You Feel Safer With Him

Cristina couldn’t focus.

Not on the street.

Not on the people passing by.

Not even on where she was walking.

⸻

Because her mind kept dragging her back—

to that moment.

⸻

His hand on her jaw.

His voice.

That pause before—

⸻

The kiss.

⸻

Her fingers tightened unconsciously at her side.

⸻

Cristina (under her breath):

“It didn’t mean anything.”

⸻

A lie.

⸻

And she knew it.

⸻

Because her body remembered.

Too clearly.

⸻

The way her breath had stopped.

The way she didn’t push him away.

⸻

She exhaled sharply.

⸻

Cristina:

“Get a grip.”

⸻

Leo (behind her):

“You should take your own advice.”

⸻

She stopped walking immediately.

⸻

Of course.

He was still there.

⸻

She turned slowly.

⸻

Cristina:

“Do you ever give me space?”

⸻

Leo:

“No.”

⸻

No hesitation.

⸻

Her jaw tightened.

⸻

Cristina:

“That’s not normal.”

⸻

Leo:

“You keep expecting normal.”

⸻

A pause.

⸻

Leo (quieter):

“You shouldn’t.”

⸻

She looked away.

⸻

Because every time she looked at him—

it got harder to think straight.

⸻

Cristina:

“You don’t get to just… follow me everywhere.”

⸻

Leo:

“I do if it keeps you alive.”

⸻

Her chest tightened slightly.

⸻

Cristina:

“You don’t even know if something will happen today.”

⸻

A beat.

⸻

Leo:

“You do.”

⸻

Her breath caught.

⸻

Because—

he was right.

⸻

Her visions hadn’t stopped.

They never did.

⸻

And that thought alone made her uneasy.

⸻

Before she could respond—

⸻

A familiar voice cut in.

⸻

Kevin:

“Looks like I’m interrupting something.”

⸻

Cristina froze.

⸻

Not again.

⸻

She turned—

and there he was.

⸻

Calm.

Composed.

Watching.

⸻

But not casually anymore.

⸻

Carefully.

⸻

His gaze flicked briefly to Leo—

then back to her.

⸻

Kevin (soft):

“You okay?”

⸻

That simple question—

felt different.

⸻

Warm.

Grounding.

⸻

And that was dangerous.

⸻

Because for a second—

just one second—

she felt safer.

⸻

Leo noticed.

⸻

Of course he did.

⸻

The shift in her posture.

The way her shoulders relaxed slightly.

⸻

His expression didn’t change.

But something in his eyes did.

⸻

Darker.

⸻

Cristina:

“I told you to stay away.”

⸻

Kevin:

“You did.”

⸻

A step closer.

⸻

Kevin:

“And you look like you need someone to ignore that advice.”

⸻

Her breath caught slightly.

⸻

Because—

again—

he felt easy.

⸻

Too easy.

⸻

Leo stepped forward.

Just enough.

⸻

Closing the invisible gap.

⸻

Leo (cold):

“She doesn’t.”

⸻

Kevin didn’t back off.

⸻

Kevin:

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

⸻

Silence.

⸻

Heavy.

⸻

Cristina felt it building again.

That same tension.

⸻

Like something was about to break.

⸻

Another flash hit her—

⸻

Kevin—on the ground.

Blood spreading.

Leo standing nearby—

⸻

Her chest tightened violently.

⸻

Cristina (sharp):

“Stop—both of you.”

⸻

They didn’t move.

⸻

Her breathing became uneven again.

⸻

Cristina:

“You don’t understand—this is exactly how it happens.”

⸻

Kevin frowned.

⸻

Kevin:

“How what happens?”

⸻

She shook her head.

⸻

Cristina:

“You die.”

⸻

Silence dropped.

⸻

Completely.

⸻

Kevin blinked.

⸻

Kevin:

“…That’s one way to start a conversation.”

⸻

Leo didn’t react outwardly.

But his gaze sharpened.

⸻

Leo:

“You saw it again.”

⸻

She nodded slightly.

⸻

Cristina (quiet):

“Yes.”

⸻

Kevin studied her now.

Really studied her.

⸻

Not confused.

⸻

Interested.

⸻

That wasn’t normal.

⸻

Kevin (softly):

“And you’re trying to stop it?”

⸻

Cristina looked at him.

⸻

Cristina:

“I don’t want you involved.”

⸻

A pause.

⸻

Kevin:

“Too late.”

⸻

Her chest tightened.

⸻

Cristina:

“You don’t even know what you’re stepping into.”

⸻

Kevin:

“Then explain it.”

⸻

She hesitated.

⸻

Because she couldn’t.

Not fully.

⸻

Leo stepped closer again.

⸻

Now beside her.

Not touching—

but close enough that she felt it.

⸻

That presence.

⸻

That claim.

⸻

Leo:

“He doesn’t need an explanation.”

⸻

Kevin’s eyes flicked to him.

⸻

Kevin:

“And you do?”

⸻

A beat.

⸻

Leo:

“Yes.”

⸻

That confidence—

that certainty—

it wasn’t normal.

⸻

Kevin noticed too.

⸻

His expression shifted slightly.

⸻

More serious now.

⸻

Kevin:

“…Who are you?”

⸻

Leo didn’t answer.

⸻

Instead—

his gaze moved back to Cristina.

⸻

Leo (quiet):

“You feel safer with him.”

⸻

Her breath caught.

⸻

Cristina:

“That’s not—”

⸻

Leo:

“It is.”

⸻

Silence.

⸻

Her chest tightened.

⸻

Because again—

he wasn’t wrong.

⸻

And that made everything worse.

⸻

Cristina:

“He’s not the one controlling me.”

⸻

That did it.

⸻

A subtle shift.

⸻

Leo’s jaw tightened just slightly.

⸻

Barely visible—

but enough.

⸻

Leo (lower):

“You think I’m controlling you?”

⸻

Her voice came out softer now.

⸻

Cristina:

“You don’t give me a choice.”

⸻

A pause.

⸻

Then—

⸻

He stepped closer.

⸻

Too close again.

⸻

Her breath hitched.

⸻

Leo:

“You always have a choice.”

⸻

His voice dropped slightly.

⸻

Leo:

“You just don’t like the consequences.”

⸻

Her heart raced again.

⸻

Because that tone—

meant something.

⸻

Kevin watched silently now.

⸻

Not interrupting.

⸻

Not stepping in.

⸻

Just observing.

⸻

That was worse.

⸻

Cristina swallowed.

⸻

Cristina:

“You’re making this harder.”

⸻

Leo:

“It was never going to be easy.”

⸻

A pause.

⸻

Then—

⸻

Leo (quiet, intense):

“And he’s not safe.”

⸻

Her brows furrowed.

⸻

Cristina:

“You don’t know that.”

⸻

Leo’s gaze shifted.

Finally—

to Kevin.

⸻

Direct.

Sharp.

⸻

Leo:

“I know enough.”

⸻

Kevin didn’t flinch.

⸻

Instead—

he smiled slightly.

⸻

Too calmly.

⸻

Kevin:

“Then say it.”

⸻

Silence.

⸻

Tension stretched thin.

⸻

Cristina felt it again—

that unease.

⸻

That something was wrong.

⸻

Not just with Leo.

⸻

With Kevin too.

⸻

Her instincts screamed quietly:

⸻

Something doesn’t add up.

⸻

⸻

And in that moment—

Cristina realized something dangerous:

⸻

She wasn’t choosing between safe and dangerous.

⸻

She was choosing between two unknowns.

⸻

And one of them—

⸻

was hiding something very well.

⸻

⸻

The End

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