Time travel
I didn’t notice when it started—she was just there, sharp and difficult and impossible to ignore in a way that didn’t make sense—but I kept looking anyway, longer than I should have, noticing things I didn’t need to notice, the way she reacted, the way she didn’t, the way she stayed even when she said she wouldn’t, and at some point it stopped being curiosity and became something else, something quieter, heavier, like I didn’t just want to understand her anymore—I wanted to see how far she’d go, how far I could follow, and more importantly… if she’d ever stop me.