Page 2 of Abundance of Obsession

Eli

Iwoke up with a hangover the size of Vegas.

In my car.

Outside the building, Ryker and Ash live.

My face in the elevator mirror says it all—it was a wild night.

Messy hair. A hickey the size of a plum on my neck. Traces of pink lipstick stains on the collar, and scratch marks across my chest.

I’m guessing I was happy back then. Or at least actively trying to be.

Too bad I don’t remember any of it.

The tension is still inside me like crazy. It won’t go away. Ever.

Before Ryker took over as the Pact’s leader, I was stressed, but now the stress has reached an entirely different level.

The sound of the elevator interrupts my thoughts.

Once, then twice, I knock, a throbbing pain in my temple. My foot taps the floor because right now all I can think about is popping a pill. If I don’t get one soon, my head is going to explode.

I’m about to knock a third time when the door opens. On the other side stands sweet Ash in black yoga pants and a sweatshirt that’s way too big. Ryker’s sweatshirt, I might add. She looks like trouble. And that’s exactly what’s in her eyes.

With a smile, I greet her, stretching out the syllables. “Hiiiii, Ashley.”

“You look like shit,” she says, equally charming as she looks, rolling her eyes as she does so.

I still don’t understand why she doesn’t like me. The air is thick with animosity.

“It’s nice to see you too. Is Ry here?”

Ash wrinkles her nose, but her features soften right away. “He’s here. And you’re late.” She opens the door wider for me, turns on her heel, and walks into the apartment.

Late? Maybe. But late for what?

I get the hint to make myself at home. Apparently, manners aren’t her strong suit. Without a second thought, I press her buttons, chuckling loud enough for her to hear. As I do, I slam the door behind me. To hell with my headache. This moment is worth it.

All three friends are sitting at the table set with breakfast. Theo, Ryker, Ashley. The only one missing is a sassy brunette who looks a lot like her sister.

Ryker’s narrowed eyes fall on me. Wrinkling his nose, he takes in my rumpled and disheveled appearance, snaps his fingers, and points an accusing finger at me. “You look like shit. Where the fuck have you been?”

Ash glances over her shoulder with a mischievous smile, but I’m the only one who catches it before she goes back to munching her bacon.

Theo, meanwhile, sizes me up over the rim of his coffee cup, silent and seemingly bored.

My eyebrows shoot up. “Come on,” I say. “You’re the only one who hasn’t told me I look like shit. Go ahead, Theodore.”

His eyes grow dark when he hears his full name. We all know how much he loves it.

Theo’s a quiet bastard. Until he speaks up. Then it hurts.

Three, two, one…

“A long time ago, I learned nothing is what it seems, what it looks like,” he says without taking his eyes off me. A sense of relief will wash over me when he completes the task. “Thanks to you, I’ve learned I can be wrong in my own conclusions.”

Ash and Ryker burst out laughing. Theo only lifts the corners of his mouth, showing his amusement.