Page 84 of Shadowed Obsession

“I love you, too,” I say before the line disconnects.

35/

nice watch, run it

César

7:35 p.m. | 70 minutes before ‘the eighth incident’

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what Emiliano said, and he’s right.Pero, I’m not telling him that shit.

Deirdre needs to know who I really am in order to take me seriously and the mask has protected me, but I’m still left vulnerable whenever it comes to her. I raid the weed stash she keeps in her office to give myself a break from my anxious thoughts. This is either going to go better than I planned or be a complete disaster, but a few puffs of a joint should soften the inevitable blow.

I would’ve appreciated more time to plan a grand gesture, but she went on a date with Xavier tonight and it may be too late for the bells and whistles. It’s possible I’ve convinced myself that she doesn’t like him because that makes me feel better about my chances.

She’s let me bring her to orgasm, but that’s vastly different from dating me in public, where I can’t wear a mask. Unless we rob a bank. Though, I’d reserve a robbery for an establishedrelationship, not a first date.Orsecond, if she counts the drive-in as our first.

Now, I’m standing in the kitchen roasting a pork shoulder I’ve marinated for two days to prepare a home-cooked meal for a woman who’s going on a date with someone else tonight.Pernil y arroz con gandulescan turn any night around.

It’s too late to turn back now, and something tells me she’ll still be hungry when she leaves a chump like him at the restaurant. I don’t want her to have a bad date, but I don’t see him keeping her interest beyond a half hour.

All he does is talk about himself and ask her stupid questions. He’s probably showing her pictures of Carl, because that dog is the only thing interesting about him. The least I can do is give her something to look forward to when she gets back and a good meal.

I see Deirdre in a way no one else does, and I don’t mean what I view through her camera feeds and windows. I seeher. A flawed, anxious, overworked, and underappreciated woman desperate for success and her family’s approval.

My heart aches when I overhear her speaking negatively about herself because her family has led her to believe she isn’t worthy of taking on more responsibility.

I see how she runs that company, and it’s with pride. She is a leader who empowers her team, supports her peers, and is passionate about her craft.

She’s more than a beautiful woman with loads of generational trauma and somequestionablesexual interests. She is comfortable with hiding layers of herself for the sake of business and her image, but Deirdre is a rare sight when she has even a moment of peace.

Freedom exists behind her front door, where there are no societal pressures, competitors seeking dirt, threats on her life, or blood relatives making her feel inferior.

I hadn’t planned on doing anything stupid tonight or intimidating anyone, but I may have followed her GPS to see for myself how their date is going. I threw the pernil in the oven to keep warm and since the movie they saw should be ending soon, I planned on driving by to make sure she was enjoying herself before they continued the rest of their date. But when I spot her walking down the sidewalk, I’m taken aback by how incredible she looks in a vibrant pink dress with a matching trench hanging off her shoulders.

Her dark hair is blown out in loose, voluminous curls like a movie star, and those glossy lips are begging to be kissed. She is radiating.

Xavier is so lucky to have even a moment of her time, let alone a date. Then my eyes followhim, and my lip curls in disgust as he allows her to walk curbside.

¡Es un cabrón bien fresco, pa’ colmo!

I’m not letting you waste another minute of your precious time,I think as I prepare to do the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever done.Sorry, baby. I’ll beg for forgiveness later.

I reach into my glovebox for my balaclava and slip it over my face before grabbing my handgun, tucking it in my waistband when I step out of the truck.

I take a deep breath and do the sign of the cross over myself before following them.

I’m a good distance behind as I trail them, but to not alarm her, I do acoquíwhistle three times. She maintains her stride with him, shaking her head in disbelief when she hears me.

Good.

It’s a quiet night without a lot of people around. I couldn’t be more grateful for little to no witnesses.

This isnotwhat Emiliano meant when he said to get the girl, but I never said I was wise.

deirdre

8:45 p.m. | ‘the eight incident’

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