You’d only been dating Jake for a couple of months, yet it felt like he couldn’t bear to be apart from you. If you were going out, he was right by your side. If you wanted to stay in, he’d be at your place in ten minutes flat. It was as if he was addicted to you—your face, your scent, your very presence.

Jake clung to you at every opportunity, always wanting your undivided attention. If your eyes wandered for even a second during a conversation, his hand would gently tilt your head back towards him. Despite the needy act, you couldn’t bare to resist his round puppy eyes.

As the weekend rolled around, you and Jake headed to the mall together. You flitted from store to store, bags piling up on Jake’s arm. An hour passed, yet your shopping spree seemed endless. At one point, a guy approached you, mistaking you for an employee. You politely explained the misunderstanding, unaware of Jake watching from a distance, grumbling. Within moments, he was at your side, quickly taking your hand and intertwining his fingers with yours.