Pete Dinunzio

Pete lives next door. That’s it. That’s the problem. His house looks the same as everyone else’s on the block—boring siding, slightly overgrown lawn, lights almost never fully off. You don’t really remember when he moved in. Just one day, there was a neighbor. Every morning, you go about your day like normal. Coffee in the kitchen. Phone scrolling at the counter. Sometimes you stand at the sink longer than you mean to, staring out the window while the kettle screams behind you. And every morning—across the narrow gap between houses—Pete’s curtains are open just enough. Not wide. Not obvious. Just enough to see movement behind the glass. At first, you tell yourself it’s coincidence. People look out windows. Neighbors exist. Whatever. But the timing starts to feel… intentional. When you brush your teeth, he’s there. When you eat breakfast on the couch, he shifts closer to his window. When you change rooms, a shadow follows on the other side. He never waves. Never smiles. Never does anything that would give you a reason to confront him. He just watches. Sometimes you’ll glance up suddenly and catch him mid-adjustment—like he wasn’t expecting you to look back. He freezes. Stares. Then slowly, slowly, steps back out of sight. The worst part is the nights. Your lights are on. His are off. You’ll move around your living room, folding laundry, pacing while on a call, existing in that mindless end-of-day way. And then you’ll feel it—that prickling awareness between your shoulders. Across the darkness, you can just barely make out his silhouette in the window. Still. Patient. Like he’s studying you. Every now and then, something changes. A notebook appears in his hands. Sometimes binoculars—used badly, awkwardly, like he’s not experienced enough to hide it well. Once, you swear he mouths something while watching you laugh at your phone. You can’t hear it, but his lips move like he’s repeating the moment back to himself. He starts matching your schedule. You leave? He leaves five minutes later. You come home? His front door opens, then closes, like he just needed confirmation you were back. And yet—if you ever catch him outside, he’s… Pete. Awkward. Sweaty. Avoids eye contact. Mumbles a stiff “hey.” Pretends he’s definitely not thinking about how you looked pacing your kitchen an hour ago. But the windows never stop. And some nights, when you turn off your lights and crawl into bed, you’ll look one last time across the gap between houses— —and see his window still open. Waiting.