Page 28 of To Obsess

“Excuse me?”

“I could be totally wrong, of course, but I think you like all the attention you’ve been getting from this “K” guy. He drops off cards and flowers, makes you feel special, like you’re actually seen and desired. Which you are, obviously. But him putting in all that effort makes you feel like you’re worthy of somebody’s time and devotion. He makes you feel special.” She says the words as gently as she can, but my body immediately rejects them.

“You’re out of your mind.” I shake my head, dismissing her entirely.

“You can fight it all you want, but we both know that isn’t true. At least not when it comes to this,” she says with a smirk. “There’s nothing wrong with you, babe. Anybody would feel special if they were receiving that kind of attention, but there has to be a line where you say enough is enough. He can’t destroy all of your future relationships when he doesn’t even have the balls to tell you who he is.” She says it so matter-of-factly, as if it’s a simple truth—like the grass is green or the sky is blue. No grey area where the line might be a little blurred.

I sigh, rubbing a spot at the back of my neck just to give my hands something to do. “I don’t know, Abby. I don’t think this guy has anything to do with how I feel about Mason. I’ll admit that it’s nice to have someone put in some effort and see me through a different scope, but it’s not enough to keep me from a happy relationship. I’m just not fully convinced the one with Mason is my end game.”

“It’s both, genius. You’re liking how the cards and attention make you feel. You don’t want that to stop, and if you give Mason a real shot, there’s a good chance your mystery guy will see that and stop sending the cards after all these years.”

I leave the words hanging between us for a couple minutes, thinking through everything she’s said, trying to process it all. “You might be right. This whole thing with the cards has been going on so long now. It’s become a huge part of my life that I do look forward to, and I’d be lying if I said I was okay with that ending, whether that’s now or sometime in the future.” She nods, not pushing me any further than I’m ready to go, but giving me the space to figure it all out. “I do like him, though. Mason, I mean. I’m not sure he’ll end up being the one, but I’m willing to have fun finding out.” I feel my cheeks heat at the thought of the night we just spent together. Not three hours ago, we were tangled up in my sheets, lost to the ecstasy we’ve found in each other.

“So, you have to tell him that! First thing tomorrow morning preferably,” Abby says, nudging my shoulder with a smile.

I nod, smile still plastered across my face. I feel like a giddy schoolgirl who just got her first real boyfriend. Though I am happy, a grain of discomfort gnaws at the back of my mind, doing its best to take root. I shove it away, thankful to have my best friend here to help me figure out my mess of a brain when it matters most.

“I have to go get some sleep, Vi, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Around ten? Ish? Actually, let’s just say eleven. If I crawl out of bed and drag my ass here before that, it’ll be a happy surprise for both of us,” she says with a laugh. “I love you, boo. With all my nonexistent soul.”

“I thought I was the one without a soul?” I question, throwing my arms around her. “Thank you.” I lace as much sincerity into those two words as I can, hoping they convey the depth of my appreciation.

She kisses my cheek before bounding down the steps. “Anytime, love. See you tomorrow.”

I lean against the doorframe as she turns her car around and drives away from the house, taillights lighting up the night. I turn, feeling lighter than I did an hour ago. After a quick shower, I climb into the cool sheets and snuggle in. Sleep takes me into its sweet embrace in a matter of minutes.

Chapter 26

Violet

I jolt awake, hand flying to my chest, gasp caught in my throat. I strain my ears, finding nothing but the slight ringing that has grown just a little louder over the last year or two. It feels like it takes two lifetimes before my eyes finally begin to adjust to the darkness enveloping my bedroom.

There’s a slight sheen of moonlight casting light throughout the room, but it also deepens the shadows in the corners. What looks so innocuous in the day suddenly turns treacherous in the hazy light of late night.

With shaking legs, I lower my feet to the floor and fling the blanket from my lap. It takes concentrated effort to pull enough air into my lungs to keep functioning, let alone maintain a semi-level head.

I’ve never been afraid of the dark, even as a child. But what’s always been nothing short of terrifying is not knowing what waits in the shadows. The dark, when empty, is nothing to cause concern. However, if there are monsters lurking in the corners of a darkened room, there’s absolutely reason to be terrified. I shake my head to clear the thought as I creep past my bedroom doorframe and out into the hallway with nothing but my phone for a weapon.

I’m not sure what woke me, but warning bells are blaring in my head, telling me to get out as fast as possible. I’m too stubborn for that, hellbent on not looking stupid when I run out of this house screaming over a bump in the night, but I’m not stupid enough to make myself a sitting duck while waiting for whatever murderer is lurking in my house to come find me.

I pad down the stairs as quietly as I can, making sure to miss each of the creaky spots in the floor. My heart lurches when I nearly miss a step, grabbing onto the railing for dear life as I try to keep myself from tumbling down the rest of them. Freaking klutz. I swear you’re going to get us killed one day, I chastise once I’m sure my feet are firmly on the step still.

I make my way to the living room without any more mishaps, silently thanking whatever god is up there looking out for me this time around. With the living room cleared, I move to the kitchen, head on a swivel. Nothing.

All the windows are closed, doors are shut, and lights are off. Not a speck of dust out of place. I breathe what should be a sigh of relief, but the tension in my shoulders doesn’t ease. The hair on the back of my neck doesn’t lie down, and the creepy feeling I have racing through my veins doesn’t dissipate.

The clock on the stove glows bright, casting a dim light over part of the kitchen. 2:07. I check the back door, finding it locked, but remember the card as I look through the windowpane over the pitch-black backyard.

The sound of the deadbolt pulling back is deafening in the silence. I turn the handle quickly, jerk open the door, swivel my head from side to side as I take a tiny tentative step out, grab the card, and slam the back door, locking it tight. I don’t even take the time to grab the flower, leaving it abandoned on the old iron chair.

With a huff, I lay my head against the chilly pane and close my eyes while my heartrate slows to its normal rhythm. After checking the lock one more time, just to be certain, I turn and chuck the card on the counter. I’m not sure why it felt necessary to grab it at two in the morning, but I don’t bother to reread the words. Instead, I leave it there and head back to bed.

Sliding into the cool sheets, I prop my hand on my fist, scrolling through some videos online, determined to clear my head enough to find sleep once again. As my eyelids start to feel heavy again, I shoot off a text to Mason before placing my phone back on the charger and praying I’m doing the right thing.

A knock at the door rouses me from a restless sleep. ‘Knock’ is being generous really. The sound coming from the other side of my front door is akin to what a SWAT team sounds like on a drug raid. Honestly, I think a battering ram would be more subtle than this bullshit. “For fuck’s sake,” I mutter, rolling my eyes as I sit up in bed. “I’m freaking coming!” I yell, not bothering to sugarcoat my irritation at the wake-up call. The ‘knocking’ continues, despite my protests.

I take the steps quickly, half-running down them as my hand slides along the rail. Not bothering to look out the glass, I open the door, letting my best ‘what the actual fuck’ expression take form on my face.

“Abby?” My eyebrows bunch in confusion as I turn my back to her, leaving the door standing wide open. She enters, closing it behind her as she kicks off her shoes.