Page 41 of Blades of Obsession

There’s a little red devil on my shoulder telling me to accept the coffee to see what he’ll do, how far he’ll go. But I won’t listen to her for now.

I look up warily at Jacob and shake my head, apologizing with a smile. “Maybe next time.”

Before I can see his reaction, Blade steps in front of me, blocking my view of him entirely. “Or maybe not. Don’t come near my girl again. And she’s not going on a stupid coffee date with you,ever.” His scent, dark and woodsy, wraps around me, grounding me in a way that shouldn’t feel as comforting as it does. And some irrational part of my brain wants to breathe it in all the time.

God, what am I thinking? Over a scent?

Am I…

No, no, no.

Jacob sucks his teeth and chuckles, the only one finding amusement in the situation. “I see you got her on a tight leash,” he mocks before turning and strolling into the night. Just before he vanishes from view, he calls out over his shoulder, “See you guys around!”

Blade turns back to me, his expression hard. “Who is he to you?”

I exhale slowly, trying to come to terms with seeing Jacob for the first time in years. “He’s… he was my friend growing up. My mom and his mom were best friends. Who is he to you?”

Blade mutters under his breath. “At this point, you might as well say my fucking enemy.” I knit my brows in confusion, and he sighs. “Look, just stay away from him.”

I frown, stepping back slightly. “Just because I said no this time doesn’t mean I won’t want to eventually catch up.”

“He’s dangerous, Amelia. You need to be careful around him. And you definitely can’t be around him alone.” His eyes darken, almost growing wild. It’s the kind of look that both terrifies and thrills me.

“Dangerous?” I let out a harsh laugh. “That’s hypocritical coming from you, acriminal! Should I be careful around you too? Someone I barely know, meanwhile he’s a friend that I’ve known for years.”

Blade’s jaw tightens, his breathing growing more shallow. But I don’t care. I’m not the one being irrational right now. “I could hurt anyone in this world except for you, remember? I can’t say the same for him, and we don’t know his intentions.”

“He wouldn’t hurt me. And why would I abandon my friend—”

He cuts me off, his voice like a crack of thunder. “Hefollowedyou! At night, creeping in the shadows. Does that sound like afuckingfriend to you? He could’ve hurt..”

The force of his words slam into me, and I flinch before I can stop myself. I’m transported back to living with my dad. All the times he yelled, cornering me until I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. Paralyzed by fear. I promised myself I wouldn’t go through that anymore, no matter what. No matter what.

My chest tightens, that familiar feeling clawing its way up my throat, and without thinking, I take a step back.

His voice crumples after seeing my reaction. “I didn’t… Amelia, please… I didn’t mean—”

But it’s too late. The flood of memories rush over me, drowning out his voice. My legs start moving before my mind can catch up, and I run. My pulse thunders as I push past him, barely registering his voice calling after me.

Tears blur my vision as I sprint down the dark path. Why am I crying? I don’t know. It justhurts, and I don’t know why.I feel so small. Like I can’t do anything right. Just like my dad made me feel.

I don’t stop running until I reach the dorm, the familiar sight of the building offering some comfort. Until I remember that Skye and I are technically still fighting. Frankie is gone to the mansion. So I have no one.

Why does everything always have to go wrong at once?

Chapter 16

Blade

I sit on the edge of a training table in the athletics room, my foot tapping anxiously against the hard surface. Fuck, I feel so torn apart right now.

According to Amelia’s schedule, she just got out of a class and has a three-hour break before another, so I sent her a text to meet me in the athletics training room.

Will she come? Who knows.

Now I’m left to pace back and forth, replaying the events from two days ago in my mind like a broken record.

As much as I wanted to rip her door off the hinges with my bare hands that night, I forced myself to give her a bit of space. Didn’t mean I wasn’t still following her, though—just keeping to the shadows, out of sight this time. But after two days, I couldn’t take it anymore.

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