May hadn't slept in days. It wasn't the kind of exhaustion you could shake off with a few hours of rest. It was the kind that sank deep into your bones, that made every minute stretch into an eternity. The weight of it was suffocating. The nightmares came every time her eyelids closed. Will's face was always there, smiling that smile that made her want to crawl out of her own skin.
She tried to stay busy—keeping her phone on silent, avoiding places she thought he might know. But there was no peace. The quiet was always broken by the buzzing of her phone, the incessant texts that never stopped.
"I'm waiting, May. I've always been waiting."
"I know where you are."
"You'll never be free."
She couldn't escape him, no matter what she did. She couldn't run anymore. Not from him, not from the fear that clung to her every waking moment.
The paranoia was eating her alive.
She hadn't gone back home. Her apartment felt like a prison, each corner haunted by the memories of what had happened there, of the things Will had whispered to her when he cornered her. The sound of his breath against her ear, his fingers brushing against her skin. It made her skin crawl, just thinking about it.
May walked through the city streets, keeping her head down, pretending not to see the strange looks people threw her way. She didn't trust anyone, couldn't trust anyone. Not anymore. The world felt like a dangerous place, and she was just trying to make it through the day without losing her mind.
She had no plan anymore. Every time she thought she might get a grip, Will was there, a ghost haunting her every step.
But today, something felt different. The weight of the world on her shoulders felt heavier than usual, like it might crush her at any moment. She looked over her shoulder again, just as she had for the past few days. Was he behind her? Was he watching her right now, waiting for the perfect moment to close in?
She shook her head, trying to clear the thought. There was no point in looking. She couldn't keep living like this.
She stopped in front of a small café, an unassuming place tucked in a quiet corner of the city. Her breath caught as she stared at the door. She'd passed this café countless times before, but today, it felt like an oasis. She could go in, order something warm, something that might bring some semblance of comfort, if only for a few minutes.
Her fingers trembled as she reached for the door. The warmth of the café enveloped her as she stepped inside, and for the first time in a long time, the tension in her shoulders eased, just a little.
May took a seat by the window, trying to ground herself, trying to feel something that wasn't fear. She ordered a coffee, the simple act of it offering some sense of normalcy. Her hands still shook as she wrapped them around the warm cup, but she focused on the feeling—the heat of it, the steam rising in delicate curls. She needed to breathe. She needed to think.
But just as she took a sip, the door opened, and a chill ran down her spine.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She didn't need to look to know who had entered.
Will.
She tried to steady her breath, but her heartbeat was deafening. He walked in like he owned the place, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on her. The moment their gazes met, her blood ran cold. There was no escape. There was nowhere to go.
He smiled.
"May," he said, his voice soft, almost amused. "I've been looking for you."
May didn't answer. She couldn't. Her mouth was dry, her throat tight. She forced herself to look away, trying to steady her breath, but every inch of her body screamed for her to run, to get away from him, to leave this place, this nightmare, behind.
"Don't," Will said, his voice a soft command. "I know you're not going anywhere."
May's hand tightened around the coffee cup. Her mind raced for an answer, for a way to stop him, to do something that would make him leave her alone. But her mind was a blank canvas, smothered by the heaviness of his presence, his words, his everything. He was too close now. Too much of her.
"Why won't you just leave me alone?" she whispered, her voice a mixture of defeat and desperation. "Why are you doing this to me?"
Will took a step closer, his expression gentle, almost pitying. "You'll understand, May," he said softly. "I've been patient. I've been waiting for you to see it. To see that we belong together."
Her stomach churned, a cold wave of dread washing over her. "No," she whispered, shaking her head. "This isn't love. This is—this is insane."
But Will's face remained unchanged, his eyes still locked onto hers, as if his words were undeniable truths, as if he couldn't fathom why she didn't see it too.
"You'll see," he murmured. "One day, you'll see. I'll always be here. I'll always be waiting, May."
The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. But her feet were rooted to the ground, her body trembling in his presence.
Will reached out slowly, as if giving her a chance to pull away, but she didn't move. He placed a hand on her shoulder, the touch both cold and familiar. "I'm not going to hurt you, May," he whispered. "I'm here to protect you. To make sure you're safe. We'll be fine. Together."
She closed her eyes, trying to block out the sound of his voice, trying to ignore the way his touch made her skin crawl. She had to think. She had to figure out how to get away, how to stop this once and for all.
But what if there was no way out? What if he was right? What if he would never stop?
A new thought bloomed in her mind—a terrifying, dark thought. Could she escape him? Could she fight back? Or was the only way to survive to do what he wanted? To give in, to live in the suffocating shadow of his obsession?
Her chest tightened as she fought against the swirling dread, her mind struggling to find some kind of answer. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his.
Will was watching her, waiting.
And in that moment, May realized something. There would be no escape. No grand gesture of freedom. No hero to come and save her. There would only be her and him. Forever.
And she was trapped.