Page 94 of Whispers of Obsession

I roll over and stretch, checking my phone for the time. It’s five in the morning. God knows why I’m awake, but I know that I won’t be getting back to sleep any time soon.

The apartment is shrouded in darkness, the only light filtering in through the thin curtains. I sit up in bed, my mind still foggy from sleep as I try to make sense of the events of the previous night. The memory of nearly drowning in the bath sends a shiver down my spine, and I can’t help but feel a sense of unease settle in the pit of my stomach.

With a heavy sigh, I swing my legs over the side of the bed and pad barefoot across the room to the kitchen. I flick on the light switch, the harsh fluorescent light momentarily blinding me as I blink away the remnants of sleep.

As I wait for the coffee to brew, my mind wanders back to Slater and his absence. A pang of loneliness grips my heart, and I can’t shake the feeling of longing for his comforting presence by my side. Life was so much easier when he was protecting and looking out for me. A part of me resents him for leaving me alone in such a vulnerable state last night, for not being there when I needed him most.

Then I immediately feel like a dick for thinking that way when he’s facing his own trauma and trying to just get on with his life. I can’t help it though. The more he pulls away, the more I wonder if he resents me for what I did. Heather was his aunt, after all.

The bitter aroma of coffee fills the air, grounding me in the present moment. I pour myself a steaming cup and take a seat at the small kitchen table, cradling the mug in my hands as I stare out into the empty room.

No, there’s no way Slater would resent me over her death. Heather was evil. I don’t know all of what she did, but I know I saved Slater by killing her.

It should be enough to reassure me and free me of the guilt I’m feeling, but I’m all knotted up inside still. What if he regrets kissing me before all this happened. Now that I’ve seen what Heather was doing to him, maybe he doesn’t want to be with me in that way, but he doesn’t know how to let me down. He’s always trying to do the right thing, be the good guy, so of course he’d invite me to stay with him and would hold me in his arms while I cry myself to sleep after waking from a nightmare. But that doesn’t mean he wants me to be his girlfriend.

I can’t continue like this, stuck in limbo with Slater and torn between two men who offer me different kinds of solace. One who stirs my heart with tenderness and understanding, and another who ignites a fire within me that threatens to consume everything in its way.

I need to confront my feelings and make a decision. I can’t keep floating in this limbo, torn between two worlds that offer me such different paths. With a newfound determination, I set down my coffee cup and move to the bathroom to wash and brush my teeth. I’m going to get dressed and go and find Slater.

We need to have an open and honest discussion about our relationship and where he sees it going. I don’t even think we can work. My mom wouldn’t like it, and his father…well, I’m terrified of what Sean’s reaction would be.

I head back to the bedroom to get dressed, pulling on clean underwear and leggings from my haphazardly packed bag. I’m all out of clean shirts to wear, but I’ve mostly been wearing Slater’s things around the house anyway. I open his closet and sift through the hangers, cursing when an item slips off. Bending down to retrieve it, I notice a small black drawstring bag at the back of the closet.

Curiosity piqued, I reach for the bag and pull it out. It’s surprisingly heavy in my hand, and as I loosen the drawstring, a glint of something metallic catches my eye. Peeking inside, my breath catches in my throat as I see what lies within - a gun.

My heart races as I carefully inspect the gun, feeling a wave of unease wash over me. Why would Slater, a man who values peace and harmony, have a gun hidden in his closet? My mind races with a thousand possibilities, each one more sinister than the last. Or perhaps he acquired the gun for protection, a precaution against potential threats that linger in the shadows.

As I hold the gun in my trembling hands, I can’t help but feel a sense of betrayal creeping into my heart. How well do I truly know Slater if he keeps such a dangerous secret from me? The weight of his absence in the apartment looms over me, casting yet another shadow of doubt on our relationship and everything we’ve been through together.

With a deep breath, I carefully place the gun back into the drawstring bag and return it to its hiding place in the closet. My mind is made up - I need answers, and I need them now. Slater may have his reasons for keeping this from me, but I refuse to let this revelation drive an even bigger wedge between us.

Determined to seek clarity and confront the truth head-on, I grab one of his hoodies and pull it on, then I reach for my phone and keys before heading out of the apartment. The early morning sun casts long shadows on the empty streets as I navigate my way to where Slater might be - the campus library. My heart pounds with anticipation and fear as I prepare myself for whatever revelations may come to light.

43

CORA

Slater looks up from his books as I approach, a mixture of surprise and confusion flickering in his eyes. Exhaustion is etched in every line of his face, dark circles under his eyes betraying the restless nights he’s also been suffering. Books are spread out around him on the table, and his clothes from last night are crumpled, like he finished his shift at the bar and then came straight here to spend the night pouring over his studies. A pang of guilt hits me in the chest, but I swallow it down, then I see there’s something else there in his eyes too, a guarded look that sends a chill down my spine.

“Oh, Cora, hey,” he greets me warily, setting his pen down on the table. “What are you doing here so early?”

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the confrontation that’s about to unfold. I push down the questions I want to ask about why he didn’t come home last night and instead try to focus on the reason I sought him out in the first place.

“We need to talk,” I say, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside me.

Slater’s brow furrows in concern as he leans back in his chair, studying me intently. “Is everything okay?” he asks, a note of apprehension creeping into his tone.

I hesitate for a moment, unsure of how to broach the subject of the gun hidden in his closet. But then suddenly I can't hold back any longer. “I found it,” I blurt out, my words hanging heavy in the air between us.

His eyes widened slightly, a flicker of realization crossing his features before he schooled his expression into a mask of neutrality. “Found what?” he asks innocently, though I can see the tension coiled beneath the surface. How dare he lie to me, play dumb, make me feel like I’m crazy.

“The gun, Slater,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why do you have a gun hidden in your closet?”

Slater’s gaze hardens as he meets my eyes, a thousand unspoken emotions swirling in their depths. For a moment, there’s only silence between us, then he jumps to his feet, grabs me by the arm, and drags me along the towering stacks of books.

“Keep your voice down!” he hisses.

Sure the campus library is open twenty-four seven, but it’s barely six in the morning, there’s no one around to overhear us.

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