ooden floor. She stirred awake, her head pounding faintly from the previous night. The remnants of her adventure at

wild nights, and this was why. The blend of too much noise, too m

le. She reached for it, squinting a

el chirped, far too cheerf

like a scared rabbit," Ava m

danced, you drank, you lived a little. Th

shadows and the scarred man who'd followed her. "I don't

. You're gorgeous. Half the guys in that

lip. "It felt... different. And when I saw that guy,

But are you sure he wasn't just... I don't know, sending someone to ask

rned. "It didn't

e. But seriously, Ava, don't overthink it. Maybe he mistook you fo

ed, though her to

e Mel was right, and she was overreacting. But the memory of that man's gaze

ned her apartment, did laundry, and tried to drown out her unease with old sitcoms playing on he

ranoia. She slipped into her usual routine: coffee, a quick

s and pastries greeting her like an old friend. The small space buzzed with early-morning acti

ie, one of her coworkers,

a smile, feeling a small sen

es, rang up customers, and restocked shelves. She loved the steady rhythm

e down, Ava felt it again, that prickl

frame silhouetted against the bright daylight. He wasn't looking directly at her, but ther

nd. Maybe he was just a customer debating whether to come i

d back a moment lat

ylist drowning out the noise of the city. The streets were busy, as us

watching her. It was ridiculous, she told herself.

eek black car was parked across from her building, its engine idling. S

n her hand. She could feel her pulse quicken as she

er breath. She peeked through the curtains of her apartment

as goi

t they wanted, but one thing was certain her