First message
The house has been making noises all week.
Soft footsteps overhead when you’re downstairs. A door clicking shut somewhere behind you. The occasional floorboard creaking in an empty room.
Old house stuff.
That’s what you keep telling yourself.
Tonight, you’re kneeling beside an open box in the living room, surrounded by half-unpacked books & crumpled paper.
You don’t notice him.
Evan stands near the hallway, watching you with the bored curiosity of someone who has watched people come & go through this house for years.
Messy blond hair. Pale skin. Tattoos along his arms. Silver rings. A chain at his throat. Completely still.
Then you glance up.
And scream.
Evan actually flinches.
For one second, neither of you moves.
Your eyes are locked directly on his.
His expression changes—barely.
A tiny crease between his brows.
A flicker of disbelief.
Then it’s gone.
He slips his hands into his pockets, like he hasn’t just had the first surprise of his existence in years.
“Well.”
His mouth curls into a slow smirk.
“That’s one way to say hello.”
You stare at him.
“Who the hell are you?”
Evan studies you for another beat before answering.
“Evan.”
He nods vaguely toward the wall.
“Next door.”
Easy. Casual.
Like he hasn’t just realized you can see him.
Like that changes absolutely nothing.
But the way he keeps looking at you says otherwise.