Soul Mate Anthologies

Lurking in the Shadows: 1

She always stayed in the shadows.

Hidden in the dark, so that no one might see her. Her unmarked skin.

No one could advantage of her if they didn't find her.

Yet here she was, standing in the library. Staring at him.

She started to notice his presence only a week after she began to hide in the library attic.

He wasn't one to come regularly nor had a fixed time. He definitely had no library card, from what she could tell.

However, he always came when the library was closed.

With soft, careful steps, he would come and sit in a corner and read. Read what, she knew all too well for she would check out the books as soon as he left.

Never went to him though. Why would she? He was beautiful in that soft way no one bothered to be around her before.

She worried that the same would happen here as well. And so she watched on.

Today was no different.

She heard the tell tale sound of a lock pick, funny how she recognises it so easily after over a month.

Without hesitation she makes her way down and peeps in, to see him.

He's worn his blue sweater. She thinks it must be his favourite considering the number of times she's seen him wear it. It looked comfortable and surprisingly not as worn out as one would expect.

He seemed hesitant. She could feel the tension as she bit through her lip and watched him. It would happen occasionally. Sometimes he had a goal, others, he would seem lost and take his time.

Those days were hard for her. For all she wished to do right then was to wrap him in her arms and soothe him.

Alas, that would just be a pipe dream. Who would enjoy such an act, especially when one is aware of her actions?

So she watched on in silence.

He finally settled on a book and sank down to the floor and began to read out, softly. His voice soothing her nerves.

She was lost in his voice, so lost that she was no longer hiding but just a shelf away.

Yet he had no idea about his nightly admirer.

Every time she saw him, she wondered, Why do you come here? What is it that you seek?

Do you have someone special back home?

That last one came unbidden and perplexed her at first.

For she had no mark. She had no one who cared for her nor she cared for anyone.

It was why some people felt that they could do whatever they wanted with her.

It was why she ran away. Ran away and hid herself. Isolated from the world.

It was a surprise when she realized that she's begun to care for the aforementioned man.

"No one cares about it." He muttered, a forlorn look upon his face.

I do, she wanted to scream. Whatever it is that those books have left out but you wish for, I care about it.

Silence rang throughout the room. Shaking his head, he left the place, locking it behind him. Leaving her all alone.

Slowly, with an eye on the door, she reached out and picked up the book and immediately ran back to the attic, her eyes scanning and reading the pages.

Lurking in the Shadows. A romantic tale between a shy woman and boisterous business tycoon.

A classic romance.