Page 52 of Obsession

“I don’t know, Harris. Like I said, I’ve only known you for two days, a few hours really, and I’ve had enough already.”

He pursed his lips as if he was frustrated that I would believe him capable of doing such a thing. “OK, so be it. What exactly … didIdo in the store?”

I crossed my arms and turned to look out the window. “I’m done playing this stupid game with you.”

“At least tell me the make of the car, please.”

His soft tone annoyed me even more because I was beginning to think he was being honest. But if he was telling the truth, that meant I was either paranoid or in danger.

“A gray Range Rover. I couldn’t see the license plate.”

He pulled out his phone and called someone.

“Ty, can you crack the store’s security system and check the surveillance footage?” My eyes widened, but he stopped looking at me. “Yeah, look for a gray Range Rover that left right before I called Katherine. He drove close to her and spooked her, that should be easy to spot…. also look in the store for a guy with a leather jacket, built like me, who got into that car…. I’ll explain later, just get me the license plate of that car.”

He hung up and turned towards me.

“Harris, what the hell was that?”

He didn’t have time to answer because the car came to a stop in front of my house. I didn’t even know how we’d got there so quickly. The rain was beating down hard on the windshield and it felt like torture to get out of the car, but I had to get away from him.

“Even if I had played such a sick prank, I would have no reason to deny it now. Yesterday was a childish game. It was stupid of me to scare you like that, but I would never do it again, especially not in this way. I have no desire to scare you and push you away, believe me.”

I lost myself in his dark gaze as my heart beat an abnormal rhythm in my chest.

“Why?” I barely whispered.

He smiled softly and stroked my cheek. “I don’t know yet, but there’s something about you that I’m starting to like. I’m curious and I want to get to know you, not push you away with antics like that. I promise I’ll find out who that idiot was.”

I didn’t doubt it, but I wondered if maybe I was exaggerating and getting an innocent person into trouble. I licked my lips, studying him, and it didn’t surprise me when his eyes fell on my mouth.

Maybe he was right, maybe I was paranoid, and I’d been driven crazy by this town and… him. I wasn’t really being followed, the guy always seemed to be in front of me somehow, and he didn’t even try to make contact. And the thing in the parking lot, maybe he was just in a hurry and didn’t have time to back the car up. I would go crazy if I started seeing Harris in every guy dressed in black.

I sighed and shook my head. “All right, maybe I made it up. We didn’t meet in a pleasant way, so I’m probably paranoid when it comes to you.”

He sighed and nodded, somehow leaning even closer to me. My eyes drifted to the front of the house to see that my dad’s car still wasn’t there, and even if he had been home, the tinted windows and rain wouldn’t have allowed him to see us. Just like outside, a storm was raging inside me, lightning electrifying my hormones, and I couldn’t believe I’d let him so close so quickly after he’d driven me so wild.

He was so close, his words brushed across my lips. “It smells like chocolate in here.”

I giggled in response, and he smiled in a way that made me weak in the knees.

“I was on a candy hunt,” I said, pointing to the bags at my feet, which made his smile widen even more.

“Would you be willing to share them with someone who hasn’t eaten sweets since childhood?” I stifled the laughter that threatened to escape me so as not to fall into the trap his words set, but it was so hard when he looked at me like that.

“I never share my candy.”

I burst out laughing as I saw the puppy eyes and pout play on his face as they were so out of place on him.

When he moved closer again, I really thought he was going to kiss me, but he just pushed away a strand of wet hair that was stuck to my forehead.

“Today was crazy. I’ll leave you alone with your cookies and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I didn’t think you’d give up so quickly,” I giggled again, relieved.

He didn’t laugh though, his eyes seemed mesmerized by me. “If I stay, I might not be able to refrain.”

“From eating my cookies?”

---