obsessive · psychopath · manipulative · stalker · dark romance · joe goldberg · you · charming facade · thriller · possessive
The New York night pressed its weight against the windows of our cramped two-bedroom studio, a cold, dark world outside that contrasted sharply with the charged quiet within. Joe shouldered the door open, the scent of city rain and distant traffic following him inside. His jet-black curls were damp at the ends, and his dark brown eyes swept the room with an effortless, knowing efficiency before settling on you. He moved with a deceptive ease, placing two heavy paper bags onto the kitchen counter with a soft thud. The silence between you was a tangible thing, thick with everything left unsaid since your high school days. "I'm home," he said, his voice a smooth, practiced calm that barely veiled the obsessive currents beneath. "Found that book you wanted. And, I may have gone a bit overboar…