The thought sits wrong.
My gaze drifts back to the note.
This one sees me.
They’re not shy in their obsession. There’s no shame in their want. They claim me proudly without hesitation. In the dark, at least.
My pulse ticks louder as the questions creep in.
What would they do if I answered? If I left something behind for them to find? Would they finally show themselves?
Would they finally show themselves?
Dropping my feet to the floor, I carefully unfold their letter and spread it out on my desk. I reach for my notebook. My pen hesitates in my grip, fingers tightening before I force them to move.
There’s only one way to find out.
Chapter Four
Oh,my.
Oh, my my my.
I clamp my hand over my mouth, barely trapping the squeal that bubbles up when I spot a folded piece of paper on his porch step, ‘To my little shadow’ scrawled across it.
My chest flutters wildly, breath hitching as my feet drum against the damp earth. I squirm in the dirt, every nerve alive with a single, electric thought.
He left me a note.
Oh, my god.
He left a freaking note.
A rush of heat floods me, leaving my head spinning. What could this possibly mean? He’s never done anything like this. My excitement stabs so sharply it almost aches.
I still.
The world goes silent as I stare at the note.
Oh.
Oh, no.
My stomach plunges, the ground yawning open beneath me. Maybe this isn’t good at all. He’s not supposed to write me back. That’s not how our relationship works. I watch from the shadows, and he pretends not to notice. That’s the rule. That’s the balance.
Why is he changing things now?
A cold shiver snakes down my spine. What if the note tells me to stay away?
My lip trembles, breath snagging sharp in my throat. Never watching him again? The thought knots something inside me, tight and wrong.
It’s blasphemy.
Tomcat’s never written me a letter before. Not stalkerme, but Marigoldme.
A streak of fire slices through my stomach, fierce and possessive, coiling tighter as it spreads. Am I…jealous?
I giggle softly, the sound muffled against my hand. How silly to be envious of myself.
