Page 58 of Blades of Obsession

“I want my soul back. John took it. So I’m taking yours.”

At the mention of John’s name, his eyes widen in shock. “John? The little boy Noah…” His grip weakens, and his entire body trembles as uncontrollable sobs wrack through him. “Por favor perdóname por mis pecados.”

A cold sweat clings to my skin as I jolt awake, the remnants of the nightmare still flickering behind my eyes. I’ll never forget his name. Alejandro. My first kill.

This is the first nightmare I’ve had about him since Amelia. For an entire year, his face haunted me every waking moment, a relentless presence that I couldn’t escape. I tried everything. The first few months were the worst—I was plagued by nightmaresevery. single. night. Insomnia snaked its way into my life and took control of it, my longest stretch without sleep was a grueling four days.

But the first time I saw Amelia, across the dining hall, everything just… felt okay. A feeling that was strange and foreign and unfamiliar for so long. By that time, I didn’t even know it was possible anymore to just feel… content. At peace.

She looked like an angel.Myguardian angel sent to earth to make everything better. And she has made everything better. I don’t feel like I’m drowning in my own darkness anymore when she’s around.

The sensation of fingers trailing along my back snaps me back to reality. I turn my body around, expecting to be greeted by her wild bed hair, but instead, Rhys is standing on her side of the bed.

Why the hell was he watching me sleep?

And where’s Amelia? Did she… leave? Her spot on the bed is empty, and it looks like it has been for a little while. I need to set something up so I know when she gets up. I’ll have to ask Asher about it.

Rhys’s face lights up as his touch goes further down—too far down—lingering on my hard-on. Fuck, I don’t mean to be hard, but I was thinking about Amelia and it’s morning wood.

In a flash, I reach out and grab his hand, digging my nails into his flesh and yanking his touch away.

“What thefuckdo you think you’re doing?” The words, rough and steady, come from deep within my throat.

“C’mon, we haven’t played around sinceshecame into the picture.”

“Yeah, that’s the fucking point, Rhys.” I release his hand, but as soon as I do, he lunges to grab me again. This time, I’m ready. I catch his wrist mid-air, twisting it sharply. I bend his hand back at a painful angle, and I know it hurts because his face scrunches together in agony. “Stop touching me.”

“Ah, shit!” He winces as I let go, clutching his hand at his side and rubbing it with the other. “You still fucked me when you were with that other bitch,” he says.

“Those were just flings. That’s the difference. And you’re the one acting like a bitch right now.”

“Yeah, well, this new bi—”

“Finish the word. Call her a bitch. I fucking dare you.” My right hand clenches, just itching to punch him in the face. I should punch him anyway for touching me.

“You are acting way too pressed over her.”

“As opposed to what? Being pressed over you? Because that wouldn’t happen even if Amelia never came into my life.”

“Then why did you make me believe—”

“I didn’t make you believe shit.” I get up from the bed, keeping the cover over my waist, and walk to the dresser for clothes. “In fact, I was only fucking you so I wouldn’t have to deal with someone clingy and catching feelings. Guess that plan backfired.” I head towards the bathroom to change.

“But, you said…” He sighs.

“You’re starting to piss me off. Where is she?”

“Downstairs,” he mumbles before stomping out of the room.

After a quick shower, I haul down the stairs. The place is littered with beer cans and trash from some kind of party they had last night.

When I don’t find her in the living room, I peek into the kitchen and find her cooking breakfast.

What the fuck?

“Someone get in front of me in the next three seconds,” I bark, storming back into the living room. A guy on the couch scrambles over. “Why is Amelia cooking? Why didn’t one of these useless sluts lying around do it for her? I told you guys, if she comes downstairs looking hungry, offer to make hersomething. It’s not that hard. You wanna know how I know it’s not hard? Because I cook for her almost every fucking day!”

“Braden’s girlfriend did offer her. She said she was gluten-free, and Grace didn’t know how to handle that.”

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