Page 32 of The Obsession

She didn’t answer, merely turned her head so she was looking out the window. I started the car and turned on the stereo. Her favorite song came on. She glanced at me, her forehead clearing for a split second, and I smiled, hopeful. Then she scowled and punched the Power button on the stereo.

“You probably didn’t even know about Planet Green until you stalked me,” she snapped.

She turned her back on me once more. I had to laugh. That fire inside her. Unbelievable. I was so glad Detective Jackson hadn’t managed to stamp it out of her. She was still my Delilah. When we got to school, Delilah sat sullenly and watched as kids streamed into Wheeler Hall.

“You ready?” I asked.

“They’re gonna see me coming out of your car,” she said flatly.

I waited for her to continue. When it became obvious she wasn’t going to, I said, “And?”

“They’re going to think we’re together.”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

Delilah glared at me. If looks could kill, I would be flayed and chopped into at least ten different chunks before being flung to wild animals, and honestly, I could kiss her for being such a firecracker. When she finally spoke, she said the words slowly, enunciating each syllable as though I were a complete airhead. “I do not want to be in the limelight at school. Surely you can understand that, given my circumstances.”

I took her hand, ignoring the curl of her lip when our skin touched. “Our relationship will be the perfect cover. Nobody is going to be thinking of Detective Jackson.” Then, just as an incentive, I added, “Not unless you want them to.” Damn, I felt like a total asshole, bringing that up, but I had to remind her of what a huge secret I was keeping on her behalf, what a big deal it was that I’d seen what she did and loved her in spite of it. Maybe I loved her because of it as well.

She paled, her jaw tightening. “Whatever. I’m going to be late for class.”

“I’ll see you at lunch,” I said, trying not to stare at her lips, trying not to freak her out even though they were begging to be kissed.

She paused. “We don’t sit at the same table for lunch.”

I grinned. “We do now.”

I parked the car, and we headed out into the sunshine together. I walked next to her casually, the way a friend would, and I didn’t stare at her with naked adoration the way I wanted to. I walked benignly, sexlessly, and I waved bye to Delilah when we got to the lockers. Didn’t even walk her to her class,look at that self-restraint.

Then I headed to my own class and shrugged and smiled and fielded questions until the bell rang, and how could I concentrate, when the thought of Delilah was so real, so fresh?

Someone hit the back of my head with a balled-up note.

R U and Delilah a thing?

I turned around to see Josh grinning and waggling his eyebrows at me. But then I noticed how strained his smile was, and how hard he was staring at me. Josh was one of the few people who knew what happened with Sophie, how into her I was. He’d called it “an obsession,” and he was the only student who knew about my suicide attempt after Sophie died. Everyone else thought I’d just gotten really sick and had to take some time off, but Josh knew. He was the one who found me in the glade, after I took all those pills.

And now here he was, good old Josh, worrying about me again. I gave him the world’s most casual shrug and turned back to face the board. After class, I launched into a discussion about the lesson, hoping that would distract him, and it did, for a while. But when I paused for breath, Josh said, “So, about Delilah…”

“Yeah?” I said casually.

“Um, are you guys a thing?”

I shrugged. “Sort of.”

“Cool, cool.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Only, um, I didn’t want to mention it before because it—I don’t know—seemed a bit weird or whatever, but she kind of really looks like Sophie.”

“Really? I haven’t noticed.” I put on an expression of blank curiosity.

Josh frowned. “Okay.” He didn’t look entirely convinced, but luckily he had to rush off to geography, so I was spared the rest of his concerned speech.

When the bell finally rang for lunch, I stood outside Delilah’s class waiting for her. I spotted her as soon as she came out, even with her head tucked down. Seeing her sent a burst of joy rushing through my chest. Not so for Delilah; her face soured when she saw me. I tried not to let it bother me. She’d come around. I fell easily into step next to her.

“How was class?” I asked.

She gave me a look.

“I am genuinely interested in how your day went.”

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