Chapter 5: Stalker
Alice and Xavier sat on opposite ends of the couch. Xavier’s cat, Jaffar, was curled up and sleeping peacefully on Alice’s lap. Xavier could only stare in disbelief. Jaffar never let strangers touch him, let alone climb onto their laps.
"It’s so cute," Alice murmured, stroking the cat with deliberate care. Her fingers trailed along his fur as if committing the texture to memory. She glanced at Xavier, her scarlet eyes gleaming with a mix of warmth and something he couldn’t quite place.
"Do you mind if I ask you something, darling?" Alice asked, her scarlet eyes locking onto Xavier’s. Her voice was light, but the way she emphasized the last word made Xavier’s brow twitch.
"Hmm? What is it?" he replied, his tone light but his mind already spinning. Why did she seem so focused on him?
"Is Jaffar a male or female?"
"Male," he said simply.
"Oh? How old is he?" Alice’s gaze didn’t waver from Xavier’s face as she spoke, as if the answer meant more to her than it should. Her fingers paused mid-stroke on Jaffar’s back, her attention unnervingly precise.
Xavier hesitated, trying to recall. "If I’m not wrong, he’s about ten years old now."
"Oh? He’s still very young then." Alice said.
"Yeah, thanks to advanced healthcare, most species have a longer lifespan than before." Xavier agreed.
"..."