Page 71 of Corrupt Obsession

“Coach Rick called Dad and I,” Mom said.

“I’m not surprised.”

“I’m sorry, Jesse, but Isaac feels that?—”

“It’s okay, Mom.”

She sighed. “I’ll see you two at home. Can you start dinner?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks, son.”

“No problem.”

He hung up, tossed his phone in the cupholder, and rested his hand on Violet’s thigh. She didn’t push him away, which pleased him. What he felt when he pummeled Tucker was nothing compared to the red haze that engulfed him this morning when she tried to end them. The only reason he hadn’t pulled over to deal with Violet was because he knew his parents would be expecting a call from Coach Rick after he quit the team. Once that was out of the way, he would deal with Violet. They wouldn’t go home until things were set right between them.

He stroked her thigh. What he’d done was wrong, but it was hard to feel guilty when he’d come inside her, had her taste on his tongue, and she was sitting docilely beside him, letting him touch her. Right and wrong ceased to matter where she was concerned. His need to possess her trumped all else.

The days leading up to Sunday had been a dream. Violet surpassed every fantasy. He worried he would scare her with his intensity and need, but she not only matched him, at times it seemed her desires surpassed his. She eagerly jumped into every scenario he created. He couldn’t believe she was finally his. Their bodies were made for each other. They were so in tune, words weren’t necessary. Everything was perfect until that fucking phone call, which tore down the walls of the alternate realityhe constructed around Violet to insulate her from the outside world.

The stark terror on her face when Isaac nearly discovered them in the bathroom told him she wasn’t ready to come out to their parents. Between finding out that worthless bastard was in the hospital and Pastor Sonny’s sermon, he knew the progress he made had taken a major hit. Sensing her mental anguish in church, he tried to comfort her, but she rejected him.

With their parents present, he’d been forced to give her space. Discovering she had barred him from her bedroom was a nasty shock. He hadn’t slept and had no choice but to draw his own conclusions about what that meant, which she confirmed this morning on the ride to school.

A part of her was still that lonely girl, afraid of being abandoned if she let people down. Yesterday, she crumbled under the weight of their parent’s disappointment. He had never viewed her need for love and acceptance as a defect until he realized she would never choose him over their parents. That wouldn’t do.

If Mom and Dad found out, they wouldn’t excuse such blatant immorality or allow it to flourish under their roof. He suspected their parents would go so far as to separate them. He was willing to face whatever consequences came from his actions, but he had to make sure Violet would stick by him, and she wasn’t there. Not even close. She would rather break up than defy their parents.

He ignored the fire that heated his blood. They would get there. One day, Violet would love him with the same fervor that he did her. Until then, he intended to keep her as close to him as possible. He wasn’t going to let Pastor’s Sonny’s lesson about King David’s mistakes or their parent’s disapproval keep him from her. He loved her. His life revolved around her. He wouldn’t let anyone come between them.

When they pulled up to the house, he was relieved to see Dad’s truck was gone. He slipped on his backpack before going around to Violet’s door. She displayed no awareness of their surroundings or him. Her face was smudged with dirt, hair a tangled mess, and if either of their parents caught a glimpse of her, no explanation would get him out of this.

“We’re home, baby,” he said as he undid her seatbelt, shouldered her bag and tugged her into his arms.

He carried her to the house and hoped the neighbors were otherwise occupied. He headed straight for their bathroom and kicked both doors closed before he set her in the tub. He dropped their bags and caught her before she collapsed.

“We have to clean up.” He flicked a ladybug out of her hair. “Do you want me to bathe you?”

She looked right through him with eyes the color of rich moss.

He cupped her cheek. “Violet?”

No response.

“I’ll take care of you,” he said and began to strip her.

Once her clothes were in a pile, he got naked and climbed in with her. He expected her to balk when he started positioning her so he could clean her thoroughly, but she remained strangely compliant throughout. He was grateful, since he didn’t know how much time they had.

“I’m sorry I was so rough,” he said as he ran the soapy washcloth over her skin. “Are you hurt?”

She didn’t answer.

He had to shampoo her hair twice. He scrubbed every inch of her, including the bottom of her feet and between every toe. He wished he could linger. The fact that she was allowing him to care for her so intimately without shame pacified the entity inside him that had compelled him to take her so savagely. The need to reinforce their physical bonds consumed him. Heplanned to possess her as frequently as possible to maintain their connection, especially when her mind and body were at war with one another. Eventually, they would align once she stopped fighting what was between them.

Even though he’d had her multiple times, his body reacted to her nearness. He couldn’t be around her and not want her. He thought once she belonged to him that his obsession would ease, but it was worse than ever.

She stood in the back of the shower, as animated as a statue, as he quickly cleaned himself. She didn’t react to the water that dripped down her face or when he came to her. He couldn’t resist giving her a gentle kiss she didn’t return before he wrung out her hair, wrapped it in a towel, and hastily dried her.

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