Page 4 of To Obsess

I turn the key into the lock and slide into the driver’s seat of my old car. My dad had tried to buy me a newer car a few years ago, rattling on and on about how unsafe this ‘old hunk of junk’ is, but I refused. I’ve grown attached to it over the years. Sure, it might be a little annoying to have to sit on the hood to get it to latch. It might be irksome to have to hit the radio three times before the screen would blaze to life every time you turn the car on. It has its quirks, but I love it all the more because of them.

The motor cranks for several seconds before it finally turns over and roars to life. Even after years of driving it, that sound never fails to bring a smile to my face. I push in the clutch and slip the shifter into first, ready for the comfort of home.

Chapter 4

KILLIAN

I watch as her car comes speeding down the country road, gravel dust boiling up behind her. She pulls up to the mailbox, flips down the lid, and hits the button to open the gates to the driveway.

Normally, I wouldn’t be as brazen as I am today, but for whatever reason, this birthday just feels different. I needed to see her reaction when she opened the box and pulled the card out, even if that does mean I have to stand in the tree line across the street, looking through a pair of binoculars.

With the road being so secluded, there’s nowhere to park my car that wouldn’t jump out at her as strange, leaving me with limited options. I parked my car at the convenience store nearly three blocks from here, then walked the rest of the way, only getting as close as absolutely necessary to avoid being spotted. I hate that it has to be this way, but if this is the only way I can see her, then so be it.

Even with the binoculars, I can’t see a whole lot from this distance, but I can make out the smile when she sees the card. That simple fact alone makes all the effort worth it.

I watch as she unfolds it, quickly scanning the words, before laying it in the passenger seat with her other mail. Just before she closes the lid, she drops it, reaching back inside. The yellow of the sunflower pales in comparison to the brightness of her smile as she lifts it to her nose and inhales deeply with her eyes closed.

I sag against the tree, feeling a smile stretch across my face. For a split second, I feel truly happy. Almost like there is some good in the world after all. For just one moment, I have some hope that even the villain can have a happy ending.

As she pulls through the gates, I let the binoculars fall against my chest, held by the string around my neck. With a content sigh, I push off the tree and head for my car. Even as the raindrops begin to fall, soaking my shirt one by one, the happiness remains.

Fifteen minutes later, my key is in the door of my car. The first rumble of thunder rolls as I slip in and start the engine. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say even the gods are in upheaval at the idea of the villain finally getting the girl.

I’ve been watching Violet for years. This whole obsession had started when I moved schools. I was nine when my mother died, more or less leaving me and orphan.

Sure, my dad was still around, but he was never present. He started Grey’s Hardware when I was around four, but it was always a point of contention with my mom, seeing as he spent damn near all his time there. The first couple years nearly bankrupted us, but it finally started bringing in some income but stealing even more of his time.

When my mom died in a horrible car wreck while on her way to pick me up from school, it sent him over the edge. He spent all his time at the store or drowning his sorrows in the recliner in the den. Our already strained relationship splintered that year, and he never bothered to fix it.

The only good thing about it was moving to Oakwood Elementary.

I was halfway through my fourth-grade year when we packed up the house and moved to the next town over. Dad couldn’t handle being in that house anymore apparently. He left all of mom’s things there. Just abandoned her and started over like she never existed.

On the second day at my new school, I saw her. Her auburn hair was shining as it fell around her shoulders, framing her freckled face perfectly. I’m sure it’s cliché as fuck, but I swear it was like she was the only other person in the room. Nothing existed except for her. My Violet.

Over the next two weeks, I’d befriended a little girl who was friends with her. I wanted to get closer without being a creep. As they grew up, Vi and Abby remained thick as thieves. Through her, I learned Violet’s backstory.

From what Abby had said, she seemed to have a completely normal home life. Her dad worked in finance for a small firm in town, and her mom was able to stay at home to raise the kids. Her two brothers were both significantly older than her – one graduating high school at the end of the school year, and one was out on his own and finishing up his degree at college.

I’d also learned her birthday, and March 21st quickly became my favorite day of the year.

That was the first time I made her a birthday card. I only intended to do it that one time, but it became a tradition of sorts. Seeing her pull the card from her backpack at lunch the following day, watching the smile light up her face had done me in. I swear I fell in love with her that day.

Chapter 5

Violet

I haven’t had a date in years. I’ve been so busy between work and life that it hasn’t been possible. If I’m totally honest, it hasn’t been appealing either.

Putting in all that effort, dressing up, deciding where to go, having to answer to another human—especially a man. It just hasn’t ever been super appealing to me. I like my independence. I like being able to go wherever I want, when I want, with whoever I want. I like being able to stay home in pajamas for two straight days, stuck in some fictional land created by an author I’ll never meet, and never once being judged for it. Crazily enough, Landon came into the store earlier this week and somehow talked me into going to dinner with him. It might have taken him a couple tries over the last month, but he was persistent, even coming back with a coffee and donut from the café down the street. They may not have been my favorite, but the effort was sweet nonetheless. It had been enough for me to say yes when he asked again.

After checking the mirror one last time, making sure I actually did put on pants—it’s always been an irrational fear of mine—and slipping on my shoes, I grab the keys from the hook by the door. I give it a firm tug as I close it. The place is old, and it doesn’t always shut well. I’ve come home a handful of times to the front door standing wide open, scaring me to death. The cops got frustrated after the fourth call to check it out, so I make sure to double check it before leaving these days.

I get in my car, and with one last glance back at the glowing porch light, I pull out of the driveway, determined to make tonight one to remember.

I pull into the parking lot of the only sit-down restaurant in town and take a deep breath. Once I feel like my lungs might pop from overexpansion, I push all the air out in a big rush to expel the nerves. I’ve never been one to be nervous on a date, but tonight feels a bit different.

Leaning against my car, I smile as Landon pulls in and parks his Audi beside me. Rich fuck, my brain spouts hatefully before I can stop it.