DAMIEN'S POV
Another day. Another opportunity to watch her. I've lost count of how many times I've followed Lily in the last few weeks. It's the only thing that feels real anymore. The moment I lose sight of her, I feel like I'm drowning, like something essential is slipping through my fingers. I can't afford that. Not when I'm this close.
Her apartment lights are on, a signal that she's home. I've been here too many times to count, parked in my car, watching her. It's not stalking. Not really. It's just... watching. Observing. I need to know where she is, what she's doing. I need to understand her every move, like a predator studying its prey before it strikes.
And I know, deep down, it's only a matter of time before she realizes that this—Caleb, this soft, predictable life she's living—doesn't satisfy her. She may smile at him, laugh with him, even let him hold her hand, but deep inside, I can feel the stirrings of restlessness. It's only a matter of time before she comes back to me. She will.
I see her at the window now, pacing, moving from room to room. Her silhouette shifts behind the curtains, a reminder of how much I still want her.
She thinks she's safe. She thinks she can put me in the past, bury the memories, but she can't. I see it in the way she pauses when she thinks she's alone. I see it in the fleeting moments where her guard slips, just a crack, but I see it. I feel it.
I light a cigarette, letting the smoke fill my lungs. It's the only way I can calm the fire in me. The fire that burns hotter each time I see Caleb with her. It's a crappy feeling in the pit of my stomach, this jealousy, this rage. But I can't let it take me over. Not yet.
I've learned how to control my impulses. I've been taught patience. It's a game, and I know how to play it better than anyone.
Tonight, I'll be closer. Tonight, she'll feel me, even if she doesn't know it.
__
The clock strikes midnight. I've been following her all day—watching her, waiting for the right moment. Her routine is as predictable as always.
She'll be heading to Caleb's place soon. I know that much.
I watch her step out of her apartment, locking the door behind her. She doesn't look my way. She doesn't even know I'm here, lurking in the shadows. She's walking with that confident step of hers, the same one she had when we were together for a brief moment, the one that made everyone in the room take notice.
She's still the same Lily, the woman I can't forget.
But tonight, I'm not waiting in the car. Tonight, I'm not watching from afar.
I get out of my car, the darkness swallowing me whole. My movements are quiet, calculated, as I follow her down the street, keeping a safe distance. I'm not stupid enough to let her see me yet. Not until I'm ready.
She stops at the intersection, looking down at her phone for a moment. I can't help but watch her, the way her hair falls across her shoulder, the curve of her neck exposed in the moonlight. My body tightens with the need to be closer to her. To have her again.
And then, just as I'm about to move closer, I hear a voice.
"Lily!"
It's Caleb.
My stomach twists with disgust as I see him approach, his warm smile plastered across his face as if he's the one who has any right to be here. He's a fool, and he's always been a fool.
Lily smiles back at him, her face soft, the smile that I used to love. It cuts through me, sharper than a knife, but I don't move. Not yet.
Caleb places his hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward his car. I hate how easy it looks for them. I hate how natural it is, how effortless. I can see how comfortable they are with each other, the way they fit together like puzzle pieces. But it's fake. I know it is.
Lily isn't made for comfort. She never was.
I wait for a few more minutes, watching them drive off, before I make my move.
__
The next day, I show up at her building again. But this time, it's different. This time, I'm not just a spectator.
I'm done watching from the shadows.
I wait for her to leave the building, my heart pounding in anticipation. She's out there, somewhere. I know it. And I know she won't be able to ignore me forever.
The moment she steps into the hallway, I step out from behind the corner.
"Lily."
Her head snaps up, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Damien? What the hell are you doing here?"
I don't respond right away. I don't need to. I'm just standing there, watching her, letting her feel the weight of my presence. It's been too long since I've been this close to her, too long since I've had her in my sights.
"You've been avoiding me," I say softly, my voice low and dangerous.
"I haven't been avoiding you," she says, trying to sound defiant, but I hear the tremor in her voice. She's scared. I can see it in her eyes. She knows what I'm capable of.
"You haven't answered my calls, Lily. You haven't even looked at me. Do you think that's going to keep me away? You think I'll just give up on you?"
She takes a step back, her hand instinctively reaching for her phone, but I'm too quick. I grab her wrist, holding her in place.
"I never gave up on you, Lily," I growl. "I never will."
She tugs at her wrist, trying to pull away, but I don't let go. Not yet.
"Let go of me, Damien!" Her voice is sharp, filled with an anger I haven't heard in so long. It almost excites me. Almost.
"I'm not going to let you go, Lily. That day will never come. You may beg for it but I promise you...it. will. not. come."
For a moment, I see that crack in her armor again. The fear. The confusion. She's torn. She's scared, but she's still drawn to me. I can feel it in the way her breath quickens, the way she looks at me with a mix of anger and desire.
"I'll never be yours again," she whispers, her voice trembling with emotion.
But I don't believe her. Not for a second. I know what's inside her, what I've seen in her eyes when we were together. She can't lie to me. Not like this.
"You're wrong, Lily. You belong to me," I say, my voice colder now. "And you always will."
I finally release her wrist, but not before I let my fingers linger on her skin for just a moment too long.
She takes a step back, her hand still trembling. "I don't belong to you, Damien. I never did."
I smile at her, the darkness in me growing stronger.
"Don't worry, Lily. You will. You'll come back to me. They always do."
I turn and walk away, my heart still pounding, but my mind clear.
I won't stop until she is.