Unraveled

Chapter 13

The hallway was silent as Caleb ran after Aubrey, his footsteps echoing against the marble floors. His heart pounded, not from exertion, but from the dread that had lodged inside him since he found the recording device in his apartment. He couldn't stay there—not with the weight of so many unanswered questions and the knowledge that someone had been spying on him. The only person he could think to turn to was Aubrey, the single constant since his life had started to unravel.

"Aubrey, wait!" Caleb called, breathless, as he reached the elevator.

Aubrey turned just as the doors began to close. Caleb slipped inside, relief mingling with the confusion in Aubrey's eyes.

"I thought you wanted space," Aubrey said, his brow furrowed but his voice gentle. "What's going on?"

"I don't want to be alone right now," Caleb admitted, his voice unsteady.

Aubrey nodded, understanding in his gaze. "Alright," he said, pressing the button for the lobby. "Let's get out of here."

The elevator hummed as it descended. Caleb leaned against the wall, his mind spinning. Every time he tried to make sense of his life, it felt like he was stumbling through fog. He glanced at Aubrey, who stared ahead, back to the wall. Caleb wondered if Aubrey sensed his turmoil.

"Why did you come by earlier?" Caleb asked, breaking the silence.

Aubrey looked at him, unreadable. "Just to check in on you. You've seemed... off lately."

The word echoed in Caleb's mind. Off. He'd heard it so many times now—from Isabelle, from Aubrey, from colleagues. It was as if everyone around him saw something he couldn't grasp himself.

"Off how?" Caleb asked, trying to sound casual, though his heart raced.

Aubrey shrugged. "Distant. Like you're here, but not really. I figured it was just stress, with everything that's happened."

Caleb nodded, though he wasn't convinced. It felt like something deeper, something wrong. His memories were fractured, pieces missing, and every attempt to piece them together only made them slip further away.

When the elevator opened into the lobby, they stepped outside into the cool night air. The faint city lights did little to chase the darkness that clung to Caleb. They walked to Aubrey's car in silence, distant sounds of traffic filling the space between them. Caleb's mind whirled with questions. Who had planted the device? Aubrey? Isabelle? Or was someone else pulling the strings?

When they reached Aubrey's car, Caleb hesitated, his hand brushing against the locket in his pocket—a piece of his past that had resurfaced, mysterious and haunting.

"You okay?" Aubrey asked as he started the car.

Caleb nodded, though his mind was anything but calm. "Yeah. Just... thinking."

"About what?" Aubrey's tone was light but tinged with curiosity.

Caleb hesitated, his fingers grazing the locket. He hadn't told Aubrey about it. Something about it felt too personal, too vital to share yet.

"Just... everything," Caleb replied vaguely. "It's hard to explain."

Aubrey didn't press, and Caleb was grateful. The short drive to Aubrey's apartment felt like an eternity, with Caleb's mind racing the entire way. By the time they arrived, anxiety sat heavy in his chest.

Inside, the familiar scent of sandalwood washed over him, grounding him, but only for a moment.

Caleb sank into the couch, the cool leather beneath him. Aubrey moved through the kitchen, preparing drinks. The room felt intimate, almost unnervingly so, filled with personal touches—a shelf of novels, vinyl records by the stereo, framed photos scattered about.