A smile spreads across his face, and he sits next to me but doesn’t acknowledge me.
What the fuck? Did I miss something here?
“How have you been?” I ask.
Okay, shut up, Autumn. You’re making a fool of yourself.
He doesn’t respond for a second. “Barely hanging on.”
“Can we talk?” I say.
He nods, and I grab his hand and lead him outside, next to the entrance. We stand next to his expensive, sleek car.
“I know I broke your heart, and I made a mistake. I allowed my aunt to get inside of my head. And… I’m scared.”
“The fact that you think I’m such a bad person hurt my feelings,” Viper says. “I did it to protect you. I did it because I love you, and you threw me away because you think I’m like your father.” His eyes move back and forth. “I knew the real reason why you broke up with me,” he sighs, annoyed. “I have to go. I have to kill someone, and don’t worry, it’s a fucking a contract for the CEO of a bank company.” He says the last part with sarcasm.
I fight the tears from sting my eyes as I wrap my arms around myself.
“I’m sorry.”
He doesn’t respond but strokes my cheek, and I lean into his touch, sighing, then he tucks his hand in his pocket. He stares into my eyes before he opens his car door, gets in, and drives off.
Viper
It hurts too much being without her. She’s the first woman I ever gave my heart to, and she crushes the shit out of it. Last night, I wanted to wrap my arms around her waist and kiss the shit out of her, but I refrained because I want to hear it from her mouth that she wants me back and she wants to love me. The way she looked so sad when I drove off hurts my heart, but I don’t want her to feel as if I’m going to destroy her future. She’s everything to me. I knew she broke up with me because of her aunt, because Raven told me. She’s been sending me updates on her; in exchange, I keep Fox away from her.
I’m so obsessed with her that I follow her to Raven’s apartment, morning and night, to make sure she’s safe. I’ll sit across the street and wait until she leaves the condo, and I follow her. I don’t want anything to happen to her even though she broke things off. She might not like the way I tried to protect her, but it’s my way, and I’d do it again if it’ll protect her. I make sure all the bills are paid for at the condo so she doesn’t have to pay, and I have groceries sent to Raven’s place so she can have food.
I want to protect her and love her. Before she came along, I was going through the motions, caught in a rut, and I wasn’t really enjoying life, and now I have something to live for, it has been taken away from me. Maybe love is like a Greek tragedy, and no one gets their happy ending. Well, at least I won’t get it. But she will. She’ll probably move on with her life. She deserves happiness, and I hope she finds better. I hope life treats her with such kindness that she gets everything her heart desires. I hope she finds what she’s looking for.
I follow her and keep hidden in the shadows. I keep my pace behind her as she makes it to the front entrance of her new job at the library. Throughout the day, I watch her work. I watch her put books on the shelf and ring up customers. Then when her shift is over, I follow her to a coffee shop, where she meets Raven. They laugh, and she smiles. I wonder what she’s talking about. She’s sad. I know she is—I can tell in the way her smile doesn’t meet her eyes.
Once they finish whatever they’re drinking, they leave and go straight back to Raven’s apartment. Autumn hasn’t been sleeping at the condo I gave her, and I haven’t been staying there either. I’ve been staying in an apartment building next to Raven’s so I can spy on Autumn.
It has nothing in here but a bed and a couch. I sit on the couch and watch her as she goes into the kitchen and makes herself something to eat. Never in a million years did I think I would be the type to have a sick obsession with someone.
I hear the door swing open, and Fox comes inside and sits next to me. He’s been here too, watching Raven. He wants to date her, but she won’t give him the time of day. He never was the type to date, and she’s the only woman I’ve ever seen him obsessed with.
“Why don’t you go to her? And tell her how you feel?” He sighs. “It’s obvious she’s still in love with you. And she wants to make things work.”
I lean back on the leather couch and shake my head. “I want her to come to me. And I don’t want to pressure her. My plan failed me—the whole idea to get her to fall in love with me. And now she’s making it difficult.”
“You know, if you don’t go get her back, someone else will. You think she’s going to be single for the rest of her life? She’s pretty and smart and has a dope personality.”
“Shut up!” I snap.
“Someone is going to take her out on dates. Someone else is going to build a home with her and eat her pussy until there is no tomorrow and fuck her brains out.”
I get what he’s trying to do—he’s trying to get a rise out of me, and it’s working too. And I hate it. He’s right, though. If I don’t make a move, then eventually she’s going to fall in love with someone else, and I don’t want that. I don’t want her to spend the rest of her life with some loser who can’t fuck her right.
“There is a guy at her job who has been eyeing her lately,” he says casually.
When I’m not there stalking her, I have him do it to make sure she’s safe.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I snap.
“This guy who works with her. He’s been flirting with her, and they exchanged numbers. I know, because I saw it.”
