Page 66 of Whispers of Obsession

Within an hour, I’ve proven myself capable as a hostess, and when one of the servers cuts her hand on a broken glass and needs to leave, the manager, Shelly, begs me to step in and help out. All I have to do is take orders and deliver the food to the tables - she’ll do the drinks. I’m not sure it’s legal but I’m not about to start questioning my boss on my first day. Besides, it’s her that would get into trouble anyway if anything happened. Right?

Soon, I’m navigating my way through the tables, while carefully balancing a tray of food as I make my way to a group of customers.

“Here you go, folks,” I say with a bright smile, setting down their order. They nod appreciatively and return to their conversations. And so it repeats, with me taking and delivering orders and smiling so much my cheeks hurt.

As the lunch rush begins to wind down, I’m finally starting to hit my stride. I weave between tables with practiced ease, balancing trays of food effortlessly.

The tips are good here, and I can feel a glimmer of hope that maybe things will start looking up for me. The owner already asked me to stay on and work tonight’s shift too, so that’s a good sign, no matter how much my feet ache. He said the kitchen will feed me as well, which is a bonus.

Being a student - even on a scholarship - is hard.

“Eeeek, look at our girl! She’s doing great!” I hear an excited voice cheer as I walk back out with a tray of drink refills. I smile, immediately knowing it’s Steph and the others. I don’t dare look up at her while balancing this tray though.

As soon as I deliver the refills, I rush over to greet my friends. The brightest sense of happiness fills me as I reach them, and I can’t resist the hugs I give out.

“How’s your first shift going?” Trisha asks, and I grin.

“Really good, actually. They asked me to stay later already, and I really like the tips.” I giggle. Brandon holds our hug a little long, but I don’t really mind. He’s always been a hugger. Steph points at the menu.

“Is the food any good?” she asks, and I shrug.

“I’ve had the sprite…” I tease, making her snort. I take their orders, and get back to my job, but I check on them often, and give them their food and drinks like any other table. They end up lingering for a while, and I don’t mind one bit.

Just as I’m starting to relax into the rhythm of my job,hewalks in.

Slater.

My stepbrother who I haven’t seen since the night of his birthday, who’s ignored all of my calls and texts since, is standing at the entrance with a look of disbelief on his face. I freeze in place, my heart pounding against my rib cage.

What is he doing here?

Despite Sean saying we’d both be going to the same college, I’ve not seen Slater around campus even once. It’s like he vanished the night of his birthday, and it’s beenmonths.

My heart plummets when Slater strides over to me, his jaw clenched.

“Cora, what the hell are you doing here?” he demands in a harsh whisper, making sure none of the customers overhear.

I swallow hard, steeling myself against his accusatory tone. “I’m working, Slater,” I reply evenly, trying to keep my voice steady despite the torrent of emotions swirling inside me.

This is the first time we’ve seen each other since he practically threw me out of the house on his birthday, andthisis how he’s choosing to interact with me?

Slater’s eyes narrow as he takes in the short, tight, black skirt of my uniform and the surroundings. He looks like he’s about to explode.

I hold my breath, waiting for Slater’s next move as he stares at me in disbelief.

The tension between us crackles like electricity, threatening to ignite at any moment. I can see the conflict in his eyes, torn between his protective instincts and…something else. Something I can’t put my finger on.

“What do you mean you’re working here? You can’t be serious, Cora,” Slater hisses through gritted teeth, his fists clenched at his sides. His voice is strained, filled with a mix of anger and concern that I know all too well.

I square my shoulders, refusing to back down despite the intensity of his gaze. “I need this job, Slater. I can’t rely on Sean forever,” I reply, my voice unwavering as I meet his stare head-on.

He winces at the mention of his father. “I see,” he says tightly.

“You don’t. You don’t know anything about me or my situation, Slater. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work, it’s only my first day.”

His expression softens for a moment, a flicker of understanding crossing his features, before it’s replaced by a mask of frustration. “You know I want to help you, Cora. But this place...it’s not safe,” he says, his voice pleading now as he tries to make me see reason.

I shake my head, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “And what would you have me do, Slater? Run back to you or your father every time things get tough?” I shoot back, the words laced with years of unspoken hurt and resentment.

---