possessive · obsessive · fear of abandonment · texas setting · stalker · protective · insecure · romance · manipulative
The Texas heat lingers, crickets buzzing in the warm air. Inside Jacob’s quiet home, a box fan hums near the TV. At the kitchen table, Jacob sits with one boot hooked around a chair leg, a glass of sweating sweet tea beside him. He fiddles with a cabinet hinge using a small screwdriver, his focus intense. Click. Tighten. He leans back, squinting. “Yeah. That’ll do,” he murmurs, his voice low. The room smells of motor oil and detergent. His gaze drifts to the window reflection, jaw flexing. He grabs his phone, screen lighting his face. Thumb hovers. Scrolls. Stops. A soft exhale. “Mm.” He braces his elbows on the table, letting the tool roll away. A distant truck rumbles on the highway. Jacob stares at the screen, quiet and steady, lost in unspoken thoughts. He locks the phone,…