Chapter Two
The Second Shadow
The word sounded as though it was a secret.
With my fingers tightened round my phone, "Who is this?"
I asked.
A soft exhale came through the line.
"You answered faster than I expected."
He said.
" That doesn't answer the question I asked" who is this?
I questioned with so much curiosity
"Jude." "That's my name"
He finally answered
The name meant nothing to me.
At least for the fact that he sounded rude and called at the wrong time.
"I don't know any Jude," I said. "How did you get my number?"
A pause.
Just long enough to feel intentional.
"From someone who cares about you."
My heart stuttered. "Who?"
"I can't tell you that."
"That's insane," I snapped. "You called me in the middle of the night, said my name like you know me, and refused to tell me how you got my number?"
"You still haven't hung up," he said calmly.
I hated that he was right.
"So what do you want ?" I asked.
*I just want to be a friend. That's all.
I'm sorry for calling at this hour. I just couldn't hold the excitement of having your number".
My breath tightened.
I went mute. I lacked words at that moment.
There was a pause.
"What do you say about dinner together tomorrow"
He finally said after a long time of silence.
I didn't know what to think of.
I ended the call without thinking.
I stared at my phone, my pulse roaring in my ears.
I didn't sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I heard his voice again.
Jude.
Low. Calm. Too certain of things he shouldn't know.
At 3:12 a.m., I sat up in bed and checked my call log.
Unknown number.
Duration: 1:47.
Short, Precise.
Like the man who'd made it.
The next day tasted like paranoia.
Every unfamiliar voice made my spine stiffen. Every tall man on campus made my heart jump.
By noon, I found Lena outside the arts building.
"You look haunted," she said.
"Feels like it," I muttered.
I told her everything.
"This is not normal," she said. "You should block him."
"I know."
"Then why haven't you?"
I didn't answer.
Before she could push, a familiar voice cut in.
"Block who?"
Julian said.
My body betrayed me immediately — stiffening, warming, reacting.
Lena crossed her arms. "She's being stalked by a guy named Jude."
Julian's expression darkened. "What?"
I explained.
His jaw tightened. "Do you know him?" I asked.
"No," he said too fast.
"You're lying," Lena said.
"I'm not," he snapped. Then exhaled. "I just don't like this."
"Neither do I," I said.
"Block the number," he said. "If he contacts you again, let me know about it."
"I'm not a child," I snapped.
"I know," he said quietly. "That's what scares me."
I didn't block Jude.
That evening,
I got a text from him.
"You look good in yellow"
Something in me liked the sound of that.
It's been a while since I've gotten a compliment from the opposite gender. I anticipated it from Julian but it wasn't forth coming
I tried bringing my senses back
"That's not funny at all"
I replied
" I didn't intend to make you laugh but to make you know you are the prettiest girl I've seen in New York."
He replied instantly.
Something in me was willing to entertain the conversation but I stopped.
I decided to block his line before he became a serious issue to me
Lena texted me at exactly 8:47 p.m.
You're coming, right?
Sorry I didn't inform you earlier.
Small get-together. Nothing crazy. I Promise.
I should have said no.
But I didn't.
I was half way to sipping my bottle of wine when I typed back " alright, Expect me."
By the time I got there, the wine had turned my nerves into a soft hum.
Music pulsed through the walls before I even knocked—something slow and bass-heavy that vibrated through my chest.
When Lena opened the door, she squealed and pulled me into a hug that smelled like coconut oil and champagne.
"You made it!" she said. "I'm glad you did"
I gave a warm smile feeling special.
The apartment was dim, lit mostly by fairy lights strung across the walls and the glow from the kitchen.
There were maybe fifteen people there. I guess that was too many for "small," but not enough to be overwhelming.
Everyone looked soft and shiny in the way people do when they've been drinking for a while.
Laughter spilled from every corner. Someone shoved a red cup into my hand before I could protest.
"To make bad decisions," a guy I barely recognized said, clinking his cup against mine.
"To make bad decisions," I echoed, taking a sip.
The alcohol hit faster than I expected. Or maybe it was already there, just waiting for an excuse.
Lena dragged me around, introducing me to people I'd forget in ten minutes. I laughed too loud. I leaned too close. My cheeks hurt from smiling. For a while, I almost forgot about Julian.
Almost.
But I didn't.
I was halfway down the hallway toward the bathroom when I heard his laugh.
That low, familiar sound I'd memorized years ago.
My steps slowed. My heart did something stupid and hopeful in my chest before my brain could catch up and remind me not to be an idiot.
The guest room door was half open.
I guess they didn't know.
I don't know why I looked.
I wish I hadn't.
Julian was inside, backed up against the wall, his hands tangled in a woman's hair. She was pressed into him, her body curved perfectly against his, her mouth moving against his in a way that was slow and hungry and very, very intentional.
He was kissing her like he meant it.
Not polite. Not casual. Not the kind of kiss you give someone you're just flirting with.
His hand slid down her back, pulling her closer, and she made this soft little sound into his mouth that I felt in my bones.
Something in my chest cracked open.
The room tilted.
I tasted bile and wine and jealousy all at once.
I couldn't believe my eyes.
My first instinct was to turn away. To pretend I hadn't seen it. To save whatever shred of dignity I still had left.
Instead, I just stood there.
Staring.
Burning.
My fingers tightened around my empty cup. I don't remember dropping it, but I remember the sound it made when it hit the floor—sharp and loud and completely out of place.
Julian's eyes snapped open.
He saw me.
For half a second, nothing happened. His mouth was still on hers. His hand was still on her waist. Time stretched thin and ugly between us.
Then he pulled back.
"Ava—"
He said while moving close to me.
The lady was confused.
I wanted to walk away when I saw a text on my phone
" We are in the same room.