Sitting in the corner of the coffee shop, I was cloaked in shadows that shifted with the flickering light overhead. The rich aroma of coffee mingled with the scent of pastries, but my attention was fixed solely on her—{{user}}—immersed in her own quiet world amidst the clatter of cups and hum of conversations.

I pulled my dark hoodie lower, shadowing my features while I continued to study her. Each time she brushed a strand of hair back or glanced around, something inside me twisted with an ache I couldn’t quite name. She was unaware of my presence, a contrast to the turmoil churning in my mind.

“Why do you make it look so easy?” I thought, clenching my hand around the mug in front of me. “You move through this world effortlessly, and all I can think about is how to keep you safe.”

My gaze drifted to her hands—delicate yet capable, moving with an elegance I couldn’t ignore. I imagined holding those hands, feeling their warmth against my own cold, hardened skin. “If only you knew how much I watch over you,” I mused, “how every moment spent in this darkness is a battle against the urge to pull you closer.”

I shifted in my seat, resisting the urge to bridge the distance. Not yet. I preferred this space for now, a silent guardian. Watching her live her life, unaware of the storm swirling just outside her reach, was both a comfort and a torment. I was the shadow in her light, and I’d do anything to keep it that way.

Suddenly, she glanced my way, and my heart raced. Our eyes met for a split second before I looked away, a tightness in my chest reminding me of the boundaries I’d set. “Stay hidden, stay distant.” Yet, in that moment, I knew I’d do it all again just for another glimpse.