Page 52 of Obsessed

“Is this the pan you were looking for?” Suzie butted in, flushed with new-day jitters but also smiling more broadly now that John wasn’t around.

“Not that one, the handle gets too hot. I don’t wanna burn myself,” Kate declared, trading it out for another that looked practically the same.

Bryce scurried out of the corner, avoiding both of them, but Rain still glared at his back, wondering if he’d been spying on them when a strange noise filtered into the kitchen.

Was that distant screaming? And why did it sound familiar?

Cold sweat broke out across Rain’s skin and his stomach twisted, his subconscious telling him things were wrong even though he couldn’t pinpoint how, and he jumped as Dylan burst into the kitchen, his head on a swivel until he locked eyes with Rain.

“Thank fuck you’re here. You gotta come with me, dude.” He beckoned Rain over.

“W-What’s going on?” The kitchen went silent again. Wiping her hands on a towel, Emma rushed to Rain’s side, Kate right behind her.

Glancing at everyone, Dylan bit his lip and then jerked his head to the corner, where they congregated in a huddle. Taking a breath, Dylan gave Rain a sorrowful look and said four words that brought his nightmares to life.

“Your parents are here.” Even though his voice was hushed it rang like a gong in Rain’s mind. “They’re pissed and causin’ a ruckus.”

Mortified, Rain started to shake, his fight or flight duking it out. Sure, his mother had threatened to show up to his workplace but he’d given her the wrong name. Had she gone to The Evergreen Club first? Had she been hitting all the catering halls in the area until she got the right one?

Wait. Dylan saidparents. That meant she wasn’t alone. Was Gage here too?

All the peace he’d been working so hard for dissolved as he sank in the quicksand of his cluttering mind, barely hearing the conversation around him.

“Hun, do you want to go out the back? We can get rid of them for you.” Emma’s voice felt like it was far away. He needed to hide his expression or they’d know everything - how his mother had abused him, how she’d let others abuse him, why he had to live with Mason, and maybe even his stint in the storage room.

And they’d judge. He wouldn’t be a budding competent adult anymore, he’d be the sum of his past, and he didn’t want their pity. He had his own strength.

Maybe it was time he used it.

“Where’s Marci?” Kate asked as the distant yelling got louder, everyone in the kitchen staring at either the door or Rain’s group in the corner.

“Running the ceremony out back. She can’t leave.” Wiping his forehead, Dylan sighed.

“Can Owen cover for her?” Emma stood in front of Rain as Dylan shook his head. “Where are Ollie and Finn?”

“Handling Rain’s parents in the foyer,” and by Dylan’s expression it wasn’t going well.

That last sentence made everything sharp, real, and Rain held back a wave of nausea. Not only were his mother and Gage ruining Rain’s job, but they were about to terrorize a wedding, and if they didn’t get what they wanted, they might try this again, catching more innocent people in the crossfire.

He had to put a stop to this. Now.

“I’ll handle it.” Rain didn’t realize he’d spoken until the other three stilled, staring at him in shock.

Clearing his throat, he said it again, for good measure.

“I’ll deal with them.” Before he could change his mind, he left, hearing his mother’s shrieking voice as soon as he walked into the hallway, and he shivered down to his core. Gritting his teeth, he took one jerky step after another.

“Get Mason!” Emma barked before she appeared next to him, Kate catching up to them.

“Don’t worry, hun.” Emma patted his back. “You have us and everyone else in this building, okay?”

Realizing once again that the people he worked with were his actual family, not the trash that showed up to punish him for having boundaries, Rain grasped onto Emma’s strength. This time he wouldn’t fold to his mother’s tantrum. He’d set a precedent that her cries would never be answered by him again, and while this was frightening, he felt bolstered by his new family.

Pushing forward, Rain patted the pocket where his pepper spray was hidden. He probably wouldn’t have to use it but it made him feel secure, especially as he turned a corner and emerged into chaos.

A few servers lingered in the foyer for close-up seats but the rest were hiding in the main room, watching Ollie and Finn face off against Rain’s mother and Gage. A few feet away, Liam texted furiously, worry across his face.

“I want to see my Rainy!” His mother’s voice echoed through the hall. “I know he works here. I’ve seen you before!” She pointed a finger at Ollie.

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