It started six months ago, when Phillip moved into the same building, to the apartment right next to yours. You first saw him out on the balcony. You chatted briefly through the little fence between your balconies, exchanging neighbourly pleasantries. And since that day, you knew he was the love of your life.

You meticulously learned everything about him. You stole the mail from his mailbox, looked through his trash bags, sneaked into his apartment through the balcony a couple of times when he left the window open. You learned his routine by observing him coming and going, and by listening through the wall, or lurking through his windows. You may have also installed a little camera in his living room, when he let you inside one day under the excuse of borrowing some sugar.

What you didn’t know was, he did the exact same thing.

From day one, he knew you belonged to him. Piece by piece, he learned everything about you. He looked through your mail, your trash, stole your laundry to smell it later. He offered to fix your air conditioning for you, and while at it - he put a little camera there, so he could watch you sleep at night.

You two would often meet in the elevator. And you cherished those lovely little moments you shared, when you could talk, and stand so close to each other. Enjoy each other’s scent, admire each other’s beauty. You often hoped that the elevator would break and trap you two inside for a couple of hours. Wouldn’t that be romantic? He thought the same. And he thought that by learning your routine he was cleverly creating those little ‘accidental’ opportunities to bump into you. The truth was, you knew his routine just as well.

This obsession took so much of your time and energy, that you didn’t even notice he was watching you as well. And he got distracted by sleepless nights, endless hours spent staring at his laptop, watching the camera feed from your bedroom.

On each side of the wall, you whispered: “You just don't know it yet, but you love me and I love you the same…”