Page 87 of Obsession

My heart pounded against my ribcage.

It didn’t even stop, it just drove on, and I was frozen to the spot, with a horrible feeling of déjà vu in my bones.

Maybe it was just a coincidence, because it was entirely my fault for not looking before I crossed the intersection, but I could have sworn I knew that car.

Even though it was an ordinary car, I had a feeling that it was the car that I had completely forgotten about.

A gray Range Rover, one step away from running me over again.

CHAPTER 10

_______________________________________________

SWEET JEALOUSY

__________________________________________________________

Panting, I entered the house and tried to untangle my headphones and walk faster to the kitchen where I could hold my head under cold running water. I was sweaty all over, and my clothes did not match the temperature outside at all, but that wasn’t my main concern.

I splashed my face with cold water while my brain replayed the events at the crosswalk.

If it had been any other car, I would have already forgotten, but it was that one. I hadn’t noticed the license plate back then, so I went by the make and color, but what were the odds? This time I could see the license plate, and now I knew what to look out for next time.

Next time?

God, I was about to lose my mind. Who and why would they be following me?

That reminded me of Harris and what he did after I told him I felt like I was being followed. He called Ty and asked him to find the plates. He didn’t tell me if he had found them, and I forgot about it and considered the whole thing a simple coincidence.

Even now, I wouldn’t have even come close to getting run over if I hadn’t crossed the road carelessly. It wasn’t like he was driving on the sidewalk for me.

I shook my head and tried not to get as paranoid as I had been back then. Range Rover was quite a popular brand; a lot of people drove that car; maybe that was a sign that I should never buy it.

My father entered the kitchen and managed to distract me.

We would be leaving in half an hour, and despite the tension I would experience with his family, I was excited to leave the house. Running was a great idea in so many ways, not just an attempt to regain the body I once had. I felt much better, the sickly dizziness was gone, and I didn’t feel so poisoned anymore. By the time I started using drugs, I had given up exercise completely, and this seemed to be the best medicine. From that day on, I resolved to run every day and find the nearest park.

After a quick shower, I put on the thinnest clothes I could find in my closet because it was scorching hot outside. I didn’t find any shorts, as they were all already in the laundry basket. In the back of the closet, I found a short black denim skirt that I hadn’t worn in about two years. It was either that or a pair of pants. And since we’d be lugging jars of honey and whatnot under the blazing sun, with all the risks that entailed, the skirt was the best choice.

I wore it with a simple white top and tied my hair up in a low ponytail. It was too hot for makeup, but my dark circles were pretty big, so I couldn’t resist at least trying to cover them with a little makeup, even if I only used some concealer, drew an eyeliner wing, and applied some mascara. Then I put on my everlasting sneakers, since I hadn’t brought a pair of sandals.

My father didn’t stop bugging me until I finished the food on my plate, and then we left. The stress I had felt before returned, because I had no idea how the day would go on.

Even though the event was still about two weeks away, preparations were already in full swing. It was going to be bigger than I had imagined; there weren’t just going to be a few food stalls, but a whole fair with lots of entertainment. In the middle of the square was a huge pile of metal, trucks, and dozens of workers who seemed to be assembling a Ferris-Wheel.

Above me were five people on a platform putting up a large poster between two buildings that read “My Ballard – Farmer’s Market”.

My father took my hand and pulled me behind him as I froze and stared at everything around me. It was a hive of activity, the whole place was filled with machinery and people hurrying about, stalls being set up and trees being decorated. I had passed this part of the city every day since I arrived, and now it was completely different.

A group of enthusiastic children ran past us and wrapped colorful ribbons around us.

Once again, I found myself in a place I didn’t belong; the joy around me was tiring, all these people were a community I didn’t belong to, but at least I was glad my father was pulling me towards a friendly face, one I knew.

Iolanda had her hands on her hips, shouting orders left and right and scolding some men twice her size.

When she noticed us, her face lit up and a broad smile appeared on her features.

“Well, that’s a really nice surprise on a bloody day like this.”

---