Page 9 of Whispers of Obsession

“It sounds like you’re trying to say you’ve been stalking me for a while,” I snap, really hating whatever game this is supposed to be.

“It’s more like I’ve been keeping an eye on you. Less stalking.” His words surprise me, and I just stare at him.

“I don’t know what to say to that,” I admit, and he shrugs once again.

“Nothing to be said, Cora. I just got tired of sitting back and watching.”

“Well, I don’t want you back in my life,” I insist, even though that feels like a lie as I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him.

“I didn’t ask what you wanted,” he replies with a sinister grin.

With that, Slater walks away back to his friends, and I’m left more confused than ever.

7

MM

She sent him a video.

I never expected that.

It was easy enough to get my hands on his phone. Even easier to hack it – the passcode was Cora’s birthday, for Christ’s sake – but I wasn’t prepared for what I would find on his phone.

Cora.

So many photos of my Cora. Many taken without her knowledge, without her consent. And then of course, the ones she sent him. Willingly.

Dirty girl.

Her deviance pleases me, but the monster within me rages that she’s showing what’s mine to every Tom, Dick and Victor that’s out there.

No, this won’t do at all. I need to remind her who she belongs to…

8

CORA

“Happy birthday!” My mom bursts through the door of my room the following Saturday, scaring me awake.

“Jeez Mom!” I yelp, as I sit up in bed. She’s got balloons and a card, with a large bouquet of flowers, and I smile. “Aww, Mom, you didn’t have to do all this!”

I take the flowers gratefully as she sets the card down on the bed beside me and my balloon bouquet on the ground.

“Of course I did. I’m so excited about this new chapter in your life, Cora. You’re officially an adult!” Her words catch me up. She’s right. I’m an adult now.

Just two weeks ago I had been so excited to turn eighteen, hoping it would bring me and Victor closer, but after I left the mall last Saturday, I finally texted him back.

First he apologized, and then he begged me for more videos. He begged me all week long, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it again. I ignored him as much as I could without being rude.

Something snapped into place in my brain in the back of his car. Like a warning bell finally went off, and I realized that, as much as I liked him, maybe his interest in me is a bit…weird.

I was seventeen, still in high school, and it wasn’t even legal for us to date. What could he really want from me? Nothing real. Not if he was begging me for pictures and videos. I don’t think he even knows today is my birthday.

I shove the dark thoughts away and head to the kitchen with Mom. She makes me chocolate chip pancakes every year for my birthday breakfast, and I am excited about their delicious goodness today.

“So, Cora, what would you like to do today?” my mom asks, putting a massive stack of pancakes on the table between us. She takes her seat, passes me a plate, and loads a couple onto her own dish, before starting.

My mom’s pancakes are the best. We don’t often have extravagant treats like this, but that just makes me appreciate it all the more when we do.

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