Twisted Devotion

Chapter Five

Ava stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest as her eyes locked onto the blinds. They were definitely open, the slats pulled wide, letting sunlight flood the room. She swallowed hard, her mind racing through possibilities. *Maybe I forgot to close them. Maybe I was distracted this morning.* But even as she tried to reason with herself, the icy knot in her stomach tightened.

She took a tentative step forward, her legs shaky, inching toward the window. The room felt different—off, like the air had shifted somehow. Everything was quiet, eerily so, and the sound of her breathing seemed to echo in the stillness.

Reaching the window, she paused, scanning the street below. There was no sign of anyone watching, no figure lurking in the shadows. It all looked so normal. And yet... She couldn't shake the feeling that someone had been in her apartment. The thought made her skin crawl.

Her fingers trembled as she closed the blinds, the cool metal slats slipping between her fingers. She stepped back, hugging her arms around herself, suddenly hyper-aware of every corner of the room. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, as if something was wrong, even though she couldn't see it.

*Stop it,* she told herself. *You're just overthinking everything.* But deep down, she knew it wasn't just paranoia. The blinds were open, and she was sure she'd closed them.

Ava hurried toward her bedroom, her mind now set on checking the locks. The sound of her footsteps on the hardwood floor felt too loud, each step a reminder that she was alone, truly alone, in her apartment. She reached the bedroom door and stepped inside, her breath catching in her throat.

The window in her bedroom was open, just a crack, letting in a soft breeze.

Ava's blood turned cold.

She was certain she had closed and locked every window before leaving for the café. Slowly, she backed out of the room, her pulse quickening as her thoughts tumbled over one another. Someone had been here. Someone had opened the window. Panic seized her, and her first instinct was to grab her phone and call Jess again, but her hands were shaking too much to think straight.

Instead, she did the next thing that came to mind—she grabbed a kitchen knife. It felt ridiculous, almost absurd, as if she was in some kind of horror movie. But the weight of it in her hand gave her some sense of control, something to cling to as her mind spiraled.

Her apartment wasn't big, just a small one-bedroom, so there weren't many places to check. She forced herself to move, despite the fear gnawing at her. She checked every room—the bathroom, the closet, even under the bed—half expecting to find someone crouched in the shadows. But each room was empty, untouched.

But it didn't matter. She knew someone had been there. The open window and blinds were proof enough.

She slumped against the kitchen counter, still gripping the knife tightly, her mind buzzing with questions. *Why didn't they take anything? Why just leave the windows open?* Was it a warning? A game? A cruel joke? None of it made sense.

Her phone rang, jolting her out of her thoughts. She jumped, nearly dropping the knife, before fumbling for her phone. Jess's name flashed on the screen.

"Hello?" Ava's voice was shaky, barely more than a whisper.

"Ava, hey, just checking in. You made it home okay?" Jess's voice was warm, but there was an undercurrent of concern, as if she knew something was wrong.

Ava swallowed hard, struggling to keep her voice steady. "Yeah, I—I'm home. I just... I think someone was here."

"What?" Jess's tone shifted instantly, alarm creeping in. "What do you mean? Did you see someone?"

Ava closed her eyes, trying to keep her thoughts in order. "No, I didn't see anyone, but my window was open. And the blinds—I know I closed them, Jess. I know I did. I think... I think someone was in my apartment while I was gone."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, followed by Jess's sharp inhale. "Okay, listen. I'm coming over. Don't stay there alone, Ava. We need to call the police."

Ava's mind raced. She hadn't wanted to involve the cops before, thinking maybe she was just overreacting, but this—this was different. This was real. "Okay," she agreed quietly. "Just—please hurry."

"I'm on my way. Don't do anything, just stay put," Jess urged before hanging up.

Ava set the phone down on the counter, her hand still trembling. She clutched the knife tighter, her knuckles turning white. Every second felt stretched out, her heartbeat loud in her ears as she stood there, waiting.

Minutes passed like hours. She kept glancing around the apartment, half expecting something to move, some figure to emerge from the shadows. But the apartment remained still, eerily quiet.

Finally, after what felt like forever, she heard the familiar knock on her door. She practically ran to it, throwing it open to find Jess standing there, her face flushed with worry.

"Ava," Jess said, stepping inside and pulling her into a hug. "You're okay. I'm here."

Ava nodded, though she didn't feel okay. "Someone was here, Jess. I know it."

"I believe you," Jess said softly, pulling back to look her in the eyes. "We'll figure this out. But first, we're calling the police."

Ava nodded again, too shaken to argue. Jess took out her phone and dialed, her voice calm and steady as she explained the situation to the dispatcher. Ava stood by, her heart still racing as she listened. They promised to send someone over soon.

As Jess hung up, she squeezed Ava's shoulder. "It's going to be okay. We'll get to the bottom of this."

Ava wished she could believe that. But deep down, the knot of dread still sat heavy in her stomach. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.