I take a seat on a nearby fire escape that gives me a great view of her dorm, without giving away my position. The rules of the game were clear, if I could follow her for five days, take pictures of her without her contacting me to say she could see me, then I’d win. I settle in, light a cigarette and take pictures of anything that captures my attention.
About an hour later I see her coming down the street, hips swaying as she walked like she always did, which was like everyone was watching. She was an exhibitionist, that’s why she’d been a great cam girl. Great prey. She wanted you to chase her, to stalk her, to follow her into the darkness.
Rubbing my thumb across my bottom lip, I weigh up my options. I could just take her now, drag her into the shadows and fuck her until she was crying my name, filling the night air with overwhelmed sobs. Or I could win our little bet, and then I could take my time. Film her. Hurt her. Make her into the work of art she had the potential to be. Fuck. Ruby was dangerous, and I was sinking into this pit of lust that I couldn’t seem to pull myself out of.
Before I make a decision, I watch her slide her key into the lock and enter the building. Her room was up on the third floor, the window was the third one in from the left. As I wait for the light to switch on, to call it quits for tonight, my phone vibrates in my pocket.
“Was this you?” The text reads, followed by a picture of a note, pinned to what I’m assuming is the door to her dorm room, written in what appears to be...blood. Scrawling handwriting proclaims ‘You are MINE!’
I bite the inside of my cheek, unimpressed that she thinks I would stoop so low as to use shitty horror film tactics.
I press call, and she answers instantly. Before she can say anything, I hiss down the line. “I’m actually insulted.”
“If not you, then who? Did you see anyone suspicious?”
I had seen a few women milling around, but nothing out of the ordinary. “No. Where is your roommate?”
Ruby sighs softly. “She didn’t see or hear anything, she was in the shower when I got back, and it wasn’t there earlier.”
“Notes and fake blood are not my thing,” I scoff, watching the bedroom lamp finally flicker on.
“I think it’s real.” I can almost hear her brain processing, as she whispers down the line. “It...it smells real.”
“That’s why you think it’s me.” Narrowing my eyes, I’m watching every dark shadow, every hiding spot, but nothing moves. There is only me lurking out here. “It’s probably animal blood, go to sleep, stay away from your windows. None of that naked posing you do.”
“You saw.” She laughs, and I feel my dick twitch. How was it that just a couple of hours ago I was fucking her live on camera and now I was sat in the cold like a horny schoolboy waiting for a glimpse of a tit?
“Of course I did.” I all but growl. She liked to stand in her window all the time, sometimes dressed, mostly not. My personal favourite was when she wore just a small towel, plenty of skin on show for my eyes to feast on, but enough modesty preserved so I could fantasize about ruining it. “Ruby...I would never leave you notes or gifts like this. Just remember that.”
Our little game was going to get very complicated if she couldn’t differentiate between me, and whoever the fuck thought they could stake a claim on her. She should call the police, but then that would mean that this little game between us would have to stop too. I wouldn’t be able to follow her, to watch her being her.
Another chuckle. “Gotcha. Scary stalker leaves creepy gifts, sexy stalker leaves nothing. Goodnight Carter.”
She hangs up, but I feel relieved that she seemed less rattled towards the end of our conversation. Did it comfort her to know that I was out here somewhere, watching over her?
Chapter Ten
Ruby
It’s been two days since Carter and I had filmed our little escapade, and it was worth it. The money Hugh had deposited into my bank was a great little ego boost, and the fact it was still being streamed and making royalties at a steady pace was incredible. However, it meant that I only had three days left to spot Carter. I thought I’d seen him once, when I went on a morning jog, and I’d text him to let him know but he’d sent back a picture of him in his apartment, developing some of his images. I don’t know why, but I trusted him to play fairly. It wasn’t like Carter to cheat, which was ironic, the faith I had in him, considering he’d hid his stalking proclivities.
“Rebecca, what time do your lectures finish?” Emma asks as she pulls on her sneakers and checks her reflection in the mirror. Since the bloody note, she’d been even more cautious around me, a little too overbearing as she tried to protect me. Truth be told, she’d been practically glued to me, and it was starting to become exhausting.
Grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl, I take a bite. “Six, but I have astrology club later, so I’ll probably just grab some food and go straight.”
Astrology club was a lie. I was (hopefully) going to get fucked by Carter, on camera and bury myself deeper under his skin. I’d already packed a pinwheel and a small scalpel in my bag after researching piquerism, which I’d learned was a fetish about penetrating the skin with sharp implements. He was going
