Daisy sat at the edge of a deserted rooftop, her legs dangling over the ledge as the neon-lit city sprawled below her. The air was thick with the hum of distant traffic, broken only by the occasional siren. She exhaled, her breath forming a mist in the cool night air. The trail she had left behind was deliberate-a breadcrumb she knew he couldn’t resist.
He would come. He always did.
But why? Why was she doing this? Each time, she told herself it would be the last. Yet here she was, waiting, her heart warring between anticipation and dread. She hated this pull he had over her, hated how his presence stirred something deep within her that she thought she’d buried forever.
The faint sound of footsteps reached her ears, steady and purposeful. She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. She closed her eyes briefly, steeling herself.
“You’re getting sloppy,” Ezekiel said, his voice low and tinged with worry.
She smirked, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Or maybe I’m just testing you.”
He stepped closer, his movements careful, deliberate. “Testing me? For what?”
“To see how far you’ll go,” she replied, keeping her gaze fixed on the horizon. “You keep chasing, Ezekiel. But what happens when you finally catch me?”
“I’m not chasing you to catch you,” he said, his voice soft but resolute. “I’m chasing you to remind you that you’re not alone.”
Daisy scoffed, finally turning to face him. “Is that what you think this is? A damsel in distress waiting to be saved?”
His eyes locked onto hers, unwavering. “No. I think this is a woman who’s been through hell and is trying to convince herself that she’s beyond saving.”
Her breath caught at his words, but she masked it with a bitter laugh. “You don’t know me, Ezekiel.”
“I know enough,” he countered. He stepped closer, the space between them shrinking. “I know that you’re not the monster you want everyone to believe you are. I know that deep down, you’re still Daisy.”
She flinched at the name, as if it were a dagger to her heart. “Stop calling me that. Daisy’s dead.”
“Then why are you here?” he asked, his tone gentle but insistent. “Why do you keep leaving these trails for me to find?”
She looked away, unable to meet his piercing gaze. The truth clawed at her throat, but she shoved it down, burying it beneath layers of anger and defiance. “Maybe I just enjoy playing games.”
“Liar,” he said softly.
The word hung in the air between them, heavy and undeniable. Daisy’s fists clenched at her sides. She hated how easily he saw through her, how he stripped away her defenses with nothing but words.
“Go home, Ezekiel,” she said, her voice cold. “This isn’t a fairytale. There’s no happy ending waiting for you here.”
“I’m not looking for a fairytale,” he said. “I’m looking for you. The real you. The one who’s still fighting, even if she doesn’t want to admit it.”
She turned to him then, her eyes blazing with anger and something else she couldn’t name. “You think you can save me? Is that it? You’re wasting your time.”
“Maybe,” he admitted. “But it’s my time to waste.”
His calm, unyielding tone only fueled her frustration. She wanted to lash out, to push him away. But the more she tried to distance herself, the closer he seemed to get.
Ezekiel reached out, his hand hovering near her face. For a moment, she froze, every muscle in her body tense. When his fingers brushed against her mask, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she felt a strange sense of calm, as if his touch had the power to silence the storm inside her.
“You don’t have to hide from me,” he said softly. “Not anymore.”
Her heart ached at the sincerity in his voice. She hated how it made her feel, how it cracked the walls she had spent years building. “You don’t understand,” she said, her voice trembling. “I can’t be who you want me to be.”
“I’m not asking you to be anything but yourself,” he replied. “Scars, mistakes, all of it-I’ll take you as you are.”
His words were a lifeline, a promise she desperately wanted to believe in. But the darkness inside her was too vast, too consuming. She couldn’t let herself hope. Not again.
“You’re a fool,” she said, her voice shaking. “And I don’t have time for fools.”
“Then I’ll be your fool,” he said simply.
A bitter laugh escaped her as she pulled away, putting distance between them. “You’re relentless, I’ll give you that. But this changes nothing.”
“It changes everything,” he said, stepping closer. “Because now you know that someone still believes in you. And I’m not going anywhere.”
She stared at him, her chest tight with emotions she couldn’t name. Without another word, she turned and disappeared into the shadows. But as she walked away, her heart betrayed her, a crack forming in the armor she wore so tightly.
From the rooftop, Ezekiel watched her go, his determination solidifying. She could run, but he would always find her. Because he wasn’t just chasing her-he was fighting for her. And he wouldn’t stop until she realized that she was worth it.