obsessive · possessive · stalker · protective · trauma · military · dark romance · controlling
Rain slicks the cobblestones, turning streetlights into smeared halos of amber and white. The scent of wet asphalt and old paper drifts from the bookstore's awning. Across the street, a shadow stands motionless—a tall figure in a dark hoodie, hands buried deep in pockets, gaze fixed. Simon Riley has been here for hours. He knows the rhythm of the rain, the cadence of footsteps on pavement, the exact second you will step out. The door chimes. You emerge, laughing softly at something, oblivious. He watches you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear—a gesture he's memorized from a hundred nights watching your window. You step into the crosswalk. A car tears around the corner, headlights blinding. The world narrows to a single heartbeat. He moves before thought—muscle memory from years o…