Page 5 of Shattered Obsession

He doesn’t ask for photos.

He doesn’t push.

He doesn’t act like I owe him anything because we matched.

Damian, meanwhile, moves fast.

He asks for my number within a day. He phrases it like he’s doing me a favor.

Damian

This app is annoying. Just text me.

I hesitate. I don’t know him. I don’t even know his last name.

But I don’t want to come off like I’m playing games, either. I don’t want to be ‘difficult’. I hate how automatically that word floats up. Difficult. Like it’s a sin.

So, I give it to him.

After that, it escalates.

He texts constantly. ‘Good morning, gorgeous.’ ‘Send me a pic.’ ‘What are you wearing?’ ‘Let me see you.’

At first, I laugh it off and send something safe like my face from a high angle with good lighting because I know how to make myself look tolerable. But when I dodge the more explicit stuff, he sends a little eye roll emoji and then goes quiet for an hour as if I’ve disappointed him.

The silence makes me anxious, though I don’t want to admit it. I find myself sending an extra message just to fill it.

He calls me ‘baby’ and says things like ‘you’re mine’ before he knows anything about me.

He says we ‘vibe’ after two days and talks like we’re already together, like it’s decided, like the plan is set and all I have to do is show up and follow along.

And sometimes? Sometimes that sounds easy. Less scary than the part where I have to make decisions and risk being wrong.

Meanwhile, Xander is still there. Still patient. He feels like a slow-burning candle, warm and steady. Damian feels like a match flaring too bright.

There’s a night where I’m in bed, lights off, staring at the ceiling, and I’m texting both of them at once. I’m flipping between threads like a split screen.

Xander

Be honest, are you the kind of person who rewatches the same comfort shows 900 times or do you like new stuff?

Thalia

I rewatch until my brain goes quiet.

Xander

That’s what I figured.

Thalia

What does that mean?

Xander

You have anxious energy.

My breath catches.