Beneath his gaze

That same alley

Alexander

I watch her through the live feed, my fingers drumming lightly against the mahogany of my desk. She has no idea I can see her.

Although it was rushed at the time, I’m thankful I installed the cameras in every room of her house.

For her protection, of course.

But also.

It helps.

It allows me to keep myself in control on days I can’t see her.

She flickers in black and white as I watch her, my fingers itching to reach out and trace the screen.

Soon Bella.

“Just be patient,” I think. A smile tugging almost imperceptibly at the edges of my mouth.

Still, she stays as I left her, almost like she’s disappointed. I study her face, she’s bitten her lip three times. Her eyes darted around at least six. Even the way she holds herself…

Then my eyes catch it.

It was small at first, her fingers twitching before they clenched into fists.

Now she’s starting to break.

A smile curls at my lips, anything but pleasant. I knew she would be. The way she processes… it’s becoming addictive.

My eyes close and my chest rises as I take a deep, steadying breath.

“Don’t slip.”

I remind myself before my eyes trace back to the screen.

I watched her deny my existence for weeks, wondering if she was going crazy. The glass…I admit, that was reckless.

My jaw ticks slightly at the thought.

Heat of the moment when she’d stretched too far in bed and I had to calm myself before I forgot my own rules.

She deserved better than waking up to me on top of her.

My Bella.

My Rose…and finally, she’s starting to bleed for it.

My mind slips back to the first time I saw her a year ago.

I was beaten down pretty badly lying in a back alley. The same alley where I let her see me for the first time.

A shudder runs through me.

She stepped out for a break. At first she didn’t notice me. But when she did, her eyes widened.

I close my eyes feeling her feather light touch on my skin. Careful. Hesitant.

As though she was afraid to hurt me more than I already was.

“Are you okay? Can you hear me?”

Her voice is rushed, breath uneven as panic crept in. All I could do was groan.

Five against one. I didn’t stand a chance.

But I never back down.

And this time…I’m glad I didn’t.

Because when I looked up, I saw her.

And she didn’t walk away.

Soft eyes. Too soft for a place like that alley. Steady, even with blood on her hands. The way her voice didn’t shake, even when it should have.

I see it immediately.

The tag.

‘Isabella’

The name fit her. Like it had been waiting for her long before I ever said it.

She was my savior that night. My light in my darkest hour.

She felt it too.

The connection.

My body humming with energy. Like a magnetic field, pulling me closer to her and like a fool.

I was unable to resist.

Not then.

Not now.

And I wouldn’t start.

Because this was never about deciding.

It was about making sure she couldn’t.

She moves.

Her jaw slightly clenched as she looks for something causing my brows to furrow.

“What are you looking for?”

I lean in to see better, my question hanging, unanswered.

Her phone.

“What does she need it for?” I think.

Once again my question is answered, her body moving over to the window. The movement is slight and jolting, as though she’s trying to seem relaxed.

“Matt” her sickly sweet voice carries through my screen and I clench my fists.

She better f*****g not.

But she does.

I watch the whole thing unfold.

The way she bites her lip AGAIN. The nervous twirl of her hair. Her forced laughter.

Breathing becomes difficult. My grip tightens until my fingers ache, the hard edges biting into my skin.

I pause.

Taking a deep breath that pulls the chaos back into place.

No.

I won’t lose control.

Then a small smile touches my mouth.

“Game… f*****g… on.”