Page 33 of Come to Head

Yara’s warnings came to mind, how Oliver had always been too close, too much. Too everything. How the way he acted wasn’t normal.

Thinking back with a fresh set of eyes, I could finally see it.

Every coincidence, every happenstance, every time I felt eyes on the back of my head.

Oliver had already admitted as much, they all had. That they had been watching me,protecting me.

Is it bad that it makes me want them even more?

What did that say about me exactly?

I could joke that I really needed therapy, but I had a strong sense to realize that no amount of spewing my deepest pains to a stranger would help this.

I was obsessed with these men. Hyper-fixated.

I wanted their attention, it brought me to life, it sucked away every mean word a stranger had placed into my mind before.

Emilio’s confidence—it built up my own.

Maddox’s calm—it soothed my soul.

Oliver’s control—it kept me in check.

They were re-writing my brain chemistry in a way that most certainly wasn’t healthy, but I fucking needed it.

Iwantedit. Iwantedtheir attention.

The good, the bad, thestalkerish.

After all, if it weren’t for their obsessive manner I would have fallen victim to Sebastian, not once buttwice.

The name brought me out of my thoughts entirely.

Enough of that.

Shutting off the shower, I wrapped myself in a towel before going into the bedroom.

All three men were off on errands.

Emilio for hisfamily.

Maddox for me.

Oliver for my company.

We had employees that had been calling Oliver incessantly, concerned by his sudden lack of appearance.

I was able to run most of what was needed from afar, but sooner or later, we would have to return home.

And then what?

My phone vibrated against the wooden nightstand just as I pulled my clothes on, I went to put back on my wedding band but paused mid reach.

“Yara?” I asked hesitantly. It was another unsaved number but not the same one from before. I wouldn’t normally answer it except I hadn’t heard from her in aweek,and I was beginning to worry.

“No, it’s your mother. Or have you forgotten entirely about the woman that broke her body to give birth to you?”

Mother.

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