More Than Friends

Chapter 16: Too Close for Comfort

Nicole sat at her desk, heart still poundin' from the last message. You lookin' nervous, Nicole. Relax. I ain't comin' for you... yet. The words felt like somebody was right there, watchin' her every move, makin' her feel trapped in her own skin.

She kept glancin' around, tryin' to see if anybody in the office was actin' off, but everybody was goin' about their day like nothin' was wrong. It was messin' with her head. Could it really be somebody she worked with? She ain't trust nobody right now.

Her phone buzzed again, and her stomach twisted. She didn't wanna look at it, but she had to.

Devin ain't gon' save you, Nicole.

She froze, her heart skippin' a beat. How did they know about Devin? They were messin' with her, diggin' deeper into her life. And the fact they knew about Devin only made it worse. She felt her whole body tremble as she texted him back: They know about you, Dev. They just sent another message. This ain't random.

Devin replied almost immediately: I'm outside. Come out now.

Nicole stood up, grabbin' her stuff and walkin' out of the office like she was in a daze. She tried to keep her cool, but inside, she was fallin' apart. Whoever this was, they were playin' with her, like a game. And now Devin was caught up in it too.

In the Car

Devin pulled up, his face lookin' tight with anger as Nicole slid into the passenger seat. She could feel his frustration, but she also knew he was tryin' to stay calm for her.

"You good?" he asked, eyes flickerin' between her and the road as he pulled away.

Nicole shook her head. "No, Dev. They know about you now. This person is watchin' everything. I feel like I'm losin' it."

Devin gripped the wheel tighter. "Ain't nobody gon' touch you, Nic. I don't care who this is—they gon' slip, and when they do, we gon' catch 'em."

Nicole felt the weight of his words, but it didn't ease the fear in her chest. "But how they know so much? It's like they right here with me all the time."

Devin glanced at her, his jaw clenched. "That's what we gotta figure out. It's gotta be somebody close, somebody who knows your every move. We need to start payin' attention to everything. Ain't nothin' too small."

Nicole nodded, but she couldn't shake the feelin' that things was only gon' get worse.

Later That Night

Nicole sat at the kitchen table in Devin's apartment, feelin' drained from the day. She had been tryin' to keep it together, but every message chipped away at her sense of safety, like there was nowhere she could hide.

Devin sat across from her, scrollin' through his phone, tryin' to trace the number that had been sendin' the messages. His face was focused, but Nicole could see the frustration simmerin' beneath the surface.

"Nothin' yet," Devin muttered, lookin' up at her. "But we ain't givin' up. I'm gon' keep diggin'."

Nicole nodded, but she couldn't help feelin' like they were chasin' shadows. This person was too good at hidin', too good at makin' her feel powerless.

As they sat in silence, Nicole's phone buzzed again. Her heart stopped, fear wrappin' tight around her chest. She hesitated before lookin' at it, already expectin' the worst.

You think Devin can protect you? You're foolin' yourself.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she showed the phone to Devin without a word. His eyes darkened with rage as he read the message.

"They're gettin' bolder," he said, his voice low and tight. "This person's tryna break you down. But we ain't lettin' that happen."

Nicole bit her lip, her hands shakin'. "How long can we keep doin' this, Dev? Every time I think we gettin' closer to figurin' it out, they come back stronger."

Devin reached across the table, takin' her hand in his. "We gon' get through this, Nic. I ain't lettin' nobody hurt you. We just gotta stay ahead of 'em."

Nicole nodded, but inside, she felt like she was slowly losin' herself to the fear.

The Next Morning

Nicole woke up feelin' exhausted, the weight of the situation still heavy on her mind. She had been sleepin' at Devin's place for days now, too scared to be alone. Every night, the fear got worse, and every day, the messages kept comin', each one more personal than the last.

As she sat up in bed, her phone buzzed again. She hesitated before grabbin' it, her heart already racin'.

Tick tock, Nicole. Time's runnin' out.

Nicole's blood turned cold. This was different. This wasn't just a threat—it felt like a countdown, like whoever this was, they were closin' in.

She jumped outta bed, rushin' into the kitchen where Devin was already up. "Dev, look at this," she said, her voice shakier than she meant it to be as she showed him the text.

Devin read it, his face hardenin'. "This person gettin' real bold now."

"What do we do?" Nicole asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"We ain't waitin' no more. I'm gon' reach out to a couple folks I know. If the cops can't handle this, we gon' handle it ourselves," Devin said, his eyes sharp with determination.

Nicole nodded, but fear still gripped her tight. Whoever this was, they weren't just playin' around anymore. And now, it felt like they were runnin' outta time.