Chapter 4 Shadows Between the Lines

Bianca couldn't shake the chill that lingered long after the screen went dark. Jace's last message still pulsed across her phone like a forbidden echo: Some truths are better left untouched.

Her fingers trembled as she set the phone aside, but her mind refused to rest. Why did his words feel like a warning wrapped in charm? Why did his voice-even through typed letters-carry a weight that bent her chest into knots?

The air in her apartment felt heavy, pressing against her ribs. She tried to distract herself, pacing toward the kitchen, flicking the kettle on, staring at the rising steam. But her heart drummed with restless questions she didn't dare ask aloud.

The sound of her doorbell startled her. Bianca froze.

"Who-" She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Relax, it's just late."

She walked cautiously to the door, peeking through the peephole. Relief flooded her when she saw the familiar mop of curls and wide grin.

"Dede," she whispered, unlocking it quickly.

Her best friend slipped inside, holding up a takeout bag like a trophy. "Chicken noodles. And don't ask me how I knew you'd need emergency carbs tonight. It's a gift."

Bianca laughed, but the sound was thin, brittle. "You're psychic, that's what you are."

Dede's smile softened as she studied Bianca's tired eyes. "Psychic and hungry. But also your unofficial therapist. So-spill. What's keeping you up this time?"

Bianca hesitated, chewing her lip as they settled on the couch. She wanted to dismiss it, to laugh it off, but the weight on her chest demanded release. "It's Jace."

Dede raised her brows. "The online guy? Mister Charming-with-a-keyboard?"

"Yes," Bianca whispered. Her fingers twisted the corner of a cushion. "He's... different, Dede. When we talk, it feels like he sees straight through me. But tonight... his words... they weren't just flirtation. They felt like-like a shadow behind the light."

Dede slurped noodles straight from the box, unimpressed. "Girl, shadows are only scary if you turn off the lamp. You don't know him. He's probably just being dramatic to keep you hooked."

Bianca wished she could believe that. "Maybe. But it didn't feel like a game."

Dede leaned closer, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "Listen, B. Men like him-especially the attractive, smooth-talking ones-they thrive on mystery. It's their way of staying in control. But here's the twist: you don't have to give them that power. Keep your guard."

Her words made sense, but Bianca's heart rebelled. She wanted to keep her guard, yet she felt herself slipping past it every time Jace typed her name like it was poetry.

The phone buzzed. Both women jumped.

Dede shot her a look. "That better not be him."

Bianca swallowed, lifting the phone. The screen flashed with a new message. Her pulse spiked.

It was him.

"Couldn't sleep, Bianca? Or are you thinking of me too much?"

Her breath hitched. The timing was uncanny, almost as if he had been listening.

Dede leaned over her shoulder, reading aloud. "Okay, creepy coincidence alert. How did he know you're awake?"

"I... don't know," Bianca whispered. The room felt colder, smaller.

Another message arrived, quick and precise: "Your light's on."

Bianca's blood ran cold. She snapped her head toward the window, her curtains drawn halfway. The street outside was quiet, but the possibility that he was close, that he could see her, turned her stomach to stone.

Dede grabbed her arm. "Don't you dare freak out alone. If he's nearby, we call security. Or the police."

Bianca shook her head, heart racing. "No, maybe-it could be coincidence. Maybe he just guessed. People always say things like that online."

But her voice betrayed her disbelief.

Her phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn't words. It was a picture.

Her own apartment window. Taken from the street below.

Dede gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God. He's here."

Bianca's heart slammed so hard she thought it might crack her ribs. She stumbled back, clutching the phone like it burned. "This-this can't be real."

"Block him. Now," Dede urged, her voice trembling.

But before Bianca could move, another message followed the picture: "Don't be afraid. Some stories are meant to begin this way."

Bianca's knees weakened. She gripped the armrest, trying to steady herself as panic clawed up her throat.

Dede snatched the phone from her, typing furiously: "Leave her alone. Don't ever contact Bianca again." She hit send, her fingers shaking.

The reply was instant. "Hello, Dede. Nice to finally meet you too."

Both women froze.

Bianca's mind spun. How did he know her name? She had never mentioned Dede in their chats.

Dede's lips parted in disbelief. "He-he knows me? Bianca, this isn't just some random flirtation. He's... he's been watching you."

Bianca's pulse hammered. Fear tangled with something else, something she hated herself for feeling-curiosity. Because beneath the dread was a pull she couldn't deny. Who was Jace really? And why did his words, even laced with danger, still feel like silk against her skin?

The phone buzzed again. A final message glowed across the screen: "Sleep well tonight, Bianca. Tomorrow, we'll stop hiding."

The room spun with silence, broken only by the shallow rhythm of their breaths.

Dede clutched Bianca's hand tightly. "We need to tell someone. Now."

Bianca nodded, but her eyes lingered on the glowing words, her heart a battlefield of terror and longing. For the first time, she wasn't sure if she wanted to run away from Jace... or run straight into the storm he promised.

And as the lights outside flickered, Bianca swore she saw a shadow move beneath her window.