Page 11 of Mine To Hunt

The moment I see it, something inside me collapses. Everything I had been telling myself fractures at once. The doubts I tried to bury rise to the surface fully formed, heavy and undeniable.

I cannot cry, cannot move, or even look away. The world does not explode or go dark, but something far worse happens.

Chapter 5

Her

The photo loads, and the moment I understand what I am seeing, my chest tightens so sharp, it feels like something inside me has torn. It is Ryan, unmistakably Ryan, close to someone who is not me, in a way that leaves no room for innocent explanations no matter how hard I want to make them.

The familiarity of his posture, the ease in his expression, the comfort in his body language all hit me at once, and it hurts more than the image itself because it reminds me how well I know him.

My mind starts racing, replaying every recent argument, every moment I ignored a warning sign because it was easier to believe in stability than to face the possibility of betrayal.

The humiliation burns almost as much as the heartbreak, because this was not just meant to hurt me, it was meant to make me doubt my own judgment and my own reality.

I feel exposed, like something private and fragile has been dragged into the light and used against me, and the worst part is that I do not know which pain is heavier anymore, the possibilitythat Ryan betrayed me or the certainty that someone is watching my life closely enough to destroy it with perfect timing.

I need answers before I shatter completely. I can't keep running from this shadow. It's time to face it, even if just through words on a screen.

With a shaky exhale, I type out the message I've been rehearsing in my head all afternoon.‘What do you want from me? Why are you doing all this?’

I hit send before I can second-guess it, and the whoosh echoes like a door slamming shut. My heart pounds against my ribs, each beat a reminder of how exposed I feel, how this stranger has wormed into every corner of my life without me even knowing his name.

Minutes stretch into what feels like hours, my eyes glued to the screen as if willing a response will make it appear faster. When it finally buzzes, I snatch the phone up so quickly my fingers fumble the case. The text stares back at me, simple and chilling.‘I only want what's good for you.’

Shock hits me like a wave crashing over my head, cold and disorienting, leaving me gasping as I read it again and again.Good for me?

The words twist in my gut, mocking the terror he's caused, the way he's peeled back layers of my life until I feel raw and unprotected.

Who says something like that after stalking, after sending photos that rip open wounds? My hands tremble as I clutch the phone tighter, a mix of anger and confusion bubbling up so fiercely that tears prick at my eyes.

This isn't concern. It's control, wrapped in a lie that makes my skin crawl. I want to scream at him, demand more, but the words stick in my throat, frozen by the absurdity of it all.

That message is what pushes me over the edge, the final straw in a day that's already crumbling around me. I don't wait for Ryan to pick me up after my last class like I usually do.

The ride home blurs through tears I blink away, my mind replaying the text on loop, each word a needle pricking deeper into the fear that's become my constant companion.

By the time I get inside, the flat feels too still, too empty, and I collapse onto the couch with my bag still slung over my shoulder, staring at nothing as the shock settles into a dull throb.

How long has this been building? The sandwich under my desk, the threats about the police, now this twisted claim of benevolence.

It's all too much, and the isolation hits harder than I expect, a loneliness that echoes the days after the crash when I lost my Mom and Dad, when the world narrowed to just me against everything.

I curl my knees up, hugging them close, and let the silence wrap around me like a blanket that's more suffocating than comforting.

~

The front door slams open hours later, the sound jolting me upright with a gasp that catches in my throat. Ryan storms in, his face flushed red with anger, keys jangling as he tosses them onto the entry table with enough force to make them skid.

He doesn't even kick off his shoes, just strides straight toward me, his eyes locked on mine with a fury that makes my pulse spike.

"Iris, what the hell?" He demands, his voice already rising as he stops inches from the couch, towering over me. "Why didn't you wait for me? I sat there like an idiot for an hour, numbing my ass off in the lot."

I shrink back instinctively, the familiar edge in his tone sending a flicker of unease through me, but I force myself to meet his gaze, my voice coming out smaller than I want.

“I wasn’t feeling well, Ryan.” I say quietly. “The whole day just… hit me hard. I needed to get home.”

I swallow. “I’m sorry. I should’ve texted, but my head was a mess.”