Page 40 of Imprisoned Obsession

“You‘re beautiful, darling.” A hand splays hotly over my waist as heat from his thick chest breezes onto my back.

I spin around and lean on him. A small smile reaches my cheeks as his adoring amber eyes glow under the night sky.

I press a hand to his silk tie as I peer at him through my lashes. He’s very tall, and my neck hurts when I tilt my head back. But I feel like I’m missing out if I’m not looking at him.

“We mustn’t be late,” he whispers as he kisses my cheek in greeting.

I follow him down the steps of his massive estate. The heels are difficult to walk in, but Elio offers a chivalrous hand.

I’m a princess in his eyes.

I like it. I like being spoiled by his attention, and having lavish things showered on me isn’t too bad either.

Money was an issue for me before I met him. He promised that money is the last thing I should worry about. He paid off my student loans, bought a car for me, and splurged on a planned trip out of the country before he met me.

He says he just felt a need to plan that trip and doesn’t know what drove him to do it.

I know he’s lying. It sounds ridiculous when I think about it, and it was ludicrous when he said it out loud.

There could be a sliver of truth in his words. He said it with so much conviction and confidence in his eyes, believing that some things are just fated to happen. It alleviated some of my doubts.

“Where are we going?” I ask as we pass a streetlight.

It’s edging towards midnight, but cars are still on the streets. It’s never this busy at this time, everyone should be in bed by now.

Elio hums dully. “It’s a surprise.”

It sounds more ominous than he intends. I squint skeptically at him when he turns onto a new street.

There are cars lined up at the intersection. The streets are giving off vibes like Christmas lights.

When the light turns green, Elio’s car doesn’t follow the crowd, and he turns in the opposite direction.

My stomach twists, my heart staggers in vehement protest, and a sense of dread smashes my neck.

It’s a coincidence, it has to be.

There are many streets Elio could have taken, but this must be the easiest way to get to his planned surprise. He doesn’t know about the irrational distress I associate with this street. I never told him about it.

I never told him anything about the house that’s five cars down from here.

All the records of my placement in that behavior-correction program were sealed by the court. No matter how powerful Elio is, his pockets aren’t deep enough to dig into the past of a child who was kept there.

He shouldn’t know the specifics. He can’t know. He already knows I’m damaged in some ways; I don’t want him to know how far beyond repair I am.

“I’m with you, darling,” he whispers in my ear.

A startled gasp rips from my throat at his closeness. I dig my nails into my palms to distract me from the sense of alienation I feel here.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this place. The paralyzing fear is the same, yet wholly different. It’s not as strong, and I credit Elio with being a shield that protects me from the evil in that house.

“Why did you bring me here?” I ask, indignantly unnerved.

We’re five cars down from the house, but the hair on the back of my neck is standing up. My thumping heart makes me twitch nervously, and my body shrinks into itself as I bite the inside of my cheek.

I need pain, a distraction of some sort to bring down my anxiety level. That house truly messed with my head, and I’m still not on the right track to move past it.

“To see the fireworks,” he says as he takes my fingers away from my throbbing palms.

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