Chapter 8 Eight

Eve's POV

The walk back to my apartment felt like it took forever. My thoughts were a tangled mess, replaying the conversation with the woman over and over. Jake was trouble, she had said. What kind of trouble? And why had he left his old place without telling anyone?

By the time I reached home, I was exhausted. But even as I sank onto the couch, I knew there was no way I'd be able to rest. Too many questions were spinning in my head, and I didn't have nearly enough answers.

Samantha was still at work, so I had the apartment to myself. Normally, I'd be happy to have some alone time, but now, the quiet felt suffocating. I grabbed my phone and started scrolling through my contacts, thinking about who I could talk to. But who could I ask about Jake?

After a few moments, I stopped on a name-Tom. He was an old friend from high school, now a police officer. We'd kept in touch over the years, mostly through social media, but we hadn't spoken much recently. Still, if anyone could help me figure out who Jake really was, it would be Tom.

Without hesitating, I dialed his number. It rang a few times before he picked up.

"Eve? Hey, long time no talk!" Tom's voice was warm, instantly making me feel a bit more at ease.

"Hey, Tom," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Yeah, it's been a while. Listen, I need a favor."

"Sure, what's up?" he asked, sounding curious.

"I've been volunteering at this community center," I began, choosing my words carefully. "There's a guy there-Jake. Something about him feels... off. I was wondering if you could help me find out more about him."

Tom was silent for a moment, clearly thinking it over. "You think he's dangerous?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "But I found out he left his old place without a word, and someone warned me to stay away from him. I just have a bad feeling."

"Okay," Tom said, his tone more serious now. "I'll see what I can dig up. Do you have his full name?"

I realized then that I didn't even know Jake's last name. How could I have been so careless? "No, I don't," I said, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Just Jake. I think he's in his late twenties, early thirties maybe."

"That's not much to go on, but I'll do my best," Tom replied. "It might take some time, though."

"I understand. Thanks, Tom. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Eve. Just be careful, okay? If you feel like you're in danger, don't hesitate to call me."

"I will," I promised before hanging up.

I put my phone down, feeling a little more hopeful now that Tom was on the case. But I couldn't just sit around and wait for him to get back to me. I needed to stay active, keep looking for clues on my own.

I spent the next hour searching online, trying to find anything that might tell me more about Jake. I looked up the community center's website, checked social media for any mention of him, and even searched through local news archives. But there was nothing. It was like Jake didn't exist before he showed up at the center.

The lack of information only made me more suspicious. If Jake was hiding something, he was doing a good job of it.

I decided to take a break and stepped out onto the small balcony connected to our living room. The air was cool, and the city below was starting to wind down for the evening. I leaned against the railing, letting my mind wander as I watched the cars pass by.

But no matter how hard I tried to relax, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in over my head. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how reckless I had been. Going to Jake's old apartment, talking to that woman-I had no idea what kind of danger I might have been walking into.

As the sky darkened, I decided to head back inside. But just as I was about to close the balcony door, I noticed a figure standing across the street. It was too far away to see clearly, but something about the way they were standing, perfectly still, sent a chill down my spine.

I quickly shut the door and locked it, my heart pounding. Was it just my imagination, or was someone watching me? I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe they were waiting for someone, or just taking a break from their walk. But deep down, I knew that was unlikely.

I pulled the curtains closed and turned on all the lights in the apartment, trying to make myself feel safer. I checked the door twice to make sure it was locked, then double-checked the windows. Only when I was certain that everything was secure did I finally sit down.

But my nerves were still on edge. Every little sound made me jump, and I couldn't stop thinking about that figure on the street. Who were they? And why were they standing there, watching my building?

I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, not with all these questions hanging over me. So, I decided to do something productive. I grabbed a notebook and started writing down everything I knew about Jake so far. It wasn't much, but I hoped that by putting it all on paper, I might notice something I had missed before.

Six months at the community center. No one knew where he was from or what he did before. He kept to himself, didn't talk about his past. Moved out of his old apartment suddenly, and now someone was warning me to stay away from him.

As I wrote, a thought struck me-what if Jake wasn't working alone? What if there were others involved, people who knew what he was up to and were helping him cover his tracks? The idea sent a fresh wave of anxiety through me. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, that every move I made was being monitored.

But even as fear gnawed at me, I knew I couldn't back down. I had to see this through, no matter how dangerous it might be. There was something going on, something bigger than just a volunteer at a community center, and I needed to know what it was.

The hours ticked by, and soon it was well past midnight. I was still wide awake, my mind racing. I kept glancing at my phone, hoping Tom would call with some news, but it remained silent.

Finally, I forced myself to go to bed. I knew I needed to get some sleep if I wanted to think clearly in the morning. But as I lay there in the dark, staring at the ceiling, I couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

And then, just as I was starting to drift off, I heard a noise. A soft, almost imperceptible sound, like someone trying to open a door without being heard.

I sat up, my heart pounding in my chest. The noise came again, this time louder. Someone was definitely trying to get into the apartment.

I grabbed my phone, my hands trembling as I dialed Tom's number. But before I could hit call, the noise stopped. Everything went silent.

I waited, holding my breath, straining to hear anything that might tell me what was happening. But there was nothing. Just silence.

After what felt like an eternity, I slowly got out of bed and crept to the door. I peered through the peephole, but the hallway was empty. No sign of anyone trying to break in.

I let out a shaky breath, but my relief was short-lived. Whoever had been out there might have left for now, but I knew they'd be back. And when they did, I needed to be ready.