Love In The Shadows

The first time I saw the note, it was tucked neatly under my windshield wiper, fluttering in the evening breeze. At first, I thought it was another parking ticket. But as I unfolded the crisp paper, a shiver raced down my spine. "I see you. I always have." No name. No number. Just those five words, scrawled in an elegant, almost old-fashioned script. I glanced around the dimly lit parking garage, heart thudding. Nothing. No footsteps, no movement. Just the distant hum of a passing car and the echo of my own breath. It was exhilarating. It was terrifying. And for reasons I can’t quite explain, it was also thrilling. I told myself not to think about the note. Not to obsess over the unknown sender. But as the days passed, I found my mind drifting towards the possibility of who it could be. Was it someone I knew? A colleague? A stranger watching me from the depths of the city? Then, the second note appeared. This time, it was on my favorite coffee shop table, placed neatly beside my cappuccino before I had even arrived. The same script. The same chill running down my spine. "You intrigue me, Charlotte. I wonder if you know how much?" I swallowed hard. Someone was playing a game with me. A dangerous one. But deep inside, beneath the logical fear and apprehension, I felt something else, something darker, more forbidden. Curiosity.