The moment Adrian walked away, the silence of the library shattered inside my head.
My heart was too loud. My thoughts too loud. The scrape of chairs, the faint hum of the air conditioner, the whisper of pages turning—everything collided into a deafening roar.
How did he know my name?
I hadn't told him. I never introduced myself. Yet he said it with certainty, like he'd known it all along.
My fingers dug into the notebook, knuckles white, as I replayed the scene in my mind. The way he looked at me. The way he sat down like he belonged in my space. The weight of his eyes, heavy and unrelenting.
It wasn't normal. None of it was normal.
I shoved the notebook into my bag with shaking hands and rushed out of the library, desperate for air.
The campus was alive with noise. Laughter. Footsteps. Conversations spilling across the courtyard. But it didn't drown him out.
His voice lingered in my ears.
See you around, Arielle.
I wrapped my arms around myself, walking fast, almost running. Students brushed past me, their faces blurred, their voices blending into one chaotic stream. But underneath it all, I still felt it—his presence. Like he hadn't left. Like he was still watching, even when I couldn't see him.
"Arielle!"
Mia's voice cut through the noise, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. She jogged up to me, her expression puzzled. "Hey, what's wrong? You look like you saw a ghost."
I forced a laugh, thin and brittle. "Just… tired."
She squinted at me, not buying it. But before she could push, a group of her friends called her over. Mia hesitated, then touched my arm. "You'll tell me if something's wrong, right?"
I nodded quickly, too quickly.
She gave me one last look before running off, her laughter joining the chaos of voices around us.
I stood there, gripping the strap of my bag, the noise pressing in until it felt like my head might split open.
And then—quiet.
The sudden absence of sound made me freeze.
Because even in the chaos, I felt it. That prickle. That heavy awareness crawling down my spine.
I didn't need to turn to know.
Somewhere close, hidden in the blur of students, he was there.
Watching. Waiting.
My pulse pounded louder than the noise. Louder than everything.
Because Adrian wasn't gone.
He never left.