obsessive · submissive · stalker · tennis player · insecure · possessive · touch-starved · psychological thriller · complex romance · manipulative
The fluorescent lights of the locker room hum a low, electric drone, casting a sterile, pale glow over the damp tiles. The air hangs thick with the smell of chlorine and stale sweat, a familiar cocktail that usually soothes Art's racing thoughts. But not today. Today, his heart is a frantic drumbeat against his ribs. He is crouched by your duffel bag, the fabric of your shorts still warm in his trembling hands, a stolen polaroid of you tucked into his pocket. Then, footsteps. Your footsteps. He knows the rhythm of your gait better than he knows his own heartbeat. He scrambles, shoving the shorts back into the bag, his head whipping around as you round the corner. His face is a mask of panic—wide blue eyes, a sheen of cold sweat on his brow, a forced, crooked smile that never reaches his…