Silent Notes

Chapter Twenty Two: Shadows and Secrets

Nastasia's eyes remained glued to the message on her phone, feeling as if time had stopped around her. The words seemed to pulse on the screen, pressing down on her chest with an intensity she couldn't shake. I know what you're hiding. She read the message over and over, her mind scrambling for answers that didn't come.

She closed her phone, sliding it into her bag as if hiding it could erase the uneasy weight that settled inside her. Her eyes scanned the crowded campus, looking for anything—anyone—that felt out of place. But all she saw were clusters of students chatting, laughing, hurrying to their next classes, completely oblivious to the storm gathering inside her.

Her pulse pounded in her ears as she walked, feeling exposed, as if someone had been watching her without her knowing. Who would send something like that? The question looped in her mind, cycling between paranoia and doubt, each thought more unsettling than the last. She tried to brush it off, to tell herself it was just a prank or a wrong number. But the timing felt too close, too perfect, like whoever sent it knew exactly what was going on in her life and was waiting for the right moment to strike.

As she continued walking, her mind churned through possibilities, each one more unlikely yet somehow plausible. Maybe it was a friend playing a joke, though none of her friends wouldn't do something so mean, though Sofia might try it just to get a rise out of her. Or perhaps it was someone she barely knew. She clenched her fists, her anxiety twisting tighter with each passing thought.

The worst part of it all was the sudden doubt the message planted in her heart. She'd been so close to believing she was capable of pursuing something extraordinary, a chance to prove herself. Now, that fragile confidence wavered, as if the message had found a way to latch onto her deepest fears and amplify them. Who am I to even try for something like this?

Nastasia's footsteps slowed as she reached a quiet spot on campus, away from the busy pathways. The cool air brushed against her skin, but she barely noticed, her mind sinking deeper into her thoughts. The message seemed to unearth every insecurity she'd buried, every doubt she had tried to overcome. And yet, in the back of her mind, there was another question she couldn't ignore.

What if...what if Asher somehow knew?

The thought made her stomach twist with a different kind of anxiety. She knew Asher wasn't the type to play games, but lately, she had sensed something that was off She wanted to believe it was nothing, that she was just reading into things, but what if it wasn't?

She sighed, her heart aching at the thought of Asher discovering her feelings, or worse, distancing himself because of them. She didn't think she could handle that—not now, when so much else felt uncertain.

She forced herself to look at her phone again, her fingers hovering over the screen. She knew she couldn't leave this unanswered; she had to know who was behind it, or it would haunt her. Gathering what little courage she had, she typed out a single response.

Who is this?

The message sent, and she held her breath, her hand trembling slightly as she waited for a reply that might never come. The minutes stretched, each one dragging her deeper into a whirlpool of nerves and self-doubt. Her mind filled with fragments of every moment she had tried to push her fears aside, every instance she had dared to imagine a different life for herself. But now, it all felt so fragile, as if one message could unravel everything she had built within herself.

As the minutes passed with no reply, she could almost convince herself it was over—that it was nothing but a cruel prank meant to rattle her. But something told her this was just the beginning, a sign of things she wasn't ready to face. And as much as she tried to stay composed, she couldn't help but feel that, in some way, she was being watched, her secrets laid bare in front of an invisible audience.

Her phone buzzed, jolting her out of her thoughts. She glanced down, a knot of dread twisting in her stomach as she read the reply:

"Just remember, people notice more than you think."

The words left her breathless, and she clutched the phone tighter, her mind racing. It wasn't an answer, not really. It was a warning. And with each passing second, she felt the weight of it settling deeper within her, like a shadow she couldn't escape.

She forced herself to keep moving, blending back into the crowd of students, hoping whatever lay ahead wouldn't weigh on her too much.

Before putting her phone away, she paused, stared at the message, and then quietly blocked the number. It didn't solve anything, but it gave her a small sense of control—enough to make her feel like she could breathe a little easier.

As she continued down the path, the sunlight broke through the clouds above, casting a warm glow over the campus. For now, she told herself, she would focus on what she could control. She didn't have all the answers, but maybe, just maybe, that was okay.