Chapter 5 Levi's POV

My day was exhausting. I shouldn’t even be complaining about being tired.

After I left school, I went to Cody's cafe for my shift. After that, I ended up doing more deliveries than I had planned for Ricky and Bell Sweets.

My head still felt heavy, and that lingering sense of unease from earlier hadn’t gone away.

Jamie was in the kitchen when I walked in, half inside the fridge like he expected food to appear if he stared long enough.

“You’re back,” he said without looking at me.

“Yeah.”

He shut the fridge and turned. His eyes scanned my face for a second longer than usual. “You look worse than yesterday.”

“Good to know I’m consistent.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know.”

He leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “Something’s off.”

“I said I’m fine.”

He didn’t argue, which meant he did not believe me. But instead of pushing, he sighed and straightened.

“Fine,” he said. “Then you can come with me.”

“Where?”

“Grocery shopping.”

I stared at him. “We just bought stuff.”

“And you finished it,” he replied without hesitation.

“I didn’t finish anything.”

“You hardly eat. But you and I know when you do, you go all in.”

The words came out casually, but they still hit.

I shrugged. “Habit.”

For a moment, he just looked at me. Then he grabbed his keys.

“If you eat at healthy hours, it won’t be a bad habit. Come on. We’re going before I lose patience.”

I didn’t feel like moving, but staying alone in my head sounded worse.

“Give me a minute,” I muttered.

The walk to the store was quiet. The city was still busy, people moving in every direction like they had somewhere important to be. I kept my hands in my pockets and my head down, falling into step beside Jamie.

I was not into crowds. Never been. Whenever too many people are involved, it always ends in trouble.

“You’re thinking too loud again,” Jamie said suddenly.

“I’m not thinking out loud.”

“You don’t have to. I can tell.”

I glanced at him. “You’ve been watching me too much.”

“Someone has to. For your own good.”

I rolled my eyes and looked ahead again.

We reached the store and stepped inside. The bright lights and low noise of people talking made everything feel oddly normal.

Jamie grabbed a cart. “Try not to disappear.”

“No promises.”

We moved through the aisles, picking up the basics.

Bread, eggs, rice, instant noodles. Just the usual.

Jamie pushed the cart while I grabbed things off the shelves. It was routine. Something I didn’t have to think too hard about.

Halfway through, he looked at me again.

“Alright,” he said. “Talk.”

“About what?”

“Whatever’s been bothering you since you walked in.”

I hesitated for a second, then picked up a box of cereal just to have something to do.

“There’s this professor,” I said.

Jamie raised an eyebrow. “Already?”

“Not like that.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were about to.”

He smirked. “Go on.”

I dropped the cereal into the cart. “He’s weird.”

“That’s still not helpful.”

“I met him before,” I continued. “At that fundraiser job.”

Jamie’s expression shifted slightly. “Okay… and?”

“He kept staring at me.”

Jamie shrugged. “Maybe you looked good.”

I gave him a flat look. “I was wearing a waiter’s uniform.”

“So?”

“I’m being serious.”

“Alright,” he said, holding up his hands. “Continue.”

“He’s my psychology lecturer now.”

Jamie stopped pushing the cart completely this time. “Wait. The same guy?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s… a coincidence.”

“It doesn’t feel like one.”

We moved again, slower now.

“And what happened in class?” he asked.

“He made me stay back.”

“Why?”

“He said he wanted to talk.”

“And?”

“He told me my grades were bad. And that I could come to his office if I needed help.”

“That’s normal.”

“Not the way he said it.”

Jamie sighed, clearly trying to stay patient. “You don’t trust people easily. That’s fine. But you can’t assume everyone has bad intentions.”

“I’m not assuming anything.”

“You kind of are.”

I didn’t respond.

“If he’s offering to help you with your grades, you should take it,” Jamie continued. “You’ve been struggling.”

“I’m managing.”

“You’re barely managing,” he said, not bothering to soften it.

I looked away.

“If he tries anything weird, we deal with it,” he added. “We report him. Simple.”

I let out a breath. “You really think it’s nothing?”

“I think you’re used to expecting the worst,” he said. “That doesn’t mean you’re always right.”

That sat there for a moment. I didn’t like it, but I also didn’t argue.

We finished shopping not long after that.

Jamie paid while I packed the bags, and then we headed back outside.

The walk home felt different this time.

Quieter.

He was talking about something random—classes, maybe—but I wasn’t really listening.

That feeling came back again.

The feeling of being watched.

I slowed slightly and glanced behind us.

Nothing.

Just people moving like normal. But the feeling was still there.

“You okay?” Jamie asked.

“Yeah,” I said quickly. “Just tired.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press.

When we got back to the apartment, I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Jamie went straight to the kitchen with the bags.

I was about to follow when something caught my attention.

There was an envelope on the floor. Right in front of the door.

I stopped.

It hadn’t been there before.

I bent down and picked it up slowly. It was thick. Red, with gold edges.

Weird.

My name was written on it in clean print.

Levi Cross.

Nothing on the back. No address or anything.

“Jamie,” I called.

“What?”

“Did you order anything?”

“No.”

I looked back at the door.

Then I stepped outside quickly.

The hallway was empty.

No footsteps, no voices, and no sign that anyone had been there.

I walked a few steps further, checking both directions.

Still nothing.

“Yeah… that’s normal,” I muttered.

I went back inside and shut the door.

Jamie looked up from the kitchen. “What is it?”

I held up the envelope.

“This was outside.”

He walked over, frowning. “That wasn’t there when we left.”

“I know.”

“Open it.”

I stared at it for a few second.

Then I slid my finger under the seal and opened it.