Inside, nestled against a bed of tissue paper, was a photograph.
Of her.
Taken from across the street, through her apartment window.
Aurora staggered back a step, her hand flying to her mouth.
Lucas grabbed the box, cursing under his breath.
"This is harassment," he said, his voice shaking with fury. "We're going to the police. Now."
Aurora couldn't speak.
Could barely breathe.
Because she knew …..
She knew, deep in her bones….
That Ethan had taken that photo.
That he had been inside her world, closer than she had dared imagine.
She felt stripped bare, violated.
No locks. No walls. No distance could protect her now.
Lucas and Aurora sat side-by-side in the police station on stiff plastic chairs, the box between them.
The officer ,a middle-aged woman with tired eyes listened patiently as they explained everything.
The stalking.
The break-in.
The photo.
"You have a restraining order?" the officer asked.
Aurora shook her head, shame burning under her skin.
"No. He... He never got violent. Before."
The officer sighed.
"Stalking cases are complicated," she said. "Especially without direct threats."
"But this…." Lucas gestured to the photo "this is a threat."
The officer nodded.
"We'll file a report. Open an investigation. But in the meantime, you need to be careful. Document everything. If he contacts you again, call us immediately."
Aurora nodded numbly, feeling like she was floating outside her own body.
It wasn't enough.
She knew it wasn't enough.
The law couldn't protect her from the fear gripping tighter and tighter around her ribs with every passing hour.
Lucas insisted on staying up all night.
He camped out in an armchair by the door, a baseball bat resting against his leg, his phone charged and ready.
Aurora tried to sleep again, but the shadows on the walls twisted into darker shapes.
When she gave up, tossing the blanket aside, Lucas glanced over.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked quietly.
Aurora shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself.
Lucas hesitated , then stood, crossing the room to her.
He didn't say anything.
Just opened his arms.
Aurora hesitated for a moment,then stepped into him.
He wrapped her up, holding her tightly, his chin resting lightly atop her head.
For a moment, she let herself sink into him.
Into the steady rhythm of his heart.
Into the way his arms made the world outside feel a little less terrifying.
"You're safe," he murmured.
"I don't feel safe," she whispered back.
"You are," he said fiercely. "I'll make sure of it."
She pulled back slightly to look up at him.
In the dim light, his eyes burned with a fierce protectiveness that made her chest ache.
"Lucas..." she began, but her voice caught.
She didn't know what she wanted to say.
Thank you.
I'm scared.
Don't let go.
Instead, she rose on tiptoe and pressed her forehead lightly against his.
He stiffened for half a second , then relaxed, his arms tightening around her.
They stayed like that, breathing each other in, until the fear ebbed enough for Aurora to find her voice again.
"I'm glad I have you by my side," she whispered.
Lucas smiled, something raw and vulnerable flickering across his face.
"Me too," he said roughly.
For a moment, the world was just them.
No stalkers.
No fear.
Just two broken people, holding each other together.
Meanwhile , Ethan leaned against the window…stalking as always, a twisted grin pulling at his lips.
He had watched them.
Seen Aurora step into Lucas's arms.
Seen the intimacy, the tenderness.
He ground his teeth, fury pulsing through his veins.
She was supposed to need 'him', not someone else.
Not this nobody.
But it didn't matter.
Soon, she would realize.
There was no safety without him.
No life without him.
She belonged to him.
And if she didn't come back willingly...
He had a plan for that too.
Aurora woke up the next morning to the sound of Lucas arguing with someone at the door.
She sat up, heart beating fast.
When she peeked around the corner, she saw a man in a security uniform handing Lucas a clipboard.
"We'll have the cameras installed by tomorrow," the man said. "Perimeter alarms too."
Lucas nodded, signing quickly.
Aurora stepped into the room, pulling her sweatshirt tighter around her.
"What's going on?"
Lucas turned to her, a sheepish smile tugging at his mouth.
"I figured some extra security wouldn't hurt."
"You didn't have to—" she started.
"I 'wanted' to," he cut her off gently. "Besides, I sleep better knowing you're safe."
Aurora felt emotion swell up in her chest so fast it almost choked her.
No one had ever fought for her like this before.
Not even her own family.
"Thank you," she said, voice thick.
Lucas shrugged like it was nothing.
But she saw the way his ears turned pink.
Later, when the security guy was gone, they collapsed on the couch, both of them drained.
Aurora tucked her legs under her, facing him.
"Lucas," she said softly.
He turned to her, one brow raised.
"I don't know what I would've done without you," she said.
Lucas's smile was soft, almost shy.
"Good thing you'll never have to find out."
Their eyes locked.
Something unspoken shimmered in the air between them — fragile, trembling, *real*.
Aurora's breath caught.
Slowly, almost hesitantly, Lucas reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
His fingers lingered against her cheek for a heartbeat too long.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
Aurora quickly hugged Lucas in order to prevent herself from doing something stupid.
Something stupid like what you may ask?. SomeLike kissing him without a care in the world.
When Aurora didn't pull away, Lucas hugged her deeply, his hand cradling her back gently.
"I'm sorry," he said hoarsely.
"For what?"
"For not being in your life sooner."
Aurora laughed ….a shaky, breathless sound.
For the first time in a long time, the fear didn't feel quite so suffocating.
For the first time, she felt like maybe, just maybe, she could survive this.