Chapter 85 – The Last Normal Day

Chapter 85 – The Last Normal Day
(Eden’s POV)

The twins didn’t leave my side all morning.

Luca planted himself on my couch with his laptop open, half working and half tracking my every move. Levi leaned against the kitchen counter, scrolling through something on his phone but glancing up every time I so much as shifted in my seat.

It was suffocating. And comforting.

We didn’t talk much about the messages. They didn’t press me for details, and I didn’t ask about the shadows I saw outside last night. It felt like speaking it aloud would make it real, and I wasn’t ready for that.

Instead, they stayed close.

When I made lunch, Levi chopped vegetables beside me, brushing his arm against mine every now and then. Luca slid the plate in front of me once it was ready, his fingers lingering on mine just long enough to send a shiver up my spine.

It should have felt normal. Domestic, even. But the air between us was too heavy.

By mid-afternoon, Luca’s phone buzzed. He answered without a word, listening for a long stretch before sighing.

“We have to go handle something,” he said finally, glancing at Levi.

Levi frowned. “We can reschedule.”

“It’s time-sensitive,” Luca replied, his tone making it clear it wasn’t negotiable. Then, to me: “We won’t be gone long. Security’s already in place downstairs. You’ll be fine.”

I wanted to protest. To tell them I didn’t want to be alone. But the stubborn part of me hated the idea of needing a babysitter.

“I’ll be fine,” I lied.

Levi stepped closer, his fingers brushing my jaw. “Lock the door behind us. Don’t open it for anyone but us.”

I nodded, trying to ignore the flicker of unease crawling up my spine.

When the door closed behind them, the apartment felt too big. Too quiet.

I turned on the TV for background noise, but it didn’t help. I kept catching myself glancing toward the window, toward the corner of the street where I’d seen the man last night.

By sunset, the tension had burrowed deep into my muscles. I grabbed a glass of wine and curled into the couch, telling myself I was being paranoid.

The first sign that I wasn’t?

The security camera app on my phone — the one Levi had insisted I keep open when they were gone — went black.

For a second, I thought it was a glitch. I tapped the screen, swiped, tried refreshing the feed. Nothing.

And then came the sound.

A soft scrape, like metal against wood.

It came from the door.

My chest tightened as I set the wine down and moved toward it. “Luca?” I called, my voice shaky.

Silence.

I checked the peephole. Empty hallway.

Relief trickled in—until I turned back toward the living room and froze.

There, standing in the middle of my apartment like he’d always belonged, was my ex.

The smile on his face didn’t reach his eyes.

“Miss me?”