BEING FOLLOWED!!!
1236 Words
LUCA
I knew something was wrong before I even opened my eyes.
Silence.
Not the peaceful kind.
The empty kind.
My hand moved across the bed slowly expecting warmth, skin, breath.
Cold sheets.
My eyes opened instantly.
The other side of the bed was vacant. The pillow untouched except for the faint crease where his head had rested.
Gone.
For a long moment, I just stared at the space beside me.
He left.
A strange irritation crawled up my spine.
I sat up slowly, running a hand through my hair as fragments of last night returned in sharp detail.
The bar.
His guarded eyes.
The way he tried to pretend he wasn’t affected by me.
The kiss.
God.
His lips were soft softer than they had any right to be. Warm. Responsive. He tasted like whiskey and something uniquely him. Something addictive.
And his body
I exhaled slowly.
He had fit against me like he was designed to. Every movement aligned. Every breath matched my rhythm as if we had done it a hundred times before. There was hesitation at first guilt flickering behind his eyes but when he let go, he let go completely.
He wasn’t inexperienced.
He was just hurt.
And I hate that I didn’t even get his name.
I leaned back against the headboard, jaw tightening.
He walked out without waking me.
Without a word.
No number.
No explanation.
Interesting
No one disappears from my life unless I allow it.
And I did not allow this.
A slow smile touched my lips.
Running only makes the chase better.
I reached for my phone and dialed.
It rang once.
“Sir.”
Dan’s voice was steady, as always.
“Dan,” I said calmly. “I need every piece of information concerning a man.”
There was a brief pause. He knew my tone.
“Yes, sir.”
“I met him last night. At The Monarch Bar.” My eyes drifted to the empty bed again. “He left before I woke up.”
“You want him found.”
“I want everything,” I corrected smoothly. “His name. Where he works. Where he lives. Who he talks to. His habits. His schedule. Every single detail.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Dan?”
“Yes?”
“No mistakes.”
The line went dead.
I stood and walked to the window.
The city stretched beneath me, unaware of the shift that had just occurred.
He thought last night was just a mistake.
He has no idea he just walked into something permanent.
I will see him again.
And next time
He won’t leave.
MATTEO
The water ran down his back in steady streams.
Matteo leaned one hand against the shower wall, eyes closed, letting the warmth soak into his skin.
Last night replayed whether he allowed it or not.
The stranger’s voice.
The way his hands had felt firm, confident, deliberate.
The kiss.
Matteo swallowed slowly and opened his eyes.
His gaze dropped to his reflection in the fogged mirror outside the glass.
Marks.
His breath caught.
Faint bruises bloomed across his collarbone. Along his shoulder. Lower disappearing beneath the towel line.
Heat crept up his neck.
He stepped out of the shower and wiped the mirror with his palm, staring at himself fully now.
Those marks were real.
Proof that last night wasn’t a dream.
His fingers brushed lightly over one of them.
He should feel embarrassed.
Ashamed.
He had gone from heartbreak to a stranger’s bed in a matter of hours.
But instead…
A small, involuntary smile tugged at his lips.
He liked it.
Not just the marks.
The way the man had looked at him.
Like he wasn’t something broken.
Like he was something wanted.
Matteo inhaled slowly.
And yet
He doesn’t even know his name.
The realization sobered him.
What kind of person does that? Leaves without even asking?
You, apparently.
His phone suddenly rang from the sink counter, jolting him out of his thoughts.
He quickly wrapped a towel around his waist and reached for it.
Sophia.
He cleared his throat before answering.
“Hello?”
“HELLO?!” Sophia’s voice burst through the speaker dramatically. “Matteo! Are you okay? Where are you? Are you not coming to the office today?”
He winced slightly, holding the phone away from his ear.
“I’m alive, Soph,” he said with a small laugh. “Relax.”
“We were worried! You left early yesterday looking like someone died.”
He leaned against the counter, gaze drifting briefly back to the mirror.
“I’m good,” he said gently. “Really. I just needed sleep.”
“So you’re coming?”
“Yes. I’m coming. Tell everyone to stop planning my funeral.”
She huffed. “You better. And Matteo?”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t disappear like that again.”
His expression softened.
“I won’t.”
They hung up.
The bathroom felt quieter now.
Matteo stared at his reflection one more time before shaking his head slightly.
Get yourself together.
He dressed carefully, choosing a fitted black shirt and tailored trousers. The fabric brushed lightly against the sensitive marks on his skin, reminding him again.
Of strong hands.
Of warm breath.
Of the way their bodies had moved like they understood each other without words.
Stop.
He grabbed his keys and left the apartment.
The morning air was cooler than he expected.
Matteo locked his door and headed toward his car, trying to clear his thoughts.
It was just one night.
That’s all.
He drove toward the office, city traffic moving steadily around him.
At the second traffic light, he noticed it.
A black car.
Nothing unusual at first glance.
Except…
It didn’t overtake him.
Didn’t turn when it had the chance.
It stayed two vehicles behind him.
Matteo frowned slightly and switched lanes casually.
The car switched too.
His fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
Coincidence.
Probably.
He turned right instead of his usual left toward the office.
The black car turned right.
A faint chill crept down his spine.
Okay..that’s not normal.
His heart began to beat a little faster.
He slowed slightly.
So did the car.
He sped up.
It maintained distance.
His throat went dry.
Is someone following me?
His mind raced.
Was it random? Was he being paranoid?
Had someone mistaken him for someone else?
Or
A dangerous thought slid into his mind.
The stranger.
No.
That would be insane.
He doesn’t even know my name.
The traffic light ahead turned red.
Matteo had no choice but to stop.
The black car stopped behind him.
His pulse pounded in his ears.
Slowly..carefully.. he adjusted his rearview mirror just enough to see.
The windows of the black car were tinted.
He couldn’t see inside.
The light felt like it was taking forever.
His palms were beginning to sweat.
The light turned green.
He drove forward again, heart hammering now.
The black car followed.
Not aggressive.
Not close.
Just there.
Watching.
Matteo swallowed.
Who could it be?
And why do I feel like my life just changed again?
The black car’s headlights flashed once behind him.Deliberate.controlled.
Not random.
A shiver ran down his spine.
And somewhere across the city
Luca stood by his office window, phone in hand.
“Sir,” Dan’s voice came through. “We’ve identified him.”
Luca’s lips curved slowly.
“Tell me.”
- Writer
