Walker

Chapter 7

Lena

The hours slipped by as I wandered through the park, feeling the chill of the evening settle over my skin. I'd come here hoping to clear my head, to shake off the sting of Walker's words, but instead, I felt myself spiraling. Everything around me blurred as I watched the sky bleed into shades of purple and grey, the sunset swallowed by the clouds. It was like staring at my life from the outside, like I was watching someone else walk these paths, wearing my skin.
I put on my headphones and played the song
Hurricane by Fleurie
Trying to make myself feel less alone.
That was my problem. Being alone. I was always alone and so desperate for company that i let him in my house. Now i just feel stupid. I am stupid.

How did I let things get like this? How did I let a monster into my life, into my thoughts, into everything? I'd always been so careful, building walls around myself, keeping everyone at arm's length. But now, they were crumbling, breaking down piece by piece, and it felt like I was losing myself in the process. I tried to remind myself that Walker was dangerous, that he wasn't like me, that he wasn't human, but it was like those thoughts didn't fit in my head anymore. Nothing even felt real anymore. Everything felt so fake and like i was someone watching myself from outside this world.

I felt like I was floating outside my own body, detached from reality, from myself. What was I doing? How did I go from being alone to dealing with this..? was i letting my guard down for someone who barely knew how to feel. I was letting myself be seen by him, and for what? All I got in return was him throwing my efforts back in my face. I was an idiot for even trying. He isnt a friend. He doesnt wanna be.

It was late now, the sky turned to ink, and I drifted into the café I always went to when things got too loud in my head. The streets were emptying out, the air colder, biting at my skin. I pulled my coat tighter, trying to hold onto some sense of warmth, of security, but I felt more alone than ever. Alone and small and stupid. I ordered a hot coco just to feel the heat in my hands, to keep me grounded.

I stared blankly out the window, watching my own reflection, my eyes hollow and lost. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was coming apart, piece by piece. I thought letting someone in would help put me back together, but it just made me feel lost. I had no sense of direction. I questioned everything. What anything even meant

And then, as I was lost in my thoughts, a group of men stumbled into the café. Their laughter was loud, too loud, like they were marking their territory with sound. One of them caught my eye, a smirk twisting his lips, and I felt my stomach drop.

"Hey there," he said, taking a step closer to my table. "What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone?"

I tried to ignore him, to keep my focus on the steam rising from my cup, but his friends closed in, circling like wolves. My hands started to shake slightly, and I cursed myself for feeling weak, for feeling scared. I wanted to disappear, to shrink into nothing.

"What, too good to talk to us?" another one sneered, leaning in way too close, the smell of alcohol thick on his breath. I felt trapped, like the walls were closing in. I looked around, desperate for a way out, but the café was nearly empty.

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Walker

Walker sat alone in the darkened room, his jaw clenched, his fingers tapping restlessly against his leg. The air felt different, heavy, as if something was wrong. He kept replaying the fight with Lena in his head, the way her eyes had looked when she'd walked away. She was angry, sure, but there was something else in her gaze that he couldn't shake—something that made his chest feel tight.

"Stupid human," he muttered to himself, but the words felt hollow. The hours dragged on, and still, there was no sign of her. He didn't know why he was waiting, why he was so fixated on her absence, but the longer she was gone, the more it felt like something was clawing at him from the inside.

It didn't make sense. None of it made sense. Why did she get mad at him? Why was she so hurt over norhing, what was she was doing, what even happened? She was just another human, one he could've scared away if he really wanted to. But there was this weird pull, this unsettling feeling in his gut that wouldn't go away, like a thread tying him to her even though he didn't want it to.

"Why do I feel like this?" he whispered to the empty room, staring at the spot where she'd been. His mind buzzed with confusion, frustration. Humans were supposed to be simple, predictable, but Lena...she was different. She got under his skin in ways he didn't understand, made him question things he'd never thought about before.
Walker never had to even think of anything before he met her.
And then, like a punch to the gut, he felt it—a jolt, an instinct, like something was wrong. He shot up, his senses tingling, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. His body went tense, eyes narrowing as he felt that something was off with Lena. It wasn't like he could explain it, but he just knew.

"Damn it, Lena," he growled under his breath, grabbing his jacket. He didn't know why he was doing this, why he felt like he had to find her, but he couldn't stop himself. All he knew was that he had to get to her, had to make sure she was okay.

Because if anything happened to her...he didn't even want to think about it.

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