Page 8 of To Obsess

With that, I stopped the engine, left the car parked in front of her gate and hiked up her driveway, each step only heightening the fury flowing freely in my veins again. She was too good for him, whether she could see that or not. And fuck Abby for trying to hook them up. I was always a fan of hers, but this might change the tide.

I’d left it and the sunflower I plucked from a vase in my entryway on the little wicker table beside her front door, then turned and left without so much as a second glance.

I all but ran back down the driveway, a little panicked now that the adrenaline had begun to wear off. So much for having a plan. That little act of impulsivity could have cost me everything. Luckily, I’d made it down the driveway, slipped around the gate, and started my car without incident.

As I pulled away, I glanced up into the rearview mirror to make sure no one was coming, then pulled out onto the gravel road again. In the distance, I could make out a pair of headlights, but they were too far to be distinct. I sped off without any lights turned on before the approaching car had a chance to see me.

Chapter 9

Violet

I smile at the message, screenshotting it to send to Abby with a smiley face emoji. Gunnar texted me after that night out at the bar, and we’ve been talking off and on for the last two months or so. I truly do want to go out with him, honestly, but I’m still so hung up over Landon. The thought of going out with someone again causes me to break out in a cold sweat.

He’s been a perfect gentleman the entire time we’ve been talking, even on the few occasions I’ve seen him at the bar with Abby, but something still holds me back.

I type out a message, agreeing to a date over and over again, only to erase it and lock the screen again in the end.

A small voice in my head screams at me, reminding me that even a fantastic guy isn’t going to wait around forever for a girl who can’t make up her mind. I explained my hesitation to him about a month into talking, but I’m sure he still thinks I’m being flaky and indecisive. He said as much last week, actually. ‘That’s just how women are, love,’ were his exact words. Cue the eyeroll of the century.

Okay, so maybe not the perfect gentleman, but pretty damn close.

Dragging my phone from my pocket to type out a message yet again, I finally hit send and lock the screen, placing it under the register so I can actually get some work done today. The bookstore has been busier than usual, the warm spring weather bringing people out in droves.

“What are you doing for your birthday this year, babe?” Abby asks as she flips through the clearance rack at Walmart. No matter how much I protested, she refused to give in and dragged me out with her this evening for a bit of shopping.

“I don’t really have any plans,” I say, looking through the rack beside her. “Maybe I’ll order some takeout and find a spicy book to devour. I took the day off work, so I could probably get through a short book in one day.”

Abby rolls her eyes before the smirk overtakes her face. “We should do something fun, especially since it’s your last twenties birthday.”

“Good food and a good book is my idea of something fun,” I retort, ignoring the eye roll. She’s always been one for the more dramatic side of life. I don’t mind, though. Life would be boring without her.

“That’s all well and good, but how about we do something before that? We could go to that tattoo place you’ve been wanting to try out.” She shrugs, as if she doesn’t know if I would like the idea or not.

“My birthday is next week, Abby. I doubt they’ll have any openings that quick,” I say, more than a little disappointed that I didn’t think of that myself. The place opened up two years ago, but I haven’t really had the extra cash to blow on another tattoo lately.

The grin that devours her face is nothing short of devious, especially paired with the twinkle in her eye. “You leave that to me, boo,” she says with a wink. It’s my turn to roll my eyes this time.

“Well, I’ll be down for it if you can pull some magical strings and get us an appointment between now and then.” Even as the words leave my mouth, I have very little faith in her ability to make this one happen.

“I’ll find something else if that doesn’t work. This birthday is a big deal, and I’m not letting you spend it by yourself, even if you swear that’s what you want.” She slings her arm around my shoulder, tucking me against her side for a half-hug.

We spend the next several hours hitting every thrift store within an hour of home, finding nothing but a bunch of junk that really should have been thrown away, but it’s a blast nonetheless. Since we graduated high school and had to grow up and do all the boring adult things, we hardly ever get time like this together.

By the time I’m pulling into the driveway, my feet are aching and begging to be free from my shoes, but the smile on my face refuses to fade. Today was exactly what I needed.

Chapter 10

KILLIAN

Her birthday is quickly approaching—tomorrow to be exact. And I have no fucking clue what to do.

It’s her twenty-ninth birthday. It should be special. Of course, they should all be special, and I do my best, but there’s something different about this one. It’s the end of one era and the dawn of another.

I made the card two hours ago and stared at the blocky letters on the front for way longer than I’m willing to admit before deciding it would work. The inside… now, that’s where I’m having some trouble.

I’ve been dedicated to this woman for two decades now, and I’d bet a solid paycheck that she doesn’t even know who I am. If I ran into her on the street, we’d pass by without so much as an acknowledgement of the past.

Hell, I know it’s true because I’ve been in the bookstore on several occasions, even talked to her at the register, and she didn’t so much as hint at knowing who I am. For a while, that experience got under my skin. It took a few weeks to move past it, but it’s water under the bridge now.