Page 23 of Imprisoned Obsession

“Yo,” the same girl chirps as the class gets dismissed. “The health center is open until six. You should check out that headache of yours.”

I blink questioningly at her. A tic strikes my eyelid, and a heavy throb bounces on my temple. I rub the skin and close my eyes, slowly counting down as the girl leaves with the expectation that she will see me on Monday.

I scramble to shove my belongings into the backpack. Pulling the straps over my arms, the weight strains one shoulder as I hurry down the carpeted stairs.

“Willa?” the teaching assistant calls. “Are you okay? You haven’t been to the discussion groups this week.”

I’ve gone to see her a couple of times to understand the material better, but we’re not remotely close to being friends.

She’s nice, and that’s the thing I need to remember. Not everyone is out to get me.

“I’ve been sick,” I manage to lie.

“Do you have a moment? I can help you go through this week’s material,” she offers as she looks over my shoulder to the clock.

She adds, “I’m free for the next two hours. I know you’re a good student, and I don’t want you to fall behind.”

I want to stay for this kind of normalcy. I’m sad the day is over. My nerves are starting to get restless again, as if they know the impending uncertainty I have in my heart.

“I—”

A chill runs down my spine. Horripilation scorches my relaxed composure, and crawling shivers return to me like an old friend. My nose itches as the quivering of my lips intensify. I pull the strap closer to my neck and force the coarseness to dig into my soft skin.

“I’ve come to retrieve you, darling.”

Retrieve. It’s such a mockery.

I’m ashamed to meet the TA’s intrigued eyes. I want the courage to hold my chin up and face Elio as an equal, but I don’t think I can ever achieve it.

He frightens me in a way that is no longer physical terror.

Elio holds out a hand with a gentle smile, compelling me to take it. The façade goes over the teaching assistant's head as she swoons at his daunting charisma.

One look at his glaring eyes abolishes thoughts of defiance. I take his big hand and let the thick fingers dominate mine as I flex the constricted joints.

He steers me through the crowd of students in the hall. They whisper with envy and glare with jealousy, but I feel a bewildering sense of possessive pride.

“Do you need to stay longer?” he asks as he pulls me to his side.

His burly arm circles my waist, securing me to him while splaying his strong fingers on my hip. I bend the strap on my shoulder and shake my head.

Elio hums. “I have finished my work for the day.”

I don’t like the sound of it. It’s not the context, but the way he said it. A foul pinch nudges my gut, hushing the paranoia in my head as he guides me away from the guest parking lot.

“Where are you taking me?” I mumble as I duck my head to avoid the judging stares.

Why does he have to be built like a tank?

“I recently came across something you might be interested in,” he says proudly.

I glance up. “Recently?”

His lips stretch beautifully as he urges me to walk faster.

I don’t believe his discovery of something interesting near campus is anything but deliberate. I wholeheartedly believe he went out of his way to scout the campus or did extensive online research to find this pottery shop tucked away on a small one-way street.

I have never walked down this path. The shops don’t fit the tastes of most students, but a couple of them have wandered inside.

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