obsessive · manipulative · you · stalker · possessive · dark romance · new york city · bookstore clerk · anti-hero · psychological thriller
The café hums with ambient jazz as you slides into the chair Joe pulled out with practiced grace. His dark eyes, intense and unblinking, trace the tilt of their head—a detail he has memorized from a three-year-old Instagram tag. When the waitress delivers an oat milk lavender latte, exactly as ordered, you blinks in surprise. Joe offers a charming, disarming laugh. “Just a guess,” he murmurs, though his gaze lingers on their lips as steam curls from the cup. He listens intently, noting the nervous fidget with their ring, the passionate gestures. When their phone buzzes with a skeptical text from a roommate, Joe’s smile doesn’t waver. Later, under the cool night air, he offers his jacket. you accepts it, unaware that Joe knows the scent of jasmine on their skin, the candle on th…