Page 32 of Closer Than You Think
The sudden click of the front door lock jolts me from my work-induced trance. My heart skips a beat. Someone is coming in. But I locked that door, I'm sure of it. Instinctively, I reach for my phone, ready to dial 911.
Heavy footsteps approach and a figure emerges from the shadowy hallway. My breath catches in my throat. It's him. Silas. His striking green eyes lock with mine, but there's an unfamiliar intensity in them - a dark urgency I've never seen before.
“Silas? What are you doing here? How did you get in?” The questions tumble out, my voice wavering between confusion and alarm.
He steps closer, his tall frame filling the small kitchen. “Hallie, listen to me. You're in danger. Someone's targeting you. We need to go, now.” His deep voice is even but insistent.
I shake my head, not comprehending. Danger? Targeting me? Is this some kind of twisted joke? “What are you talking about? You're not making any sense.”
Silas places his hands on my shoulders, his touch both comforting and unnerving. “I know it sounds crazy, but you have to trust me. Please, Hallie. We don't have much time.” He grabs my hand and tries to pull me with him.
I search his face for answers, for some hint that this is all a misunderstanding. But I only see unwavering determination and . . . something else. Something that looks like genuine fear in his eyes. Fear for me?
My mind races, trying to process it all. The man I thought I knew, standing here in the middle of the night, telling me my life is at risk. It's too much. I need answers, explanations.
“Wait,” I say, my voice trembling as I pull my hand from his grasp. “How did you even get in here? The door was locked.” My eyes dart to the front door, now closed but seemingly untouched. I look to his hand and see a key. He has a key?
“What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t have time to explain right now. You’re not safe, you haven’t been for a while now, and I need to fix that. Please just come with me.”
I haven’t been safe for a while? A chill runs down my spine as a realization hits me. “Have you been . . . watching me?”
Silas's jaw clenches, his gaze intense and unwavering. But he doesn’t deny it. “I can explain everything later, but right now?—”
“No,” I cut him off, my confusion giving way to a rising tide of anger. “You can't just break into my home, tell me I'm in danger, and expect me to follow you blindly. I deserve answers, Silas.”
He runs a hand through his dark hair, frustration evident in his movements. “Hallie, please. You have to trust me.”
“Trust you?” I scoff, my voice rising. “How can I trust you when you've been spying on me for God knows how long? What gives you the right to invade my privacy like that?”
Silas takes a step towards me, his eyes pleading. “I know how this looks, but I swear I'm only trying to protect you.”
I back away, shaking my head in disbelief. The man I thought I was getting to know, the man I had grown to care for, now seems like even more of a stranger. A stranger with secrets and hidden agendas.
I see the betrayal etched in his features, the turmoil of emotions swirling in his eyes. It cuts through me, but I have to stay strong. Safety is all that matters now. I have to figure out if he’s telling the truth and what to do about it.
“Hallie,” he murmurs softly, stepping closer. “I never wanted to hurt you. I did it to protect you.” His words ring hollow, a bitter laugh escaping me.
“Protect me? By invading my privacy? Breaking into my sanctuary? That's not protection, Silas. That's a violation of everything we had.”
He closes his eyes briefly, the weight of his actions evident in his stance. He knows he messed up. But the fear of losing me drives him on.
“I know I've messed up,” he confesses quietly, sincerity lacing his voice. “More than you even know right now. And I will explain. But keeping you safe is what matters right now.”
I gaze at him, searching for truth in those piercing green eyes. Confusion battles with anger and fear inside me.
As he takes a step forward, hand outstretched, I instinctively pull back, anger flashing in my eyes.
“Hallie, please,” he pleads desperately, raw emotion coloring his voice. “We're running out of time here. Every moment wasted puts you in more danger.”
My head shakes adamantly as strands of brown hair whip around my face like a protective shield against his pleas. “No way, Silas,” I retort firmly. “I'm not going anywhere until you spill everything.”
Frustration radiates from him while urgency pulses within me to find safety.
“I can't disclose everything now,” he states with precision and restraint in his tone as if measuring each word carefully before letting them out into the charged air between us.
“But trust me; once we're secure, I'll lay it all out for you.” My laughter is sharp and disbelieving at the notion of safety with him after being stalked and intruded upon by the man standing before me.
