Claire stood in front of her door, phone clutched in her hand, her breathing uneven. She wasn't sure why she had called Christopher. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was because he was the only person she trusted to handle this without brushing her off or making her feel like she was imagining things.
She exhaled sharply and turned the locks again, double-checking. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator and Chloe moving around in her own room.
Claire hated this feeling.
The feeling of helplessness.
She crossed the room, peeking through the curtains. The street was empty now. Whoever had been standing there was gone. But that didn't make her feel any better.
A sharp knock on the door made her flinch.
She spun around, her pulse hammering in her ears.
"It's me," Christopher's voice came through.
She hesitated for only a second before unlocking the door.
He stepped inside, his gaze immediately sweeping over her, scanning for any sign of distress. He was still in his usual button-down and slacks, but there was something different about him tonight-something sharper, more alert.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice low.
Claire nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "I-I don't know. I just felt like someone was watching me."
Christopher shut the door behind him and locked it. Then, without a word, he walked past her, moving toward the window. He pulled the curtain aside just enough to peer outside, his expression unreadable.
"Did you see who it was?"
"No," she admitted. "They were standing under the streetlamp, but I couldn't see their face."
Christopher let the curtain fall back into place.
"That's the second time you've felt like this."
Claire frowned. "Yeah..."
She hated that he had noticed.
She hated that it was the second time.
Christopher turned toward her, his hands slipping into his pockets. "Why did you call me?"
The question caught her off guard.
She swallowed. "I-I don't know."
His gaze stayed on her, unreadable. "Yes, you do."
Claire looked away. She did know.
Because when something felt wrong, Christopher was the first person she thought of.
She hated that, too.
"I guess..." She exhaled. "I figured you'd take me seriously."
Christopher didn't say anything right away. Then-
"You were right."
The words were simple, but they settled something deep in her chest.
Claire glanced up at him. "Do you think I'm overreacting?"
His jaw tensed slightly. "No."
She studied him for a moment. He looked... different. There was something more serious in his expression, more personal.
"You believe me," she said quietly.
Christopher's gaze held hers. "Of course I do."
Claire swallowed.
She had expected some skepticism. But not this.
Not him believing her without hesitation.
Her fingers tightened slightly against the fabric of her shirt. "So what now?"
Christopher studied her, then shook his head slightly. "Now, you go to bed."
Claire blinked. "That's your plan?"
His lips twitched. "Yes."
She huffed. "Great plan, professor."
Christopher stepped closer. Just enough to close the space between them. "It's the only plan that makes sense right now."
Claire's breath caught.
For a moment, they stood there, the air between them shifting into something heavier.
"I don't like this," she admitted, softer this time.
Christopher exhaled, his gaze flickering over her face. "Neither do I."
For a second, she thought-
No.
She wasn't going to think that.
Christopher took a small step back. "I'll stay for a bit. Just in case."
Claire hesitated but then nodded. "Okay."
She didn't want to admit that she felt better with him here. That his presence made the fear seem less suffocating.
But it did.
And that terrified her just as much as whoever was watching her.
***
Christopher
He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching as Claire tried to pretend she wasn't bothered.
She was.
She was terrified.
And Christopher hated that.
His mind ran through the possibilities. Could it be the men from the club? Or someone else entirely? He wasn't sure yet.
But what he was sure of-
He wasn't letting her out of his sight.
At least, not until he figured out what the hell was going on.
The silence between her and Christopher was thick, filled with things neither of them were saying. He was still standing near the window, his gaze distant, as if lost in thought.
Claire shifted on her feet, arms wrapped around herself. She had never felt this vulnerable in front of him before. And the worst part? She didn't hate it as much as she thought she would.
The creak of a door opening broke the quiet.
Claire turned just as Chloe stepped out of her room, rubbing her eyes. She was wearing one of her oversized t-shirts-her usual sleepwear-and her hair was in a messy bun.
Her eyes landed on Christopher, and she blinked.
Then blinked again.
"What the hell?" she muttered, voice still thick with sleep. "Did I fall asleep and wake up in an alternate reality?"
Claire sighed. "Chloe-"
"No, seriously," Chloe cut her off, eyes narrowing. "What is he doing here?"
Claire glanced at Christopher, but his face was unreadable.
Chloe turned her sharp gaze back to Claire. "Did I miss something? Since when do we have late-night lecturing hours?"
Claire rolled her eyes. "It's not like that."
Chloe crossed her arms. "Then what is it like?"
Claire hesitated.
What was she supposed to say? That she had felt someone watching her? That Christopher was the only person she had called? That, for some reason, she felt safer with him here?
She hated that Chloe was seeing this.
Hated that her roommate and friend, who had known her for awhile at least, was looking at her like she was witnessing something she didn't even understand yet.
Christopher exhaled. "She thought she was being watched."
Claire's head snapped toward him.
Chloe's expression changed instantly. The teasing, the sarcasm-it all vanished.
"You what?" she asked, her voice sharper now.
Claire looked away. "I-I don't know. It was just a feeling."
Chloe stepped closer. "Claire-"
Christopher cut in, his voice calm but firm. "It's not nothing."
Chloe looked between them, reading the situation. Then she sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
"Okay." She pointed at Christopher. "Why is he here?"
Claire shifted uncomfortably. "I called him."
Chloe's brows shot up. "You called him?"
Claire clenched her jaw. "Chloe, can we not do this right now?"
Chloe studied her for a moment, then exhaled. "Fine."
She turned to Christopher. "So, what? You're, like, her bodyguard now?"
Christopher didn't flinch. "I'm making sure she's safe."
Chloe let out a humorless laugh. "Right. Of course. That makes total sense."
Claire groaned. "Chloe-"
"No, no, it's fine," Chloe interrupted, raising her hands. "I just never expected Professor Miller to be the one hanging out in our apartment in the middle of the night."
Christopher's lips twitched. "Neither did I."
Chloe stared at him for a beat, then muttered, "Unbelievable."
But Claire saw it. The moment Chloe's teasing mask slipped, revealing something softer beneath.
Concern.
Worry.
Chloe glanced at Claire again, eyes searching. Then she sighed and turned toward the kitchen.
"I'm making tea," she muttered. "This whole situation is too weird to deal with without caffeine."
Claire exhaled, running a hand over her face.
Christopher leaned in slightly. "She's always like this, isn't she?"
Claire gave him a dry look. "You have no idea."
He smirked, but it faded just as quickly. His gaze flickered toward the door, his expression unreadable again.
Claire knew that look.
He was already thinking. Already calculating.
Trying to figure out who was watching her.
And why.
But for tonight, she wasn't going to let herself think about that.
For tonight, she was just going to focus on the fact that-
Christopher was still here.