What wicked fun we’ll have as you try to dissect me (undoubtedly you will try) while I in turn claim you, corrupt you, and make it so that no other man can fulfill your needs. That man you’ve said you’ll marry may have put a ring on your finger, but your heart and mind will always bear my mark of true ownership.

Our continuation begins now .

***

Another sleepless night had Elsa awake at 3:00 a.m. After having attempted to wake Nate for some one-on-one time and being rebuffed, she decided to put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Standing in front of her kitchen window, she flicked the overhead light off to get a better view of the street, still expecting to see Victor skulking around. Surprisingly, the past two days had been uneventful, other than her constant inner monologue and replaying of their meeting over and over in her head. After their face-to-face exchange, she had hid in the coat closet at the restaurant that night for nearly twenty minutes trying to contain the floodtide of emotions that had nearly threatened to make her lose her shit. Again.

Scanning the road for nearly a minute, she came to the conclusion that he was nowhere in the vicinity. Maybe he took the hint and beat a path back to wherever it was he was living now.

She lied to herself that she didn’t know what happened to him or where he was living, but of course, she did. A thing or two had been learned about stalking from the expert himself and she had kept tabs on him, off and on, during his absence. It was pathetic, but there was nothing else in her life to keep her thoughts occupied.

Nate was her partner, sure, but he lived his own life; had his own friends; kept himself busy with all sorts of work-related tasks and rarely stayed over. Their relationship was one of convenience; sex and companionship; and they had made no qualms about that. What else was she supposed to do? Sit around and wait like some love-sick puppy for whenever he decided to show up? That wasn’t her style. It made her wonder, though, if this is what their married life would be like. Most likely. And was that such a bad thing? Elsa liked her independence, after all.

Once more, she was lying to herself. She had become good at it. Lie or not, she knew what she needed in a relationship - what she truly wanted. But if Mr. Black had taught her anything, besides how to stalk someone, it was that there was no Prince Charming waiting to rescue her from her mundane life and fairy-tales were for the weak-minded.

What she really wanted was a strong man to take control the way Vic… Elsa slammed her palm onto the counter loudly in an attempt to rein in her thoughts. This was such bullshit. That man had ruined her life. She was over him. She had moved on. It had been hard, but she did it and now this was her life. THIS. Nate. Marriage. Possibly a family.

Victor had allowed Mr. Black to take over. He was broken and nothing would ever change that. She had tried. Gave it her all. Jesus, the scars proved that, and still, in the end, nothing had changed and he would never love her.

As she stood staring out the window, wishing on some fucked up level that he was out there, watching her, she found herself romanticizing about Victor the same way she had after her break up with Patrick and all the others. She had a good man sleeping in her bed – one that wanted to marry her. So what if he couldn’t say the words she so desperately yearned to hear? Eventually he would say them… right? And so what if he didn’t or never could? Who the hell was she to put such pressure on someone when she couldn’t even say them herself? They would learn to love each other, she repeated silently to herself.

Feeling a sob welling up in her throat, she forced it back down, closed her eyes and began slowly counting down from ten. When she got to four, she let out a lunatic laugh that sounded odd in her own ears. Apparently stalking wasn’t the only thing she picked up from Mr. Black.

*

A cancelled department meeting at work gave Elsa some unexpected down time. Finding her way to her favorite café on Grace Street; the very one where she was first accosted by the one and only Victor Laurenzo. She didn’t go there as often as she used to, finding it more difficult to see the familiar places that only brought back unhappy memories.

This day was different. She was healthy and alive, and after the blow she had struck to Mr. Black’s ego, she was feeling particularly vivacious. Her usual seat was taken so she grabbed the only one available that faced away from the door. The smell of coffee and baked goods made her belly rumble. She peered over her shoulder and out the window at the faint beams of sunlight flickering through the canopy of dark clouds overhead. Snow was predicted for that evening and she looked forward to the serene beauty of winter to take over and, hopefully, to spending an evening in Nate’s arms.

A quick dig into her messenger bag and she pulled out a magazine. The smell of citrus and bergamot sent a trickle of alarm slithering over her nerve endings. Apprehension tightened her throat when she felt a man’s presence behind her. There was no need to turn around. She knew in an instant who it was.

The movement of air around her and crackling electricity made the fine hairs on her arms stand up when he seated himself across from her. The penetrating look in his eyes sent panic worming its way up her spine. Victor’s muscular body leaned back into the vinyl as his index finger made lazy circles on the tabletop, and Elsa was suddenly hit with déjà vu. While his hard gaze sent her a silent message, she felt the same damned attraction for him she felt over a year ago.

Holy hell. She was just as fucked up as he was.

He had hurt her beyond repair, yet she was still captivated by him. Disgusted and angry, too, but undeniably fascinated. He was still harboring his secrets and despite having forced herself to move past him, those untold secrets haunted her to this day.

A silent stare passed between them as she fought to suppress the shudder of fear mingled with infuriation that was coursing through her. Of course he would show up. How stupid of her to think that she could get away from him so easily. Of course he had been watching her. He had simply gotten better at it.

“They’re predicting snow.”

The blasé statement out of Victor’s mouth caught her off guard.

Her response came just as nonchalant. “Yeah.”

“Are you ready for winter?”

The ridiculousness of his question staggered her. This is what he had shown up for, to discuss the weather? “Sure,” she shrugged her shoulders.

“You haven’t said two words to me since I sat down.”

Elsa sat straight up to give him what he asked for. “Fuck off. That’s two words. Or how about a few more? You ruined my fucking life. How many words is that?”

He winced, his eyes settling on the pout of her lips. “I’m sorry I brought it up.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “You should be sorry for more than that.”

Frown lines marred his brow and his broad shoulders sagged. “Whether or not you believe me, I am.”

Her heart slammed against her ribs and her mouth dropped open, but she promptly shut it. It was just another one of his damned lies and she wasn’t falling for it this time – no matter how sincere he looked or how beautiful he was.

With his eyes closed, his fingertips rubbed the area above his right eye before pausing to pull himself together. "We can save that conversation for another time.”

She quickly organized her scattered thoughts and felt her mouth twist in revulsion at his presumptuousness. “There won’t be any more conversations between the two of us after this, so whatever is on your mind, say it now.”

“You’re wrong about that,” his voice lowered. “There will be more.”