YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE FOLLOWED ME
1000 Words
🖤 Chapter Five: You Shouldn’t Have Followed Me
Haven didn’t sleep.
Not really.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him.
The way he had been waiting outside.
The way he had said her name.
The way he had told her to go home… like he already knew she would.
By morning, her thoughts were tangled, restless, impossible to quiet.
This isn’t normal.
None of this is normal.
She got ready anyway.
Because life didn’t stop just because something felt wrong.
Because pretending things were fine was easier than admitting they weren’t.
---
The café felt different again.
It wasn’t just her imagination anymore—she was sure of it.
The silence wasn’t comforting.
It was watchful.
Haven moved through her shift with more tension than usual, her eyes drifting toward the door more often than she wanted to admit.
But he didn’t come.
Not in the morning.
Not in the afternoon.
And by evening, something strange replaced the fear.
Something she refused to name.
Good.
That’s good.
It means it’s over.
She repeated it like a mantra.
Until it almost sounded true.
---
By the time her shift ended, the sky had already darkened.
Haven stepped outside, her movements slower this time—not rushed like the night before.
Careful.
Observant.
Her eyes scanned the street.
Empty.
No shadows leaning against walls.
No familiar presence waiting in silence.
Nothing.
Her shoulders relaxed slightly.
See?
You’re fine.
She adjusted her bag and started walking.
The night air was cooler than before, brushing against her skin as she moved past dim streetlights and quiet corners. The city felt distant here—muted, like everything important was happening somewhere else.
Haven turned down her usual street.
Then stopped.
A car was parked at the corner.
Black.
Sleek.
Out of place.
Her eyes lingered on it for a second longer than necessary.
Then—
The door opened.
Her breath caught.
Damien stepped out.
Of course he did.
Of course he wasn’t finished.
“You took longer today,” he said, like this was normal. Like they had a routine.
Haven’s heart kicked hard against her ribs. “Are you following me now?”
“Yes.”
The answer came easily.
Like it wasn’t even worth hiding.
Her grip tightened on her bag. “You need to stop doing that.”
He closed the car door slowly, his gaze never leaving hers.
“You need to stop pretending you don’t expect it.”
Her chest tightened. “I don’t.”
“You do.”
The certainty in his voice made her hesitate for half a second too long.
And he noticed.
He always noticed.
“I’m going home,” she said quickly, stepping past him.
This time, she didn’t wait.
Didn’t slow down.
Didn’t give him a chance to stop her.
But she heard it.
His footsteps.
Behind her.
Steady.
Unhurried.
Matching her pace.
Her pulse quickened. “Stop following me.”
“No.”
Her jaw tightened. “You don’t get to just decide that.”
“I already did.”
The same tone.
The same certainty.
Like her words didn’t change anything.
Haven spun around suddenly.
“Why me?” she demanded again, louder this time. “Out of everyone—why me?”
The question echoed slightly in the quiet street.
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
He just looked at her.
Really looked at her.
Like he was deciding how much to say.
Then—
“Because you’re not like the others.”
Her brows furrowed. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough.”
The way he said it made something uneasy twist in her stomach.
“What does that even mean?” she asked.
He stepped closer.
Not rushing.
Never rushing.
“It means,” he said quietly, “you don’t belong where you think you do.”
Her heart skipped. “You don’t know where I belong.”
“I do.”
The words came softer this time.
But they carried more weight.
“You just haven’t seen it yet.”
Haven shook her head immediately. “You’re wrong.”
Am I?
The question lingered in the silence between them.
Dangerous.
Uncomfortable.
Before she could respond, a car pulled up beside them.
Fast.
Smooth.
The window rolled down.
A man inside glanced at Damien, his expression shifting instantly—from casual to serious.
“Boss,” he said.
Just one word.
But it changed everything.
Haven froze.
Boss?
Her eyes snapped back to Damien.
But he was already looking at her.
Watching her reaction.
Waiting for it.
“Get in,” the man in the car added.
Damien didn’t move immediately.
Instead, he held Haven’s gaze.
Letting the moment settle.
Letting her understand.
“You should go home,” he said finally.
Her breath felt uneven now. “Who are you?”
The question came out quieter than before.
Less demanding.
More… unsure.
Something flickered in his eyes.
Not amusement this time.
Not control.
Something darker.
“I told you,” he said.
“I’m the one you shouldn’t have noticed.”
Her chest tightened.
“That’s not an answer.”
“No,” he agreed.
“It’s a warning.”
Silence fell again.
But this time, it was heavier.
Because now she knew—
This wasn’t just a man.
This wasn’t just obsession.
There was something bigger behind him.
Something she didn’t understand.
Something dangerous.
Damien stepped back, opening the car door.
But before getting in, he paused.
One last look at her.
“You’re going to stop running from this soon.”
Her heart pounded. “I’m not running.”
His gaze darkened slightly.
“Not yet.”
Then he got into the car.
The door shut.
The engine started.
And just like that—
He, he was gone.
Leaving her standing there.
Alone.
But not the same.
Because now she knew.
This wasn’t random.
This wasn’t harmless.
And whatever she had gotten caught in…
It was only just beginning.
- Writer
