Stay Close Novels & Stories

I set the phone down and stared at the ceiling, listening to a house that no longer listened back. Distance had arrived. Not as a threat…..Not as an ending. As a discipline. And for the first time in my life, I understood something I’d never learned to practice before. Staying doesn’t always mean standing still. Sometimes it means holding your ground while the person you love walks forward and choosing, every day, to meet them where they are.

A pause. “Only to them,” he said. Then, more quietly— “Not to you.” I held his gaze for a long moment. Then I nodded once. “Okay.” Not agreement with everything. But acceptance of where we were. He seemed to understand that. He took my empty mug and set it aside. Then he reached for my hand briefly. Just a light touch. Grounding. Intentional. “Stay close today,” he said. “I will.” “And if anything feels off—”

It's not fear, nor panic. It's something else, something steadier, and something safe. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he adds quietly. “Stay close to me,” he mutters, his tone softer now…..but still firm. “Don’t let go.” And this time……I believe him.

“So today I need you to stick close to me. Something is going to go down, and I need you to stay safe.” Why can’t I just have a normal day?

It felt like a little piece of comfort, even when we had to be apart. “I’ll be near you,” he said, and his voice was full of care. “I’ll make sure you are always safe. I’ll talk to you when we can, and I’ll be there the second you need me. But when there are other people around, we have to keep our distance. We have to act like normal siblings, like nothing is wrong. That is the only way we can keep this going, and keep us safe. If we do this right, then we can stay together, no matter what.”

"Stay close to me." Involuntarily I nodded and I couldn't escape the pain in the eyes of a woman who looked like me.

I counter casually while drawing my hands out from my pockets, readying my stance subtly into a fight stand. “I have to leave now and I’m well aware that neither of you live anywhere near me, so following me and saying you live close by isn’t going to work. By the way... don’t speak to me unless we actually have to set something up and need to work... Bye now.” I wait for them to leave as I wave my hand dismissively.

he said. “I don’t think at all, actually,” I snapped. “I panic. There’s a difference.” His eyes lingered on mine for a moment longer than necessary before he finally shifted back slightly, releasing the pressure but not stepping away. “Our bond will grow if we are close enough,” he said simply. “It stabilizes through proximity. Shared presence. Familiarity.” I blinked. “That’s it?” “Yes.” I narrowed my eyes. “So there’s no… whatever nonsense you implied downstairs?”

Elena sat on the edge of a faded couch, watching him in silence. “You should rest,” he said without looking at her. “I’m not tired.” “Then pretend.” She frowned. “Why do you always do that?” He glanced over his shoulder. “Do what?” “Push me away every time I try to understand you.” He stared at her for a moment, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “Because you shouldn’t understand me. You should stay as far from me as possible.” “And yet,” she said quietly, “you keep me close.” Adrien’s gaze hardened, but there was no conviction behind it. He turned away again, running a hand through his hair. “I keep you close because I can’t risk you being used against me. That’s all.”

“Stay close and don’t even think of going off on your own.” She nodded briskly, “Time. How long before the big guys get here?” “Ten minutes tops.” XXX