SECRETS!

“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions to be destroyed”

- Friedrich Nietzsche

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As Lia stood in the open square, people moved around her in a blur – laughing, talking, passing by with the ease of those who didn't know that danger was near. She was momentarily distracted, watching a child tug at their parent's hand, when the air behind her shifted. She felt it. Breath on her neck. A hand on her wrist. She turned, expecting Lucas. But it was James.

Before she could scream, his hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her. Panic surged through her chest. The world didn't stop. No one noticed. The crowd flowed around them like a current, unaware of the storm unfolding in their midst.

Lia froze. Her body was stiff, her mind spiraling. She didn't fight. Not at first.

She closed her eyes, just for a moment, and fled inward. Searching for calm. Reaching for clarity. And in that fragile stillness, James leaned in and hissed:

"You can always try to get away from me…but I will always find you."

Lucas didn't stop running until he saw her. She was motionless in the middle of the street, her back straight, shoulders locked – strong but visibly shaken. Her eyes were now fixed on James. And James? Still grinning, like he hadn't wrecked her once before, acting like he had the right to stand there.

Lucas didn't announce himself at this point. He didn't need to. His presence hit first. Like a wave slamming against the shore. James turned slowly, smirk crackling slightly; hadn't expected Lucas to show up so fast. But more than that, he hadn't expected the storm in his eyes. Controlled. Cold. Dangerous.

Lucas stepped between them, planting himself in front of Lia like a shield, his gaze locked onto James without flinching.

"You need to leave," he said.

Calm.

Unshakeable.

James chuckled, the sound low and mocking.

"You must be Lucas," he said, dragging out the name like it tasted wrong in his mouth.

He stepped forward just enough to test the line.

"You're a temporary fix," he sneered.

"She'll remember who built her - who made her strong."

Lucas didn't blink.

"No," he said flatly.

"She built herself. You just broke things."

James froze, jaw tight, as Lia stepped forward before he could spit another word. Her voice was steady and clear—a blade in velvet.

"You didn't make me, James. You almost destroyed me. There's a difference."

The silence that followed cracked like thunder in still air.

James's smirk faltered. His ego was bruised, and his eyes flicked between them, searching for something to hold onto but only finding walls.

He gave a cold laugh, bitter at the edges.

"We'll see."

And with that, he turned and walked off. Swallowed by the crowd in the street. Shadows reclaiming him like they knew he'd never leave. But even as he vanished, the weight of his presence lingered - like a storm still humming on the horizon.

Lucas turned to Lia, his voice low, firm.

"He's done showing off. Next time, he's going to try something real."

Lia nodded, her fingers laced with his.

"Then, we'll be ready."

All Lia found the strength to whisper was,

"Why is he here? How did he find me?"

She had worked so hard to escape him. 

Now, he had found her.

But how?

Lucas pulled Lia into his arms as the last traces of James disappeared. With her heartbeat still pounding against his chest, she gripped his waist steadily. Stronger than ever before.

They stood for a moment. Just the two of them. Breathing in sync, letting silence speak louder than words. Lucas brushed her hair back and asked if she was okay. And for now, she said she was. Lia didn't feel alone in the aftermath for the first time in a long time.

 Lucas had been preparing for this moment for a long time. Studying men like James, learning their patterns, anticipating their next moves. Lia's safety depended on it. James's reputation for rage was no secret. His anger had burned bridges before, and his consequences always arrived too late to teach him anything. So, he never learned. He never stopped. But Lucas's patience had run its course. He'd drawn a line - and James crossed it. This wasn't just defense anymore. It was a declaration. An act of protection so sharp, so deliberate, it would make James wish he had stayed far away from Lia. James had no idea what he was up against. But if he didn't stop - he was going to find out.

Lia had been carrying a truth she hadn't yet shared with Lucas. But with everything unraveling around them, she chose to stay silent, discerning that it was not the right time. Lia knew that nothing between them would be the same once the words left her lips. So, she decided to wait. Quietly hoping for a moment when the chaos would settle, their hearts would be steady enough to bear the weight of it together.

Part of Lucas's plan was to document everything meticulously. Every word, every unwanted advance, every sighting, every unsettling act James inflicted on Lia and her peace. He was building a clear paper trail. Undeniable evidence of James's escalating behavior. One that wouldn't be dismissed or ignored. Lucas knew that he had to be ready for anything with someone like James, whose behavior was growing bolder and dangerous. A single plan wouldn't be enough. He needed layers of protection, strategies, and contingencies because, with James, a threat was never just possible - it was inevitable.

PREPARATION WASN'T OPTIONAL - IT WAS SURVIVAL.

A week had gone by, and there were no sightings of James. And the absence didn't soothe. It lingered like smoke after a fire. Proof that something had burned and might burn again. Lia took leave from work, and her lifelong friend Paisley came by to keep her company. Just like she always did when things got too heavy for Lia bear. They had been soul-deep friends since middle school. Sisters without blood ties. Inseparable and remained that way to this day.

Paisley knew that fear couldn't hold them forever, so she reached for the familiar comforts worn in by years of friendship. A faded game of Snakes and Ladders, a shared tub of melting ice cream, and laughter that came without questions. For the first time in days, Lia smiled - really smiled, and let herself slip into that soft, safe space. At that moment, the only things that mattered were dice rolls, inside jokes, and the simple joy of being seen without having to explain the storm she carried.

Lucas stepped out to give the women some space. Slipping away to meet Neil, his closet friend, and unwavering confidant. With the weight of recent events pressing on him, he laid it all out: James's latest move, the rising tension, and the urgency of what would come next. Together, they spent hours in conversation, dissecting every angle, risk, scenario, and countermove.

"We can't keep reacting," he said, looking at Neil across the table.

"We have to get ahead of him now."

Neil had moved closer to look at all that Lucas had presented him on James, which worried him. "This guy is careful, but he is arrogant. That's his weak spot. He wants to be seen."

Lucas agreed and added: "He thrives on being in control. He won't know what to do if we take that away from him."

Neil nodded.

"Exactly. We control the narrative now. Not him."

A map lay flat on the table - locations where James had been spotted. Areas Lia felt unsafe. Lucas began drawing lines planning a net.

It was good that Lucas wasn't fueled by rage or revenge, or this would have ended differently. His resolve was rooted in love. And nothing - not fear, not James, not even the shadows closing in, would keep him from protecting the woman who had become his entire world.

He still remembered the night everything shifted.

It had been raining, soft and steady, and they were walking home from a bookstore Lia loved. She'd been quiet that evening, more than usual. When he asked if she was okay, she paused, then whispered, "I don't know how to feel safe anymore." She hadn't been asking for a solution. She hadn't been expecting him to fix it. But he looked her in the eyes and said, "Then I'll stay until you do."

That night, she cried in his arms for the first time. And he knew, without a doubt, that there was no turning back.

To be continued!

Kerique Hoo-Kim