Page 34 of Obsessions of the Heart

Forcing myself to turn away, I tried to yank my hand out of his, but he just held on tight and yanked me back to him. “Rin?”

Shaking my head, I kept my attention off him, feeling heat rise in my cheeks, and berated myself for my stupid impulses. We were adults now. I couldn't do the things I had done when we were kids. Those people were of the past, and the two sitting in this car might as well be strangers.

“Rin, talk to me. It’s just me, Rav.”

He made it sound so easy, so effortless, to go back. To let the past eleven years go and pick up right where we had left off, but that wasn't who I was anymore. I was now in survival mode, cautious and constantly guarding myself. I needed to be that person now, or I would get lost in the Ambros brothers, and when they disappeared again, I would be left in shatters, unable to put myself back together again.

I filled myself with those thoughts as I forcibly removed his hand from mine. His face fell, and my heart weakened for a second until I steeled my resolve. “Why did you want me to lie to Elio? Why didn't you want him to know that we know each other?” I braced myself for my next question, reminding myself that I needed to know the truth more than I needed to feel good. “Are you embarrassed by how you know me? Of where I come from?”

He jerked away from the wheel to face me, swerving the car just a bit. His lips were parted in disgust and brows pinched in confusion. “What are you talking about? Why would I ever be embarrassed by you?”

Letting out a long exhale in disbelief, I stared down at my lap. “I didn't think I needed to explain it, but to put it bluntly, I'm an orphan you left behind. Now, your status in life is much… different from mine.” I kept my voice even, attempting to appear unaffected by my words, but I was mad at myself for not being strong enough to bluntly admit I was a street urchin while he was a rich prince. “While I didn't know that you would be here, I wouldn't fault you three if you saw me and didn't say anything.” Closing my eyes, I smiled at him, trying my hardest not to show any cracks.

The car jerked to a stop, with only my seatbelt saving me from flying forward. “What the—”

“How could you say that?” His low, menacing tone was something I’d never dreamed I would hear from the carefree, lovable brother I used to know. The steering wheel creaked as his knuckles turned white. “How could you think we would ever—” His voice cracked, unable to finish the sentence.

I didn't think what I’d said was that bad. In fact, I expected to hear worse if anyone in school found out about my less-than-rich beginnings, but seeing him break down like this, I felt like it was my fault. Reaching out, I rubbed his back, talking like I would to a wounded animal. “Hey, it's okay. I told you that I wouldn't blame you. It’s not something to get so upset about.” His back tensed under my hand, so I quickly added, “I’m sorry, Rav. It's my fault. Please don’t be upset.”

His face slowly turned to me, and I did a double take. My mind couldn't connect with what I was seeing. This gorgeous man looked at me with water in his red-rimmed eyes, so close to having them spill over that my guilt doubled down. He attempted to give me a small smile, but it was quite pitiful. “I… I… I don’t ever want you to feel that way. That tears my heart apart.”

I winced, feeling like I’d kicked a puppy. I leaned over, rubbing his arm in hopes of making him feel marginally better. “Okay. Okay. I understand now. I won’t think that way.”

“Ever again?” His wide tear-filled eyes caught me, and I was willing to tell him anything to get him to stop.

“Yes. Yes. Never again.” I placed my hand over my heart like we did as kids. “We good?”

His whole face transformed in an instant. His sad, tear-filled eyes were wiped away, and mischief filled them instead. His wobbly lips turned up in a salacious smile, then he licked his lips, tipping his head back with laughter.

My whole face fell. I had been duped. That little cheating shit had fucking played on my emotions and the fact that I truly did care about him. He leaned forward, his nose running along my cheek as he whispered, “We’re good, Rin. We'll always be good.”

A chill ran down my spine, and my fingers tingled. For a second, I wanted to lean into him, to tease him back, to give him a little well-earned payback, but I caught myself. Instead, I swatted at him, giving him my best mad face. “Dick. You tricked me!”

His pearly whites were on display when his finger and thumb came into view. “Only a little.” His eyes darkened for a second. “It was better than having you say that ridiculous shit.” He leaned back into his chair and muttered to himself. The few words I caught were “only you.”

Before I could ask him about it, he blurted, “So what's the deal with your necklace?”

Boy, was he perceptive. I didn’t think I touched it that much. “Before I left, I snuck into Miss Vaugh’s safe and found my file. Other than some old torn-up documents about my birth, it had this necklace.” I didn't tell him that I had felt an instant connection to this piece, like it meant something more than what it was. I just knew I couldn't let her keep what was mine.

He nodded, not saying much in response until he pointed up a dirt road with a large iron gate. “This is our place.” I looked around as the gate opened. We were coming up to a large dark, rectangular house.

As soon as he parked, Ravi reached over to unlock the door then pushed it open. His excitement burst forward as he said, “Go ahead. Take a look.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the house that seemed both intimidating and homey with the backdrop of the pine trees. The combination of textured black metal with the smooth chocolate-colored accents gave the house a masculine feel. It wasn't hard to envision three men living in a place like this.

I walked a few steps, tipping my head back since the house was as high as an airplane hangar. We’d parked in front of a small garage that was off to the side. A few bushes and trees were in the front, covering the entrance. The whole place looked fearsome and strong, but deep down, my heart kept telling me this house screamed safety. I could finally be safe in a place like this.

The slamming of a car door jolted me out of my thoughts. Ravi stood there, holding my backpack. “You forgot this.” He handed it over. “Like the house?”

“Very posh,” I answered, hoping he caught my teasing tone.

He quickly responded, “We can always tear it down and rebuild whatever you want. We could have a quaint cabin built in a few days.” His serious tone and sincere eyes had me worried for a second.

“Yeah. Right.” I laughed, patting him on the shoulders. “That's crazy. This place is beautiful.”

He shrugged. “It's just a house.”

Whirling around, I stared at him. What could he possibly mean by that? Would he really be willing to tear this house down just because of what I said? That didn't make sense. He must’ve sensed something because he maneuvered around me and opened the door.

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