Tatum Christine didn’t just fall in love; she curated it. Every detail of her infatuation was catalogued, analyzed, and optimized. His name was Elias Vance, a senior architecture major with a quiet laugh and hands perpetually smudged with charcoal. To the outside world, he was a reserved, thoughtful young man. To Tatum, he was a masterpiece in progress.
“Elias,” she said, stepping out of the closet, her voice soft and unhurried. “Don’t. I know you better than anyone. I know you still cry about Sarah. I know you lie to your mother about your grades. I know you’re afraid you’re not talented enough. I know you, Elias. And I love you because of it, not in spite of it. She never loved you like that. She just drew you.”
Within a month, they were inseparable. To Elias, Tatum was a miracle: a woman who understood his need for solitude, who never asked for too much, who always had a spare charger for his laptop or his favorite brand of ginger tea. She was perfect. And that was the first clue he missed.
“You need to leave,” he said, his hand fumbling for his phone.