DanteI grab her phone, lift her hand, press her thumb against the sensor. It unlocks instantly, and I dive straight into her messages. I scroll past the unimportant names, the meaningless conversations, until I find him. Babes. That’s what she calls him. Babes. The word churns my stomach. I want to change it to something more fitting. Worthless. Useless. Because that’s all he is. He doesn’t deserve her, doesn’t know how to handle her, doesn’t see her the way I do.I scroll through the messages, and each one makes me angrier. His replies are pathetic. There’s no fire, no lust, no desperate need to please her, to make her his. How can he not see what he has? She’s practically begging for his attention, sending him messages that are dripping with desire, and he brushes her off like she’s nothing.My eyes land on one message in particular, right after she sent him a picture of herself in the bath, her hand between her thighs. I read it slowly, savoring each word, imagining her writing it
Luna’s POVI wake up feeling as though I’ve slept for an eternity. My body feels refreshed in a way it hasn’t in months, but my mind drifts back to the strange, vivid dream I had last night. The intensity of it still lingers. I’ve fantasized about my stalker before, imagining him as this absurdly attractive man driven to please me. But never in my wildest thoughts did I expect a dream so real, so visceral.Maybe it’s because of Justin. He got me all worked up, and then—like I was nothing—he ghosted me. That stung. It still stings. I can’t shake the pain, but there’s a voice inside me, softly telling me I need to let go of this... but I can’t. I just can’t.Then there’s little bear. I’ve always wanted a pet, but between juggling time at Justin’s and my place, it’s never been practical. The puppy forces me to confront things—like Justin. He’s been asking me to move in, and I was actually considering it. But this past month, he’s grown distant, colder. No matter what bizarre thing my sta
Luna POVWe end up spending the morning talking, laughing, and trying to process it all. But despite the distractions, I can’t shake the gnawing feeling in my chest. Still no message from Justin. No birthday wish. No explanation. Has he really forgotten? Or is this his way of showing he’s still mad about the puppy?The uncertainty sits heavy in my heart, making me wonder if I’ve been chasing the wrong kind of attention all along.The entire day has slipped away like sand through my fingers, disappearing along with Lucy. It’s almost eerie how quiet everything has become. I haven’t heard a single word from Justin. No Happy Birthday. No message at all. I can’t wrap my head around it—how could he forget? My mind whirls in confusion as I sit there, my eyes lingering on the pile of gifts from my stalker, their presence so loud in the silence.Every inch of me recoils at the sight of them. Part of me wants to throw them away—again. But I know it won’t matter; it didn’t work last time. Nothin
Luna POVI pour myself a glass of vodka and take a deep breath before reaching for my laptop. Maybe I can escape into a movie—something to distract me from this mess of emotions.But as I scroll through endless options, nothing feels right. Nothing catches my eye. Everything seems dull and lifeless, a reflection of how I feel inside.My phone buzzes, jolting me from my daze. It’s a message from Lucy.Buy it, listen to it. Love it. And no doubt, have hot dreams about it.It’s another book suggestion from her. I’ve just finished the last one she recommended, and honestly, I shouldn’t dive into another. Once I start reading, I lose myself completely. But this time, she’s telling me to listen to it. Audiobook. That’s new. Before I even realize what I’m doing, I click the link she sent, and in a matter of seconds, the book is purchased and playing through my home speakers.I settle back in bed, letting the narrator’s deep voice wash over me, and within moments, I realize Lucy’s sent me a s
Dante POVLeaving Luna’s apartment that night, I headed straight to work, but my mind never left her. I couldn’t help but replay every moment, every taste of her. I groan, the memory of her warmth against my tongue flooding me with an intensity that’s both thrilling and maddening. She didn’t even scream when she woke to find me there, my mouth clamped around her, devouring her sweetness. I was lucky—so damn lucky—she didn’t freak out. But that’s Luna… she’s so perfect, even in her innocence.I’m pulled from my thoughts as Jamie walks into my office. His timing is impeccable, as usual, and I know why he’s here. He’s been hounding me about keeping my distance, about not giving in to my obsession, but he doesn’t get it. I’m too deep. I’ve crossed that line, and there’s no coming back.“You didn’t have a meeting booked,” I say, trying to brush him off.He laughs, the sound dripping with irony. “Because you stopped updating me and disappeared. Which tells me one thing—you’ve given in to th
Dante POVFinishing up the work, I ensure Callum knows to watch everything and leave. I stop outside the store and look at Justin. "Why are we meeting here?" I ask and follow him in."Need help picking a ring," he gives me a wide grin. Shit, I wish I had refused now."Buy it, but hold off on proposing right? You two haven't exactly been great recently." If anything they are barely holding on by a thread these days."Yeah, I'm going to. We will be fine though, I've got her gift for her birthday, which I'm hoping makes up for me acting like an ass over a damn puppy."So he's going to throw gifts at her in the hope it makes up for his shitty attitude? Does he not know her at all? I do, I've seen her face as she reads those books, and I've noticed it the pages where small gestures that have her heart leaping. Not the stupidly over priced gifts that he's throwing her way."So, this gift a day until the anniversary, seems a bit... Extreme," I tell him and he nods."Maybe, but let's be hones
Dante POVI move further into the apartment, scooping up our little dog, the one I gave her. Little Bear wags his tail lazily, content in my arms. My guess is she’s gone to see Lucy. It makes sense; no one wants to be alone on their birthday. And yet, here I am, ensuring she’ll never truly be alone again.I walk toward her bed and notice a book lying on the nightstand—Sick for Them. A smirk tugs at my lips. She has a taste for dark things, darker than she lets on. I flip to the page where I last left off, getting lost in the story, just like I always do when I’m here. Sitting on her bed, reading her books—hours melt away while she’s out living her life, oblivious to how intertwined our worlds have become.But I lose track of time. I don’t hear her car pull up, don’t even notice her footsteps. The first sign that she’s back is the sound of the door unlocking. My heart leaps into my throat. Quickly, I close the book and place it back on the nightstand, darting toward the closet. This wa
Dante’s POVI want to rip the mask off and show her who I am, but something inside warns me—she’ll bolt if she knows it’s me. A part of me aches to mend her view of me, yet doing so would reveal my identity.Maybe I could take her to the building, show her the truth. These thoughts tangle in my mind as we kiss, but I know there’s no easy way to convince her I’m not the monster she believes me to be.My hand grips her neck, and she lets out a soft whimper into my mouth, pressing her hips higher against me.“What do you want, little deer?” I murmur against her lips before pulling away to study her face. Her eyes search mine, but she stays silent. She can have anything she desires. I’d spend the entire night with my head between her legs if that’s what she asked for.Instead, she sighs loudly. “I want you to leave,” she says, and my whole body turns cold. Leave? Did she really just say that? I stare at her, stunned. As I open my mouth to respond, she places a hand over it. “Ever since yo
Serena POVMy throat goes dry, and Jace sees it. He fucking sees it. His expression softens, but there’s something burning behind his eyes, something dark.“Sit down, Firefly,” he murmurs, and for once, I don’t fight him. I drop into the nearest chair, my hands clenching into fists against my thighs.Jace crouches in front of me, his voice calm but firm. “We need to talk about what the hell has really been happening to you.”I stare at him, my breath coming too fast, my chest too tight. The room feels smaller, closing in. My fingers dig into my thighs, trying to ground myself, but it’s not working.He’s wrong, he has to be wrong.“Serena.” Jace’s voice is calm, steady, but I hear the edge of something sharper beneath it. “When was the last time you actually saw your pills before taking them?”I open my mouth to snap back, but nothing comes out, I don’t know and the realization slams into me like a fucking freight train.Dale always had them ready. He always placed them straight into m
Serena POVI wake to the slow, steady sound of breathing beside me, warmth radiating from the body next to mine. The room is dim, but I can see the shape of him—Jace, lying on his back, his arm stretched over the pillow, his chest rising and falling in that deep, even rhythm of sleep.My fingers move before I can stop them, tracing lightly over his chest. His skin is warm beneath my touch, muscles tense even in sleep. I follow the path of ink along his collarbone, down over the ridges of muscle that shift subtly beneath his skin.I don’t know why I do it. Maybe because he’s real. Because I can feel him. Because touching him grounds me, even when my mind still hums with restless energy.Shifting closer, I lean over him, my breath ghosting over his skin as I press my lips against his chest. A slow, lingering kiss.His breathing changes.I feel the shift in him before I see it, the way his body tenses slightly, the way his head turns just a fraction in my direction. He’s waking up.I don
Jace POVMy mind replays every second of this morning, trying to pick apart what doesn’t fit. Then it clicks.No.The pill Dale tried to put in her mouth, that wasn’t one of these, and she took it.“That’s not right,” I mutter, shaking my head.Rich looks up at me, raising a brow. “What?”“She was about to take them from Dale’s hand, and I saw them. One of them wasn’t a tablet, it was a capsule,” I say slowly, my pulse kicking up. “Not like these. Not a normal, solid pill. It was blue and fucking different.”Rich leans back in his chair, rubbing his jaw. “You sure?”I nod. “Positive. I snatched them before he could place them in her mouth, then I gave her them to take them herself. But Dale didn’t argue. Didn’t even fucking hesitate. If I was messing with someone’s meds, I’d at least try to cover my ass.”Rich considers this, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk. I don’t wait for him to say anything before continuing.“She also keeps losing money. Like, entire chunks of i
Jace POVI stare at her. I don’t move and neither does she.Her pulse thrums beneath my fingers, wild but steady, like she’s caught in the middle of something she doesn’t know how to process. Her breath is slow, but her eyes, her eyes are locked onto mine, like I just cracked open something inside her she didn’t even know was there.I should let go. I should. But I don’t. Because for the first time since we walked in here, she’s present. She’s not pacing, not vibrating with unchecked energy, not pushing every boundary she can find just to get a reaction.She’s just here. Her lips part like she’s about to say something, but nothing comes out. Instead, her tongue darts out, wetting her bottom lip, and I feel her throat move against my palm.I exhale sharply through my nose, forcing myself to let go. My fingers slide away from her throat, slow, deliberate, making sure she knows I’m the one in control of this moment. Not her.The second she’s free, her hands lift, her fingers brushing ove
Jace POVI don’t fucking trust Dale. Not one bit. The whole setup is wrong. It doesn’t add up. I dug into him, expecting to find something—anything—but he’s clean. Too clean. Not a single complaint filed, no reports that were submitted and then withdrawn, not even whispers of anything shady.That alone makes me suspicious.His whole operation with the apartments is supposed to be about helping people who can’t afford their own place, letting them save money. But it doesn’t feel right. Nothing about him does.And the way he gives her her meds? That pisses me off the most. Like she’s incapable of putting them in her own damn mouth. Sure, he claims she used to hide them, that she stashed them away instead of taking them, but even that feels like a carefully crafted excuse.She doesn’t remember doing it—only remembers him finding the pills. And that’s a big fucking diff
Serena POVSomething still doesn’t feel right. But at least, for now, I’m present.I walk ahead of him and step into the house. It’s quiet, but that doesn’t matter.“You’re late,” Dale snaps, making me turn just as he steps into the room. He stops when he sees Jace, his gaze flickering between us, questioning.“She needs her meds,” Jace says, his tone firm. “She’s also moving out.” There’s no room for argument in his voice, no space for discussion.Dale shifts his attention between me and Jace before settling on him. “And you are?” he asks, stepping forward. “I can’t just hand over her medication to you and trust you with it. Her father won’t agree to this either.”“I’m not a child!” I snap, my frustration boiling over.“Then stop acting like a fucking idiot!” Dale yells, his voice sharp enoug
Serena’s POVWaking up alone, an uneasy feeling spreads through me. I already know I’m late taking my pills before I even look at the time. My body feels off, restless. I move quickly, getting dressed while scanning the room for Jace, but he’s nowhere to be seen.I don’t like waiting around.Sighing, I leave and start walking through the building. There’s only one floor I can access; the others need codes, and I don’t have one. As I move through the rooms, searching for Jace, my irritation grows. The longer I walk, the more aware I become of the fact that I don’t know this place.I push open a door and groan when I see it’s just a basic storage closet filled with cleaning supplies. As I turn, I hear something—footsteps? My head whips around, but there’s nothing there. I swallow hard, shaking off the feeling, and keep searching, opening doors, stepping into empty rooms, finding nothing. Still, tha
Jace POV“Do you black out often?” I ask carefully, watching her reaction.“If I’m too late with my meds, yeah. Sometimes when I have manic episodes, I don’t remember everything either, but it’s mostly when I forget my meds. That’s when it gets really bad—when I start feeling like things are crawling on me, when I get paranoid and can’t focus on anything.”A cold knot tightens in my stomach. That doesn’t sound right. Missing one dose of her meds shouldn’t send her spiraling like that, not in just a few hours. I stare at her, the pieces not fitting together the way they should.Something’s wrong. And whether she realizes it or not, someone’s been fucking with her.I guide her toward the bed, keeping my grip steady as I ease her down. She’s exhausted, I can see it in the way her body sways, in the way she keeps blinking like she’s struggling to stay ground
Jace POVShe thinks she can break me down, that if she pushes hard enough, I’ll cave. But I won’t. It’s not about what I want, because of course I want her. But if I give in, if I let her twist this into something casual, something that doesn’t mean anything, then I’m just feeding into her delusions. I’m enabling her, and I won’t do it. Maybe I’m fucked up for holding sex over her like some kind of bargaining chip, for refusing to touch her until she promises to stay, but it’s the only leverage I have.It’s a weak power, but it’s all I’ve got.I pour myself a drink, sitting down, giving her time to process, to decide what the hell she’s going to do next. I’ve said what I needed to say. Now it’s her turn.“You think it’s easy,” she whispers, her voice distant, like she’s talking more to herself than to me.I sigh, rubbin