Page 56 of Killer's Obsession
“I don’t know,” I murmur, suddenly feeling bone tired. “I just don’t know anything anymore.”
“What are you going to do?” Jade asks gently.
“I don’t know that either.” I reach for the wine again, taking a smaller sip this time. “I needed space to think. To process all of this shit.”
“Well, you can stay here for as long as you want.”
I turn back to her, genuinely grateful for her generosity. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Be sleeping on the street,” she teases, nudging my shoulder with hers.
Despite everything, I find myself smiling a little. It’s then that I notice she is dressed up more than usual—black skinny jeans that look painted on, a low-cut purple top that shows off her tattoos, and more makeup than she typically wears.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” I ask, starting to stand up. God, I’m such a bitch for barging in on her like this without so much as a phone call first.
“Actually,” Jade says with a big smile, “I’ve got a hot date with the mechanic who worked on my car last week.”
As if on cue, there’s a knock at the door.
“That should be him now,” she says, bouncing up from the couch.
I stand up too, grabbing my bag. “I should go. I didn’t mean to ruin your night?—”
“Girl, please. Don’t be ridiculous,” Jade cuts me off. “You’re staying in the spare room. Make yourself at home. There are clean towels in the hall closet if you want to shower.”
Before I can protest further, she’s opening the door, revealing one of the hottest men I’ve ever seen standing in the hallway. He’s tall—not as tall as Killer, but who is?—with broad shoulders stretching his vintage Metallica t-shirt. His jeans are worn in all the right places, and his arms are covered in colorful tattoos that disappear under his sleeves. His dark hair is styled in an undercut, and he has the kind of jawline that could cut glass. Did I mention he’s hot? Wow!
“Memphis, this is Axel,” Jade introduces us with a sly smile. “Axel, my friend Memphis.”
He gives me a nod and a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” I manage, suddenly conscious of how I must look with my puffy eyes and tear-stained face.
“We’re going to head out,” Jade says, grabbing her purse from a hook by the door. “Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Mi casa es su casa and all that jazz.”
“Have fun,” I tell her, genuinely meaning it. At least one of us should have a good night.
Once they’re gone, I find myself standing alone in Jade’s apartment, surrounded by the deafening silence of my own thoughts. I grab the wine bottle and the box of crackers, thenmake my way to the spare room. It’s small but cozy, with a twin bed covered in a black comforter with little silver stars on it.
I set the wine on the nightstand and flop down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. My mind keeps replaying the look on Killer’s face when I walked out. The pain in his eyes. The way he said “I love you” for the first time, in the worst possible moment.
Reaching out, I snag the bottle from the table and take another swig. I can’t stop wondering if he’s doing any better than I am right now. Despite him screwing up majorly, I know he cares about me. That’s not in question. But caring about someone and respecting them enough to tell them the truth, to let them make their own choices—that’s something else entirely.
I think back on the bombs he dropped. My own father traded me like I was nothing more than collateral. A bargaining chip. Less valuable to him than his gambling debts.
Hot tears spill down my cheeks again, and I don’t bother wiping them away. What’s the point? They just keep coming.
I curl onto my side, clutching a pillow to my chest. The wine is making my head fuzzy, but it can’t touch the ache in my heart. I’m so tired of hurting. So tired of having the people I thought I could trust betray me.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to see Killer’s name on the screen.
Killer: I know you need space. I’m trying to respect that. Just please let me know you’re safe.
I stare at the message, my thumbs hovering over the keyboard. Part of me wants to ignore him, to let him suffer like I’msuffering. But I’m not cruel, and whatever he’s done, I know he’s hurting too.
I’m safe. At Jade’s.
I send the message, then turn off my phone completely. I can’t deal with talking to him tonight.
