Page 10 of Brutal Obsession

After I was arrested, a local news outlet picked up the story. They smeared my name across the state, and the effect on my life was immediate.

The Brickell hockey coach called and said I was off the team.Bad publicity.Even though the article was only live for a few days, the damage was done.

Then the college dean called and strongly advised me not to return.

I couldn’t go any-fucking-where without people staring. For thewrongreasons. Because they thought I was a shitty person who drove drunk, who crashed their car and framed an innocent girl. Beyond that, they made all sorts of assumptions and accusations. That my life was gilded because of my last name. They wondered how many other offenses I ducked.

And my father…

Not going there.

“Tell me what you think I want,” I say. “Let’s see how close you are.”

Her brows draw together. “I don’t know.”

“You recognize me.”

I’m still getting closer, and she’s still retreating. She bumps into the trying-to-be-cool spray-painted wall and stops, but I keep approaching. Right until I’m inches away. Heat pours off her body.

Or maybe it’s my imagination.

Either way, I’m enjoying this much more than I should be. This close, she feels electric. I know, it sounds insane. But there’s something immensely satisfying about it. Abouther.

“I don’t think I could ever forget your face,” she admits. “Now get the fuck away from me.”

I reach forward and touch her chin. My fingers wander up the side of her face, and I push aside her hair. She doesn’t stop me. Doesn’t hide from me when my fingertips brush the ugly scar on her temple. It snakes into her hairline, silver against her red face. The only part of her that isn’t burning hot, I imagine.

Oh, I think I like touching this girl. She shivers, glowering at me like her expression will get me to back off. It’s a nice try—it might work on lesser men.

Even through that, I register that I can’t be attracted to her. I’m suddenly furious at myself, too. It’s her fault. She cracked the gilded mirage I’ve been living in. She hurt my relationship with my father, jeopardized my future. All because she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

“You ruined a whole lot for me.” I lean in closer, like I’m telling her a secret. When really, I want to know how she’ll react to me. “So how about I do the same to you?”

She flinches.

I see it, I catch it. I savor it. Her immediate blast of fear is what I’ve been waiting for, and something in me knots with anticipation. Her fear is so like the fear I felt sitting in that jail cell, even if I only had to suffer for hours. She’ll suffer for a lot longer.

Oh, yes.

This is going to be fun.

“When I’m done with you, your precious little dance team won’t be the only thing I take from you,” I promise.

I withdraw. She’s stuck against the wall, her chest heaving. I didn’t even touch her that much, but she looks at me like I just stuck a knife into her and twisted the blade.

I can’t wait to see how she looks when she breaks.

3

VIOLET

Sunlight slants across my face, and I groan. I block it with my hand, but then my overhead light flicks on.

“Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty. It’s almost one o’clock.” Willow climbs onto my bed, flopping beside me. “How are you feeling?”

I squint at the ceiling. “Like my head is an anvil and it’s being struck by a hammer over and over. Undecided on my leg. Or the rest of me.” That’s a lie. As soon as I focus on my lower leg, pain shoots up into my hip in waves. I grit my teeth.

“Well, you went a little hardcore…”

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