Lila stood at the door, her hand trembling against the cold metal knob. The faint knock echoed in her ears, louder than it should have been. Her pulse raced, and a voice in her head screamed for her to stop, to think, to not open that door. But another part of her—the part fueled by curiosity, or maybe just reckless hope—urged her forward.

What if it’s Adrian? The thought lit up her chest, momentarily drowning the unease.

She took a steadying breath, squaring her shoulders as if that small gesture could make her feel braver. Slowly, she pulled the door open.

Standing on the threshold was Mia, her best friend since college, wearing a mischievous grin and holding two cups of coffee.

“Surprise! Hope you’re decent because I’m here for the tea.” Mia pushed her way inside, completely oblivious to Lila’s pale face and racing heart.

“Mia,” Lila exhaled, clutching her chest. “You scared the life out of me! I thought…” She trailed off, not wanting to mention the cryptic text.

Mia raised an eyebrow. “Thought what? That I was a serial killer delivering caramel macchiatos? Pfft. As if.” She plopped down on the couch, patting the spot beside her.

Lila closed the door with a shaky hand and turned to face her friend. “What are you even doing here?”

“I was in the neighborhood and figured I’d stop by,” Mia said breezily. “Also, have you checked the group chat? Jenna’s been gushing about how we need a girls’ night to hear all the juicy details about Mr. Wedding Guy. So spill.”

Lila’s cheeks flushed. “There’s nothing to spill. We… we talked at the wedding. That’s all.”

Mia leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t even try that with me, Lila. Jenna said you were practically radiating chemistry. And then there’s that look on your face right now—you’ve got it bad. So, is he hot? Rich? Both? Come on, give me something.”

Lila hesitated, biting her lip. How could she explain Adrian without sounding like a lovesick fool? The way he made her feel—like she was the only person in the room when he looked at her—was something words couldn’t capture.

“He’s… amazing,” she admitted softly. “But it’s complicated.”

Mia groaned dramatically. “Why is it always complicated with you? Just let yourself enjoy something for once! So, did he text you? Ask you out? Proclaim his undying love in the moonlight?”

Lila reached for her phone, unlocking it to show Mia the message from Adrian. “He asked me to dinner.”

Mia’s eyes widened. “Ooh, dinner. That’s not a casual coffee or a quick lunch. That’s ‘I’m interested’ territory.” She paused, her expression turning sly. “Did you say yes?”

“Not yet,” Lila confessed. “I… don’t want to rush things. What if he’s not who I think he is? What if I’m just setting myself up for disappointment?”

Mia softened, her usual playful demeanor replaced by genuine concern. “Lila, I get it. You’ve been burned before. But you can’t let fear keep you from living your life. Sometimes, you’ve got to take the leap. Otherwise, you’ll spend your life wondering what could have been.”

Before Lila could respond, Mia’s gaze shifted to the coffee table where Lila’s phone lay, the screen lighting up with a notification.  The screen displayed a message that sent a chill down her spine: You will die. Mia reached for it before Lila could stop her.

“‘You will die’?” Mia read aloud, her voice dropping an octave. She frowned, looking up at Lila. “What the hell is this?”

Lila’s stomach twisted. “I don’t know. It came right after Adrian’s message.”

Mia’s playful demeanor vanished, replaced by genuine concern. “Lila, this isn’t funny. Have you pissed someone off recently? Stolen someone’s parking spot? Dated someone’s ex?”

Lila shook her head. “No! And I don’t know if it’s a prank or something serious, but it’s… unsettling.”

Mia stood, pacing the room, her expression serious. “Okay, we’re not ignoring this. First things first, you need to block that number. Second, if you feel unsafe, we’re calling the cops.”

“What would I even tell them?” Lila asked helplessly. “That some random person sent me a creepy text? They’d think I was overreacting.”

Mia crossed her arms. “Better overreacting than ending up on a true crime podcast.”

Despite the grim subject, Lila couldn’t help but laugh softly. “You’ve been watching too much Netflix.”

“And you haven’t been watching enough,” Mia shot back. “Anyway, let’s not let some weirdo ruin your day. Message Adrian, set up that dinner, and we’ll deal with the rest later.”

After some coaxing from Mia, Lila finally typed out a reply to Adrian. “Dinner sounds great. I’m free Friday. Here’s my address.” She hit send, her heart pounding as she watched the message deliver.

Mia clapped her hands together. “There you go! Now, let’s pick out an outfit. Something that says, ‘I’m effortlessly stunning,’ but also ‘Don’t mess with me.’”

The two spent the next hour rifling through Lila’s closet, laughing and debating over options. For a while, the ominous text was pushed to the back of their minds. But as Mia finally left, promising to check in later, Lila couldn’t shake the lingering unease.

That night, she sat alone in her apartment, the silence oppressive. She kept glancing at her phone, half-expecting another cryptic message. But none came.

As she prepared for bed, a soft knock at the door froze her in place. Her breath hitched, the sound eerily similar to the one Mia had made earlier. But Mia was long gone.

Slowly, she approached the door, her heart thundering in her chest. “Who is it?” she called, her voice trembling.

There was no answer.

Her fingers hovered over the lock. She knew she should call someone, but her curiosity got the better of her. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and cracked it open.

No one was there.

She stepped into the hallway, peering around. The corridor was empty, bathed in dim light. But as she turned to go back inside, her foot brushed against something on the floor.

It was a single white envelope, unmarked except for her name scrawled across the front in bold, jagged letters.

Her hands shook as she picked it up and opened it. Inside was a single sheet of paper with a message that sent a chill down her spine:

You made a mistake. Friday will be your last day.

The envelope slipped from her fingers, fluttering to the floor as her knees buckled. She backed into her apartment, slamming the door shut and locking it. Her mind raced with a thousand questions, but one thought screamed louder than the rest.

Who was doing this? And why?

As she leaned against the door, gasping for breath, her phone buzzed again. She hesitated before picking it up, terrified of what she might see. But it wasn’t a text this time. It was a call.

The caller ID read: Unknown Number.

Her thumb hovered over the screen. The phone rang insistently, each chime like a hammer to her nerves. Summoning every ounce of courage, she answered.

“Hello?” she whispered.

A low, distorted voice crackled through the line. “Lila,” it said, dragging out her name like a taunt. “You should have said no.”

The line went dead.

Lila’s phone slipped from her hand, her body trembling as she sank to the floor. And for the first time in years, she was truly, utterly afraid.