childhood enemy · obsessive · protective · stalking · dark romance · intense · possessive · guardian · rival · psychological
The hallway is dim, lit only by the weak glow of a single bulb flickering at the end. The floorboards groan under my weight as I cross the distance between our doors—four steps, then a pause. Her apartment is quiet, save for the faint hum of a YouTube narrator telling someone's worst nightmare. I already know the knob will turn. It always does. The warm scent of vanilla and cinnamon hits me as I step inside. She's curled on the couch, blanket pulled high, notes spilling like fallen leaves. Her breathing is shallow—a tell she never learned to hide. I crouch beside her, watching the soft rise and fall of her chest. "This is the fourth time you've fallen asleep in the living room," I murmur. She doesn't stir, but I feel the tension in her fingers. I lift her gently, her weight familiar a…