The Knock on the Window

Part 2 : Crossing Paths

The days following our first encounter felt like they moved in slow motion. I tried my best to forget about him—his bold words, his eyes locking onto mine in that strange, unsettling way. But it was hard to ignore something that had made such a mark. Every time I walked past the construction site, I couldn't help but glance over to see if he was there, even though I didn't want to.

It became like an unspoken challenge, a game of fate that I wasn't sure I wanted to play.

One evening, a few days after the "niceness for you" incident, I was walking home with my best friend, Chloe. We'd just finished grabbing snacks and were heading to the small convenience store around the corner to buy some personal things—tampons, deodorant, that sort of thing. Not exactly the most glamorous errand, but a necessary one.

As we approached the intersection, I saw the familiar glow of the neon signs for Church's Chicken, and my heart skipped a beat. There, leaning against the window with his friend, was him.

I hadn't expected to see him so soon, and my body went tense in an instant. It was as if I could feel his eyes on me already, even though we were still a good distance away. My heart raced.

"There," I muttered to Chloe, my voice suddenly tight. "There he is."

Chloe squinted ahead, following the direction of my finger. "Where?"

"Right there, by the window," I said, a little more urgently this time.

Chloe didn't seem to spot him at first. I felt my anxiety creeping up. Why was I so nervous? I tried to play it cool, but my heart was thudding in my chest, and my breath was a little shallow.

But then, Chloe's eyes widened. She saw him. "Oh, wow. There he is," she said, her tone teasing but not fully aware of the tension I felt.

I couldn't help but glance back, and as soon as I did, his eyes locked onto mine. The intensity of his stare made me freeze. For a split second, I thought about crossing to the other side of the street, but I didn't move.

Then, Chloe pointed, her finger clearly directed at him. "Isn't that the guy from the other day? The one who—"

Before she could finish, he noticed her pointing. His lips curled into that same knowing smirk, the one that made my heart flip in my chest, and—just like last time—he knocked on the glass of the restaurant window. Knock. Knock. Knock.

It was subtle, but I heard it clearly. My whole body tensed in response.

"Whoa," Chloe laughed, clearly amused. "He's got your attention, huh?"

I didn't answer immediately, too busy trying to control the flurry of thoughts running through my mind. He hadn't even said anything, but the way he looked at me, the way his smirk stayed, it felt like I was already in the middle of some unspoken game I didn't want to be a part of.

Chloe, not sensing my discomfort, nudged me. "He's definitely looking at you, right? Should we go talk to him?"

The last thing I wanted was to draw attention to the situation. I could already feel my cheeks burning, and I wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

"No," I said quickly, trying to sound casual. "Let's just go to the store."

Chloe shrugged, seemingly unbothered by the whole thing, and we started walking away. But I couldn't stop thinking about him. Even as we moved down the sidewalk, I could feel his eyes following me, his presence looming over me like an electric charge in the air.

As we rounded the corner, I could still feel the tension in my chest. I wanted to look back, but I couldn't. My feet quickened, and I hoped that if I ignored the feeling, it would go away. But something told me it wouldn't be that easy.