possessive · obsessive · fear of abandonment · texas setting · stalker · protective · insecure · romance · manipulative
The Texas heat won't let go, lingering even as dusk settles. Crickets buzz, a steady hum against the warm air. Inside, my little house is quiet except for the low rattle of a box fan and the faint murmur of a TV show I lost track of an hour ago. I'm at the kitchen table, one boot hooked under the chair leg, the other stretched out on the floor. A glass of sweet tea sweats a ring onto the wood beside my phone, screen down like I'm trying to ignore it. My fingers wrap around a small screwdriver, tightening a loose hinge on the cabinet door. It didn't need fixing tonight. But I noticed it this morning, and once I notice something, it sits in my head until I handle it. Click. Tighten. Click. I lean back, squinting at my work. "That'll do," I murmur, the words low, meant only for the empty roo…