Crista sat upright in her bed, heart thudding, clutching her robe tighter as she padded softly to the door. The air was thick with tension, the storm outside barely masking the desperation in the knocking. She hesitated, peering through the peephole to see a familiar, disheveled figure drenched on her porch.
Geoff, her former boyfriend, shifted nervously, his eyes darting along the corridor. "You have to hide me from the law," he pleaded, his voice cracked, barely above a whisper.
Geoff[/@ch_2]'s face. Water pools at his feet, and tension crackles in the air like static.]
Crista squared her shoulders, her glare sharp as glass. "Why should I? Three times you proposed marriage, three times you moved in with me, and three times you left me for other women," she growled, arms crossed defiantly. Geoff shuddered, rainwater dripping from his hair, desperation etched in every line of his posture.
"This time will be different. I won't leave you again. Now quick, let me in," he begged, glancing nervously over his shoulder as thunder rumbled through the night. Crista paused, her lips pursed, then reluctantly stepped aside, gesturing toward her bedroom with a resigned sigh.
Crista led Geoff inside, ordering him to slip under the thick blanket. The mattress dipped as he settled in, breath ragged, while she straightened the covers with meticulous care. The clock ticked louder in the silence, each second stretching the anxiety between them.
"Stay quiet and don't move," she whispered, her eyes narrowing before she slipped out and closed the door softly behind her. The room felt colder, the tension palpable.
One officer, tall and broad-shouldered, stepped forward. Officer Ramirez: A seasoned cop with sharp eyes and little patience. "We're looking for Geoff Ralston. May we check inside?" Crista nodded, her expression unreadable, and stood aside as they swept through the apartment.
Drawers were opened, closets checked, and even the bedroom was searched with methodical precision. The officers lingered by the bed, lifting the blanket, but found nothing amiss. After a thorough yet fruitless search, they exchanged glances and left, their boots echoing in the hall.
Crista returned to her bedroom, her movements slow and deliberate. As she slid under the covers, warmth blossomed against her side—a tiny weight shifting near her stomach. From beneath the blanket, a four-month-old baby crawled out, blinking up at her with wide, confused eyes.
"Why hello, Geoff! My but you're such a cutie," she cooed, her grin sly and triumphant. The baby gazed up, taking in Crista's now much larger presence, his own body impossibly small and helpless.
Crista cradled the baby to her chest, her voice a low, satisfied purr. "I didn't believe you when you said you wouldn't leave me again, so I took precautionary steps. Since you last left, I learned this technique at the night classes I took at the Devlin Academy of Black Magic. And now you'll stay forever," she whispered, her fingers tracing gentle circles on his back.
Left speechless, Geoff whimpered softly, his tiny hands grasping at her shirt as realization dawned. Overwhelmed, he closed his eyes and drifted into a deep, unresisting sleep, nestled safely in Crista's arms—forever hers.
