Page 109 of Chasing After You

I turned and walked back to my seat by the window, enjoying the feeling of the heated gaze from the boy I’d never stopped chasing.

“Ro?” Josh called again, his voice warm and easy. “Cafe mocha for Ro?”

The door to the customer restroom opened, catching my eye. A thin man wearing a band tee and low-rise dark jeans strode to the counter.

“Sorry, I was in the bathroom,” he told Josh, taking the drink in hand. He took a sip immediately and beamed. “This issogood!”

A quick glance around showed that the man was drawing in quite a few eyes.

It made sense.

It wasn’t every day you saw someone with snow-white hair—not bleached,but truly white, like fallen ash or powdered bone. His skin, almost translucent, carried a faint pink hue in the cheeks and ears, while pale lashes framed his eyes in soft contrast. But it was those eyes that gave me pause.

Pale, glinting—like quartz caught in sunlight. Unnervingly sharp.

And watching everything.

He sipped again, distracted for only a moment by the drink before his gaze slid across the cafe. He didn’t fidget. He smiled at the stranger who complimented his boots but didn’t strike up a conversation. Just blinked slowly and moved on, like a cat that had already grown bored of its prey.

There was something in the way he moved—coiled, but not tense. Like his body had learned long ago how to drift through space unnoticed when it wanted to… or draw attention when it didn’t.

Josh gave him a friendly smile when the newcomer smiled at him from across the room. I wouldn’t hesitate to guess that myboyfriend was likely oblivious to the way Ro studied him, head tilted just slightly.

He didn’t seem to notice me at first as I kept an eye on him from my seat. Most people didn’t unless I wanted them to. But then—

His gaze flicked to me.

Just a flicker. A second too long to be accidental.

Our eyes locked.

Ro didn’t startle, didn’t look away. He just smiled, slow and slight, like someone whoalready knewtoo much.

Josh called the next order without a second thought, busying himself with the next wave of customers. He had no idea that something had just shifted.

But I knew.

The hunter in me felt it.

Something had just walked into our quiet little world—and I wasn’t sure yet if it was another predator… or something far worse.

Either way, I found myself grinning.

Because whoever Ro was… I had the feeling things were about to get a lot more interesting.

I was always open to entertainment, as long as it didn’t involve my big brother.

Ro would learn that soon enough if he tried anything.

But for now, I was content to wait and see.