Page 34 of Obsession

I whimpered as the stinging on my skin intensified. I knew they were withdrawal symptoms, but I didn’t give in to the itching because I wasn’t going to start scratching like a madwoman. Three months had passed since my last dose, so why were the symptoms starting so late?

“Which way?”

“Mostly needle.”

He sighed.

“Have you been to rehab?”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

“Almost two months.”

“So, you were pretty intense…”

I nodded.

“I had an UROD done,” I admitted, and he looked down at me.

“You know that shit is very dangerous, right?” it almost sounded like a judgment.

“Yeah, but I wanted to get it over with,” I pouted like a kid who’s had enough interrogation for one day.

“How’s that going for you?” he whispered more to himself, and I decided to shut up. I had no energy left to argue.

I was struggling to keep my eyes open because it was dark in the car, even though it was light outside. With this guy, everything was black except for the green ambient lights on the dashboard. He had screens, timers, levers, and buttons everywhere that didn’t seem to have been part of the original model.

“You’ll be fine, I promise,” he whispered into my hair, but I was so far removed from reality that I wasn’t sure if he’d really said that or if I was imagining it.

I was tempted to ask again where we were going, but I was at the end of my tether.

If someone had told me yesterday that I would be in that car with him so soon, I would have committed them to a mental institution.

I wasn’t paying attention to the road; I was concentrating on the arm he had wrapped so tightly around me, and on my arms – arms that seemed to be desperately trying to pull him closer. His strong masculine scent played tricks on me and confused my senses even more.

I was beginning to feel embarrassed by my constant shaking, and I would have preferred it if he had not seen me like this.

I felt the car come to a stop and heard the engine roll back to sleep with a short roar.

Harris’ hand left my body as he opened his door and got out of the car. I was left alone in the darkness for a few seconds before my door opened and those warm arms scooped me up, carrying me outside. As soon as the air entered my lungs, I collapsed. I felt my airways burn all the way into my chest, my head swayed heavily, and my vision blurred until all I could see was black.

The last thing I felt were those arms wrapped around me and a desperate voice calling my name.

The quote from yesterday crept into my brain.

I had fallen so quickly.

I had yet to figure out if it was just the literal fall, or if it would happen figuratively as well.

CHAPTER 5

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FLAMING TOUCHES

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