Chapter 2 — The Distance He Doesn't Allow
Eli's been quieter lately.
That's how I know something's wrong.
When Eli's silent, it isn't peace — it's pressure. The kind that builds in the air before a storm.
It started when I didn't answer his text right away. Just one text — one. I was at work, my phone in my locker, thinking nothing of it. When I came out on my break, there were twelve messages waiting for me.
> **Eli:** Where are you?
> **Eli:** You're ignoring me?
> **Eli:** I saw you online.
> **Eli:** You said you'd text me back.
> **Eli:** Don't make me worry like that again.
That last one chilled me more than I'd admit. *Don't make me worry.* As if my silence had done something to him.
When I got home that night, his car was parked down the street from my house. Engine off. Headlights dark. Just sitting there. Watching.
I didn't confront him. I told myself maybe it was a coincidence, maybe he was waiting for someone else. But when I walked inside, my phone buzzed again.
> **Eli:** You looked upset. Want to talk?
He *had* been watching.
Now it's like that every day.
If I'm five minutes late leaving class, he's outside waiting. If I talk to anyone for too long, he finds a reason to interrupt. He says things like, "You're safer with me," and "You know how people are."
But lately, his voice carries an edge — not concern, but control.
Yesterday, I tried to cancel our plans. Told him I needed a quiet night in, just to rest.
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You don't really want to be alone."
"I do, actually," I said.
His expression didn't change. "No, you don't."
He said it like a fact — like he knew my mind better than I did.
When I finally went inside and locked the door, I checked through the blinds.
His car was still there.
Lights off.
Engine quiet.
Waiting.
I told myself I was imagining it — that I was paranoid. But this morning, when I got in my car, there was a note tucked under the wiper.
> *Next time, don't lie to me.*
No name. No signature.
But the handwriting — I knew it instantly.
Eli.
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What your thoughts on this Is her best friend psycho 👀