I Fell In Love With A Stranger (Dylan O'Brien LS)

Chapter 15

-Jessica POV-

It's Friday night. 8 o'clock.

Noah is asleep on the couch behind us, his small breaths steady and soft. The only light in the living room is coming from the TV. Blue shadows flicker across the walls.

Cameron and I are sitting on the floor, backs against the couch, watching Orphan.

"This movie is actually kinda disturbing," Cameron muttered.

"For real," I whispered, not taking my eyes off the screen.

The music in the movie got louder. Slower.

Then—

DING DONG.

The doorbell rang.

Cameron grabbed my arm so fast I flinched.

We both turned toward the door. The hallway outside the apartment suddenly felt longer than usual. Darker.

"So... you gonna get that?" Cameron whispered, his voice barely there.

"Why do I have to be the one to die first?" I muttered, standing up.

The TV light flickered across the wall as I walked toward the door. Each step felt too loud. I bent down and picked up one of my heels, gripping it tight in my hand.

The doorbell hadn't rung again.

That somehow made it worse.

I unlocked the door slowly... hesitated...

Then yanked it open and started swinging.

"Whoa! Jessica, relax!" Dylan shouted, ducking as my heel barely missed his head.

My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.

He grabbed my wrist mid-swing.

"Hey. It's me," he said, breathless.

I blinked, trying to calm down.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry."

He let go slowly, but his fingers dragged against my skin for a second too long.

"What happened?" he asked once we stepped inside.

I locked the door immediately.

"We're watching a horror movie. The doorbell rang. That's how people die," I said, sitting back down.

"Yeah, and she almost killed you instead," Cameron added.

"Shut up," I muttered.

Dylan sat beside me. Close.

The movie was still playing. On screen, a door creaked open. Slow. Careful. Suspicious.

"I got your video," Dylan murmured near my ear.

My stomach tightened.

"I know."

"I was gonna come by even if I didn't g—"

A loud bang from the movie made me jump, and without thinking, I turned and kissed him.

It wasn't soft at first. It was sudden. Urgent. Like I needed something real to ground me.

He froze for half a second... then kissed me back.

On the TV, someone was screaming.

"Get a room," Cameron muttered.

I pulled away slowly. Dylan didn't.

The TV light flickered across his face. His expression had changed.

"What?" I asked quietly.

"Nothing," he said. But he was still looking at me like he was trying to figure something out.

On screen, the music started building again.

Low.

Unsettling.

"Alright, seriously—shhh," I whispered.

But now I couldn't tell if the tension in my chest was from the movie...

Or from the way Dylan hadn't finished his sentence.