My husband’s cousin is staying at our house, and I can’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that has settled over me since the moment he arrived. I’ve only met him a few times before, at family gatherings where we barely exchanged words. He always seemed quiet, a little odd, but harmless. But now, having him under my roof, I can’t ignore the unease he brings with him.

From the start, there was something off. He showed up unannounced, bags in hand, with the explanation that he was “in between places” and needed a spot to crash for a while. My husband, being the generous and easygoing person he is, didn’t hesitate to welcome him in. He assured me it would only be temporary, just until his cousin got back on his feet. I wanted to protest, but how could I? It was family, after all. What kind of wife would I be to deny him that?

At first, I told myself I was overthinking it. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, to believe he was just a little socially awkward and that I’d adjust to having him around. But as the days turned into weeks, my discomfort only grew. There’s something about the way he moves around the house, so quiet it’s almost sneaky, like he’s trying not to be noticed but also watching everything. I’ve caught him staring at me more than once, his eyes lingering just a second too long, making my skin crawl.

He never does anything outright alarming, nothing I can point to and say, “This is why I feel uneasy.” It’s all subtle, little things that add up to a big feeling of wrongness. Like how he seems to always be around when I’m alone in a room, finding some excuse to come in just as I’m folding laundry or making coffee. Or how he comments on things I didn’t realize he was paying attention to, like what I wore to work yesterday or a conversation I had with my husband that I thought was private.

The worst was last night. I woke up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water and found him sitting in the dark living room, staring at nothing. He didn’t say anything when I walked by, didn’t even acknowledge me, but I could feel his eyes on me as I left the room. I barely slept after that, my mind racing with scenarios and questions. Why was he there? What was he thinking?

I’ve tried talking to my husband about it, but he brushes off my concerns, insisting his cousin is just a little weird but harmless. He’s known him his whole life, after all, and thinks I’m overreacting. “You’re just not used to having someone else in the house,” he said. But it’s more than that. I know it is.

I feel trapped, caught between wanting to support my husband and wanting to feel safe in my own home. I’ve started avoiding being alone with his cousin whenever I can, finding excuses to stay out or asking my husband to be around more. But I can’t live like this indefinitely. How long is “temporary” supposed to last? And what if I’m not overreacting? What if my gut is trying to tell me something my husband refuses to see?

I don’t want to cause a rift in the family or seem paranoid, but I also can’t ignore how I feel. This is my home, and I should feel comfortable in it. For now, I’m trying to keep my distance, to avoid any unnecessary interactions with him, but I know this isn’t a solution. Sooner or later, I’ll have to confront my husband again, to make him understand how much this is affecting me. I just hope he’ll listen before it’s too late.