Having my husband’s cousin, who makes me feel uncomfortable, staying at our house is leaving me feeling uneasy, and I’m not sure what to do about it. It started off innocently enough when he mentioned he’d be staying for a few days while he sorted some things out. At first, I didn’t think much of it—he’s family, after all. I’ve seen him at family gatherings over the years, and though he’s always been a bit distant, I didn’t have any major issues with him. But now that he’s here, things feel different.

He’s polite, maybe even too polite, as if he’s trying a little too hard to be charming. He’s always just a little too close, offering help that feels more like an excuse to be around than genuine assistance. It’s the little things that make me uneasy—his eyes lingering on me when he thinks I’m not looking, his subtle way of inserting himself into conversations between me and my husband, and the way he seems to hang around, even when there’s no need for him to be there.

I try to shake off the discomfort, telling myself it’s nothing, but it’s getting harder. Whenever I’m in a room with him alone, I feel this weight on my chest, this need to leave as quickly as possible. I notice the way he looks at me—too intently, as if he’s reading more into the situation than I’m comfortable with. There’s a certain tension in his gaze that I can’t ignore. It’s unsettling, especially since I’ve always seen him as just another family member, not someone I should be wary of.

When he first arrived, I thought maybe I was overthinking things, but now I’m starting to second-guess myself. Should I say something to my husband? The last time I tried, he brushed it off, claiming I was being paranoid. But the more time I spend with his cousin, the more I feel like I can’t shake this feeling that something’s off. He hasn’t done anything outright inappropriate, but it’s hard to ignore the nagging sense that he’s crossing boundaries, even in small ways. Every interaction feels off, like a conversation is lingering too long, or a simple touch on the shoulder feels too familiar.

I don’t want to make a scene or create tension with my husband, but I also don’t want to be made to feel uncomfortable in my own home. What if my instincts are right? What if there’s more to this than just me being paranoid? The hardest part is figuring out how to address it without seeming like I’m making something out of nothing.

I keep wondering whether I should talk to him directly, confront him about how his presence makes me feel. But the idea of doing that feels even more uncomfortable than living with the uncertainty. How do you tell someone that their very presence is making you anxious without it feeling like a confrontation? At the same time, I don’t want to spend another day feeling like I’m walking on eggshells in my own home.

For now, I’m caught in this unsettling middle ground—trying to keep my feelings in check while also trying to figure out the best way to address it, without making things worse.