying to figure out how to handle him.

"How did you find me?" she asked, the words more of a demand than a question.

Caleb's lips tugged into a faint smile. "Megan mentioned you lived in this building. I didn't mean to intrude, but... I couldn't stop thinking about you."

Isla's pulse raced. She hated the way he spoke so openly, as if it was that simple, as if he could just waltz into her life and disrupt everything. "I don't know what you're expecting, but I'm not interested in anything you have to offer," she said, her voice harsher than intended.

He didn't flinch. He stood there, rain-soaked and composed, not backing down. "I'm not here to offer anything. I just wanted to see you. To talk."

Isla crossed her arms, her walls going up, the familiar armour clicking into place. "Why? You don't even know me."

"I don't need to know everything to see that you've been hurt. You're guarded, and that's okay. I'm not here to change you or fix you, Isla. But I do want to understand you, if you'll let me."

His words felt like a punch to the gut, his gaze stripping away the layers she kept hidden from the world. Isla swallowed; her mouth dry. "You're wasting your time."

"I don't think I am."

There was no arrogance in his tone, no bravado. Just quiet certainty. It unsettled her, the way he seemed so patient, as if he would wait forever if she asked him to.

"I don't do this," Isla said, her voice barely a whisper. "I don't let people in."

Caleb took a slow step forward, his eyes never leaving hers. "Then I'll wait. I'll wait until you're ready."

Isla's heart hammered in her chest, her carefully constructed walls beginning to crack under the weight of his words. She hated him for being so calm, so steady, when all she wanted to do was retreat into the safety of her solitude.

But a part of her—the part she had buried long ago—wanted to believe him.

"I should go," Caleb said, sensing her unease. "But if you ever want to talk, or just... be around someone who doesn't expect anything from you, I'm here."

With one last glance, he turned and walked away, leaving Isla standing at her doorstep, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. She wanted to shut the door, to lock him out of her thoughts and her life.

But for the first time in years, she wasn't sure if she could.

And that terrified her most of all.