Small Signs

Chapter 3

Aria began to notice the feeling before she noticed anything else.

It was not fear exactly. Don't panic. Just a soft pressure at the back of her neck, like someone was standing too close even when no one was there. At first, she thought it was stress. The talk about moving, her brothers watching her more closely, her mother’s worried looks. It all sat heavily on her chest.

However, the feeling did not subside. It followed her.

She felt it when she walked across campus with her bag hanging off one shoulder. She felt it when she stopped at the small café near the gate to buy iced coffee. She felt it when she stood at the crosswalk waiting for the light to change. Someone was watching her.

Aria told herself she was imagining things. In her world, paranoia was normal. Everyone watched. Guards watched the streets. Enemies watched borders. Brothers watched sisters. Being alert was survival.

So she ignored it. At least, she tried to.

One afternoon, after lectures, she decided to walk instead of waiting for the car. It was not far. Just a straight road with shops and people everywhere. Nothing dangerous. Nothing strange.

Halfway down the street, she slowed. The feeling came back.

Her steps stayed steady, but her heart started beating faster. She glanced at the reflection in a shop window, pretending to fix her hair. She saw people behind her. A woman talking on her phone. Two boysare laughing. A man standing still across the road.

Her breath caught. He was not doing anything wrong. Just standing there. Dark clothes. Hands in his pockets. Face calm. Normal. Too normal. She blinked.

The man turned and walked away as if he had never been there.

Aria stood frozen for a second before shaking her head. She laughed quietly to herself, embarrassed. This was exactly what Matteo warned her about. Seeing threats where there were none.

She continued walking. That night, she dreamed of footsteps. Not loud ones. Soft ones. Careful ones.

She woke up with her heart racing, sheets twisted around her legs. The room was dark. Quiet. Safe.

She checked the door. Locked. She checked the window. Closed. Still, the feeling stayed.

The next few days passed like that. Nothing big. Nothing obvious. Just small things that made her pause.

A car was parked near the café for two days in a row. A shadow moved when she turned her head.

A stranger who seemed to appear at the same corner every morning and disappear before she could really look. She did not tell anyone.

Not her mother. Not Elena. And definitely not Matteo.

Because Matteo would lose his mind.

He already watched her too closely. He already followed her routines more than he admitted. If she told him she felt watched, he would lock her inside the house forever. So she kept quiet.

But Matteo noticed anyway. He always did.

“You’ve been distracted,” he said one evening as they sat in the living room. Aria was curled up on the couch, scrolling on her phone, pretending not to think too much. Matteo stood near the window, arms crossed.

“I’m fine,” she replied quickly.

“You’re lying,” he said calmly.

She sighed and looked up at him. “I’m just tired.” Matteo studied her face like he was searching for cracks. “You’re not just tired,” he said. “You’ve been looking over your shoulder. You walk faster. You don’t argue as much.”

“That’s a good thing,” she muttered. “It is not normal for you,” he replied.

Her stomach twisted. “You’re imagining it.” “No,” he said firmly. “I’m not.” The silence stretched.

Sofia walked in with a glass of water, breaking the tension. “Matteo, don’t scare her,” she said softly. “Aria has a lot on her mind.”

“I know,” he said. “That’s why I’m worried.” Aria stood up. “I’m going to my room.”

She did not wait for permission. Upstairs, she locked her door and leaned against it, breathing slowly. She hated this feeling. Being watched by her brother. Being watched by something else she could not name.

Later that night, her phone buzzed with a message.

Elena: You okay? You have been quiet lately.

Aria typed back slowly. “Yeah. Just stressed.”

Elena replied almost instantly. “About moving?”

Aria stared at the screen. “Yes.” The truth was easier than lying.

The next day, Matteo drove her to campus himself.

That alone told her something was wrong.

He barely spoke during the drive. His eyes moved constantly. Mirrors. Streets. Corners.

“Matteo,” she said finally. “You’re being weird.” “I’m being careful,” he replied.

“About what?” “Everything.” She pressed her lips together. “You can’t follow me everywhere.”

“I can,” he said. “And I will.” Her chest tightened. “I need space.”

He glanced at her. “Space gets people killed.” She said nothing after that.

When they arrived, Matteo did not leave immediately. He waited until she walked through the gates. Until she blended into the crowd.

She felt his eyes on her back. Inside campus, the feeling returned. Stronger.

She sat through lectures barely hearing the words. Her mind kept drifting. Every time someone brushed past her, her body tensed. Every time a door opened behind her, she turned.

At lunch, she sat with a friend, smiling and laughing like everything was normal. But her eyes kept drifting around.

And then she saw it. A white lily. It was small. Fresh. Sitting in the empty chair across from her table.

Her breath caught. “Did you put that there?” her friend asked, confused.

Aria shook her head slowly. “No.” They both looked around.

No one was close. No one was watching openly. No one seemed interested.

“It’s probably for someone else,” her friend said, shrugging. “People leave flowers all the time.”

Aria nodded, but her fingers trembled as she pushed the flower aside.

She loved lilies. No one outside her family knew that. She left campus early that day.

On the walk back, the streets felt tighter. Louder. Closer. She could swear she heard footsteps matching hers, but every time she stopped, they stopped too.

She did not look back. That night, Matteo came into her room without knocking.

“We need to talk,” he said. She sat up in bed. “About what?”

“You’re moving,” he said. “Soon.” Her heart jumped. “Really?”

“Yes,” he continued. “But not alone.” Her smile faded. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I’m coming with you,” he said. “Or you’re not going at all.”

She stared at him. “That defeats the whole point.” “It keeps you alive.”

“I want my own place,” she said, frustrated. “My own life.”

“You can have that,” he replied. “With protection.” “I don’t need you living with me.”

“You do,” he said flatly. They stared at each other. Brother and sister. Control and freedom.

“I feel like you don’t trust me,” she whispered. Matteo’s expression softened just a little. “I trust you,” he said. “I don’t trust the world.” She looked away.

He sighed. “Something is wrong, Aria.” Her heart pounded. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been watched before,” he said quietly. “I know the signs.” Her blood ran cold.

“You’re wrong,” she said quickly. “Am I?” he asked. She did not answer.

He stepped closer. “If anyone is following you, if anyone is getting too close, I need to know.” She shook her head. “There’s nothing.” Matteo searched her face. “If you lie to me and something happens to you,” he said slowly, “I will burn the city down.” She believed him.

After he left, she sat in the dark for a long time. Her phone buzzed. No name. No number.

Just a message. “Be careful tonight.” Her breath stopped. She stared at the screen, heart pounding so loud she was sure someone could hear it. She typed back. “Who is this?”

The typing bubble appeared. Then it disappeared. No reply.

Aria locked her door. Checked the window. Pulled the curtains tight. She lay in bed, shaking.

Somewhere outside, unseen, someone stood very still. Watching. Waiting.