Page 27 of Echoes of Obsession

Amara

This past week has been a whirlwind of confusion. After the sleepover last weekend, Zoe has been asking to go back again this coming Friday. But I don’t have any control over the court’s ruling, and she has to go with her father.

I have full custody over her, but her father has her every other weekend.

“I don’t want to go,”she signs.

“I know, Zoe, but I don’t have any other choice but to send you.”

“Please, mommy? Can’t I stay home with you?”

Tears of frustration sting my eyes. It’s not directed towards my daughter but at the situation.

“Why don’t you want to go?” I ask her, making sure to speak and sign at the same time. Her lip reading is getting pretty good, but I always make sure to speak so she can get practice in. “You love going to your dads. He has that new kitty, remember?”

“I just don’t wanna go,”she says.

“I’m sorry, Zoe. You have to go.”

If I could keep her away from that bastard for the rest of her life, I would. But I risk getting thrown in jail if I don’t let him take her. Or worse, I risk losing custody.

“Go get your things,” I tell her. “He’ll be here in five minutes.”

Lowering her head, she heads towards her room.

Needing a distraction, I pull out my phone and read the message that Ghost sent this morning.

I’ll be there to pick you up at six. Dress comfortably.

Ghost has sent me a message at least twice every single day since we left last Saturday. One first thing in the morning and one right before I went to bed. Most days, he even threw in another text in the middle of the day.

He’s told me all week long that he plans to take me to dinner on Friday. At first, he offered Sophie and Venom to watch Zoe for me, but I explained that she had to go to her father’s for the weekend, so it wasn’t necessary.

I’m really confused about what Ghost wants from me. He acts like he’s interested in me, but I just know that I’m reading that wrong. I’m fat, and he’s built like a god. There’s no way he’s interested in me more than a casual friend.

Maybe he just feels sorry for me. I mean, he wouldn’t be the first person who wanted to be my friend because they simply thought I was a loser with no friends.

I mean, I really don’t have any friends other than Susan. I lost them all years ago. It’s not easy being my friend when I can’t go out all that much. I get it, but it does get lonely. Susan moved hours away a couple of years ago, so I don’t even get to spend time with the one friend I still have.

Which is why I’ll never forget this past weekend. We had a great time, and I loved hanging out with other adults. We didn’t see much of Ghost, but I knew he was in the building the entire time.

I felt like a schoolgirl knowing her crush was in the next room. Then, throughout the week, when each new text came through, my heart would race with anticipation to see what he would say next. Most of the time, he would ask simple questions. Like what my favorite color is or what foods I don’t like. Then, I would ask him the same questions in turn. The messages weren’t ever long, and we didn’t talk back and forth for more than a messageor two, but I’ve really enjoyed getting to know a little about the hottest man in existence. Even if it is out of pity on his part.

A knock on the door has me coming back to reality. My ex stands expectedly on the other side as I open the door.

“Zoe, let’s go,” he shouts in greeting.

“She’s deaf, Ray,” I remind him. “She can’t hear you.”

“Then go get her,” he sneers. “She should have already been ready.”

I don’t understand why he fights so hard to see Zoe when he clearly doesn’t want her. Is it out of spite?

When I reach Zoe’s room, she’s lying on her bed with her tablet. I flick the lights on and off to grab her attention.

“Your dad’s here,” I tell her when she looks up.

I look back to make sure he isn’t near before I sign what I say next. I don’t speak out loud because I don’t want him to hear.

---