I didn't understand him.
That was the truth I kept avoiding.
Adrian wasn't like anyone I had ever met before.
And the worst part?
I didn't want to stop seeing him.
---
That night, I told myself I would stay inside.
I really did.
But silence has a way of making your thoughts louder than your decisions.
And somehow… I ended up outside again.
---
The street was darker than usual.
No movement.
No noise.
Just that strange stillness that always seemed to follow him.
---
And then I saw him.
Standing across the road.
Like he had been there the entire time… waiting.
---
My chest tightened instantly.
I didn't move at first.
Neither did he.
Just that familiar silence between us.
---
Then slowly, he stepped forward.
---
"You keep coming back," he said quietly.
---
I shrugged slightly, trying to hide how fast my heart was beating.
"Maybe you're the one who keeps showing up."
---
That made him pause.
Just for a second.
---
"You shouldn't be here," he said again.
Same words.
Same warning.
But his voice… wasn't as firm as before.
---
"Why?" I asked.
"Because of you?" I added before I could stop myself.
---
His eyes changed immediately.
That question hit something.
I could see it.
---
He looked away for a moment.
Like he was trying to control something inside him.
---
"Yes," he finally admitted.
---
The answer wasn't what I expected.
Not that honest.
Not that direct.
---
My breath slowed.
"Then stop coming near me."
---
Silence.
---
He stepped closer instead.
Not fast.
Not aggressive.
Just… closer.
---
"I've tried," he said softly.
"And it doesn't work."
---
Something about the way he said it made my chest feel tight.
Like I was standing too close to something I didn't understand.
---
"Why doesn't it work?" I asked quietly.
---
That was when everything shifted.
---
His expression changed.
Not anger.
Not calm.
Something in between.
Something dangerous.
---
"Because you don't understand what I am," he said.
---
My heart skipped.
"I don't care what you are."
---
That was a lie.
But I said it anyway.
---
His eyes locked on mine instantly.
Harder now.
Stronger.
---
"You should," he said.
---
A long silence followed.
The air felt heavier than before.
---
Then he stepped closer again.
Too close this time.
Close enough that I could feel the cold coming off him.
---
And I didn't move away.
---
That's when I realized something terrifying.
---
I wasn't just curious anymore.
---
I was already in too deep.
And I didn't know how to get out.