HEAT |OMEGAVERSE| ⚣ ✔️

Safe for Now

JASPER'S POV

I roll over and immediately feel the emptiness, the cold space where Alex usually lies. My eyes open slowly, focusing to the darkness of the bedroom that still surrounds me.

I sit up, stretching my body toward the ceiling before pushing myself to my feet from the edge of the bed.

I throw on some of Alex's sweatpants and a shirt before I step out of the room and head toward the kitchen. I pause at the bathroom, hoping to find Alex. Not there. I continue down the hall, glancing into the kitchen and living room at the end, but he's nowhere in sight.

A knot of unease tightens in my stomach as my eyes catch the oven's clock: 5:00. Where could he be this early? Alex doesn't leave for work until around seven-thirty.

I stand there for a moment, trying to push away the thought creeping into my mind—that maybe it's not just the silence that's unsettling. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm still on edge from last night, from the nightmare, from the feeling that someone's always watching.

I shake my head, trying to shake off the thoughts. No. I can't let my mind go there. It's just... quiet. That's all.

I search the counter for my phone, and to no avail there isn't sight of it. Continuing my search I head into the living area, maybe I left it on the couch and it fell between cushions. After a relentless ten minutes I give up, tucking myself into the corner of the sofa with a small blanket that's lying over its backside.

My stomach begins to turn sour, alone in the silence, remnants of my nightmare—no, memory...still flowing freely within my head. I grab the remote from the cushion beside me, and as I go to turn the tv on, I hear heavy footsteps outside the door.

I stand from my seat, and walk over to the door, glancing out the peephole.

The hall is lit and empty.

Weird.

As I turn away from the door, I hear the heavy footsteps again. Without thinking, I spin on my heel, my eyes locking onto the small peephole in the door again.

My heart falters as I watch a man in all black, a baseball cap pulled low over his head, pause in front of the door. Who is that? His face isn't covered, and there's nothing particularly special about him. His face is clean shaven, and his nose is small, stuck close to his face. Paper thin lips sit below, and a thick lined tattoo creeps up from the jacket collar around his neck.

I can't help but keep staring, his head slowly turning toward me. It's almost as if he can see me through the door, aware that I'm watching. Though not able to see well through the hole, I notice there's something white and rectangular pinned to his right pec on the outside of his jacket.

Suddenly, he shifts his focus down the hallway and begins walking away, brushing past Alex as he appears in front of the apartment. I watch as Alex turns to look at the man, his gaze lingering for a moment before he shifts back toward the door, unlocking it with a soft click.

I back away from the door, and Alex visibly startles at the sight of me, relaxing soon after when he realizes it's just me.

"I thought I was supposed to do the creeping," he jokes, stepping inside, and closing the door behind him.

I ignore his playfulness and get right to the point, "Where were you?" I question, half frustrated that he didn't tell me he was leaving.

Without saying anything further, he holds a thin pink box up in front of me. I take it from his hands, and open it, the sweet aroma of baked treats wafting from the inside. My eyes glaze over the pastries and then glance back at Alex.