Tangled Hearts

Chapter 6:A Cold Embrace

Alec's mind was a blur of terror. The realization that Lila was inside his house, watching him, shattered any remaining sense of safety he had clung to. He pressed his back against the bedroom door, his breaths shallow and quick, his pulse hammering in his ears.

He had to do something—anything. His phone lay abandoned on the floor, the screen cracked from when it had slipped from his hands. Slowly, he crouched to pick it up, desperate to call someone—anyone for help.

Before he could move, he heard it: the faint, unmistakable creak of the floorboards downstairs. She was moving through the house, quietly, as if she knew exactly where he was. He froze, every muscle tense, his eyes fixed on the closed door.

Another creak, closer this time. Alec's breath caught in his throat. He fumbled with the phone, his fingers trembling as he opened the contacts. He hit Liam's number again, praying that this time he'd answer.

It rang, once, twice...then cut off.

A text popped up instead:

"Why do you keep calling for help? I'm already here, Alec."

Alec's hand flew to his mouth, smothering a gasp. He backed away from the door, eyes wide with panic. He could feel her presence like a shadow in the house, creeping up the stairs, moving ever closer.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Alec," came her voice, soft and sweet. "I know you're in there. Please, let me in."

He didn't respond, his entire body rigid with fear. The handle rattled, and he pressed harder against the door, as if his weight alone could keep her out.

"Alec," she said again, her tone more urgent now. "I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk. Please."

Her voice was calm, patient, like she had all the time in the world. It was the calm that terrified him the most. He reached for the lock with shaking hands and turned it.

"No, Lila!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "Just go away! I'm calling the police!"

She was silent for a moment, and then he heard the softest laugh—a sound so sweet, so genuine, that it sent a shiver down his spine. "You don't want to do that," she said quietly. "They'll never understand. They'll take me away, Alec, and you'll be all alone."

"Maybe that's what I want!" he yelled back, his voice choked with panic. "Maybe I don't want you here anymore!"

Another silence. He could hear her breathing on the other side of the door, slow and steady, as if she was contemplating his words.

"Don't say things you don't mean," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't know what it's like to be truly alone, Alec. But I do. I would never do that to you. I would never leave you."

He didn't respond. His eyes darted to the window—the only possible escape. It was a two-story drop, but at this point, he didn't care. He crossed the room in two quick strides and fumbled with the lock, his fingers clumsy in his panic.

"Alec!" Lila's voice sharpened, and she pounded on the door, the sound so loud it made him flinch. "Don't you dare leave me!"

He pushed open the window just as the door crashed open behind him. He twisted around in time to see Lila, standing in the doorway, her face pale and her eyes wide with a fury he had never seen before.

"Alec, please!" she screamed, lunging toward him. He threw himself out the window, his hands gripping the frame as he tried to catch his balance on the ledge.

The Fall

Time seemed to slow as Alec teetered on the narrow ledge. The cold wind whipped at his face, and for a moment, he thought he might fall. But somehow, he managed to regain his footing, his fingers gripping the edge of the open window.

He glanced back inside, and his breath caught. Lila was standing right there, inches away, her face a mask of desperate, twisted emotion. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her hands were outstretched, pleading.

"Don't do this," she begged, her voice breaking. "Don't leave me, Alec. You don't understand how much I need you."

"You're crazy!" he shouted back, his fear giving way to anger. "Stay away from me!"

"No," she said, shaking her head violently, her eyes wild. "No, I'm not. I'm the only one who loves you, the only one who truly sees you. Don't you see? We're meant to be together."

He turned away, steeling himself for the drop. It wasn't far—if he could just lower himself enough, he might make it without breaking anything. He swung one leg over the edge, and that's when Lila moved.

She grabbed his arm, her grip impossibly strong, pulling him back with a strength he didn't think she had. He twisted, trying to wrench himself free, but she held on, her nails digging into his skin.

"Alec, don't!" she cried, her voice raw and desperate. "You don't know what you're doing!"

"Let go!" he screamed, shoving her away with all his strength. Her fingers slipped, and for a split second, he saw the hurt in her eyes, a flash of something like betrayal.

He didn't wait to see her reaction. He dropped.

The fall was shorter than he expected, but the impact was still jarring. Pain shot through his ankle as he hit the ground, but he bit back a cry, forcing himself to his feet. He limped away, not daring to look back, his heart pounding in his ears.

He ran—through the dark streets, past the empty houses, and didn't stop until he was miles away, his breaths ragged and his vision blurring with exhaustion.

The Note

By the time Alec made it home, the sky was beginning to lighten with the first hints of dawn. He crept inside, his entire body aching, and collapsed on the living room couch, his mind reeling from what had happened.

He didn't sleep. He couldn't. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Lila's face, the pain in her eyes as he pushed her away, the terrible realization that she wouldn't stop, no matter what he did.

Hours later, when he finally forced himself to move, he found it. Another note, resting on the kitchen counter. His hands trembled as he picked it up.

"You can run, Alec. But you can't hide. I'll always find you."

Below the message was a single, red heart drawn in ink.

Alec's knees gave out, and he sank to the floor, clutching the note to his chest. He was trapped, no matter where he went or how far he ran.

Lila would never stop.

And deep down, in the darkest part of his mind, he feared that maybe she was right.

Maybe he would never truly be free.