Page 55 of Sweet Possession

I’m closing my laptop when a knock sounds at the door. My head snaps up, eyes narrowing when they land on… Cali. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I growl.

Rolling her eyes, she steps inside and sashays towards me. “I came to see you, silly.”

“I told you to stay away from me, Cali. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be.” I push out of my chair, grabbing my things to leave.

Cali perches herself on the corner of my desk, a smug smile on her face. “You know, I just saw something very interesting and funny.” I give her a droll look. I doubt whatever she is going on about is that funny. “I was walking down the hall to your classroom, and I saw a girl in a Coral uniform. I did a double-take because I recognized her. I was confused about where I knew her from at first, and then it came to me. She was the girl at your house.” She chuckles. “I mean, how could I forget her? She’s beautiful. Striking, really.”

My hackles go up immediately, and I step up to her, resisting the urge to wrap my hand around her throat. “Get the fuck out of here, Cali. I don’t care what you saw, I don’t care what you think you know.” I laugh, but it’s not a nice sound. “You’re just a desperate little whore who fucked my friend and thinks it’s okay to do so. Who thinks I will accept it and take you back just because you want me.” Although I know now that it was all part of Brody’s plan to seduce Cali because of his weird obsession with me, she still fell for it. Still betrayed me. “When are you going to get it into that head of yours that I will never take you back? I don’t want you, Cali. And if I’m honest, I don’t think I ever really loved you.” I lean in, my mouth close to her ear. “No, I know I never did. What I felt for you is insignificant to what I feel for Remi.” Her breath hitches but I keep going. “There is no comparison. I love her more than anything. And if you don’t get the hell out of here and stop coming around where you’re not wanted, you won’t like what comes next.” Pulling back, I look at her. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears. I should feel bad, but I don’t. She had all this coming and more.

“You don’t mean that,” she whispers.

I’m just about to answer, tell her that I one hundred percent mean it, when a voice interrupts us. “Well, there’s a sight I never thought I would see again.” My glare locks onto Brody who stands at the door with my angel. Remi’s eyes are wide as they dart between Cali and me. I glance down, then quickly take a step back when I see how we’re standing. Me between my ex’s legs, too close.

“Angel.” I start to move towards her when she shakes her head, spins, and rushes away. I look at Brody, who grins triumphantly. There is no doubt in my mind he set this up. I move towards him, grabbing him by the collar. “What did you do?” I growl, shoving him away when his eyes light up with lust.

“She needed to see, Ash. You can’t be with Remi. You don’t belong with her.” He sounds so confident and sure in what he is saying.

I scrub a palm over my face and chuckle tiredly. I have just about had enough of this prick. “I don’t belong to you, Brody. What will it take for you to see that? Just back the fuck off. Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

“I love you, Ash,” he murmurs.

“What?” Cali shrieks behind me. “What the hell are you talking about, Brody? You asked me to come here today to get rid of the girl and get Asher back. Why did you just tell him that you love him?” She looks confused as she stares Brody down.

I chuckle. “Oh, he didn’t tell you?” Both of their gazes move to me. “Brody, here, set you up to sleep with him because he wantsme. It was never about you, Cali, he was trying to get you out of the way because he thought there was a chance for him to be with me. And stupid you fell for it again. He wants Remi out of the way and is using you to try to do it.”

Brody has the decency to look guilty, while Cali stares at him incredulously. But I’m over it. I need to go and get my girl. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have the love of my life to find and explain things to.” They both grimace as I step past them and into the hall. Pulling out my cell, I try to call Remi, but it goes straight to voicemail. Picking up my pace, I run out to the parking lot and get in my car. Anxiety courses through me. I need to get to her. Find her.

Peeling out of the school lot, I head to our drop off point, only to find her not there.

Grabbing my cell, I try her again, only to get the same result. I hit the steering wheel in frustration, then pull up our message thread.

Me: Angel, where are you?

When she doesn’t respond after ten minutes, I try calling again and she still doesn’t answer. Dropping my cell in the passenger seat, I pull away from the curb and head home, hoping I will find her there.

* * *

Pacing the entryway of my home, I try calling Remi for what feels like the hundredth time. When she doesn’t answer, I grip my cell so hard I swear I almost break it. It’s been an hour since I got home, and my angel is nowhere to be found. I’ve sent her numerous messages and called like an ex-boyfriend that won’t quit, but still, she ignores me. I feel murderous. I want to break things. Want to simultaneously wrap my hand around Remi’s delicate throat and kiss her. I just want her in my proximity. Want to be able to touch her.

Where the fuck is she?

It’s like a lightbulb goes off in my head when I remember something. I pull up my tracker app—the one I forgot about because I haven’t needed to use it—and bingo. Before I know what I’m doing, I grab my car keys off the side table and am in my car, peeling out of my driveway in seconds. I drive above the speed limit the whole way, not giving a damn about road laws, only caring about getting to my angel.

Fifteen minutes later, I pull up to the curb outside of Remi’s shitty, old apartment building. It feels like a lifetime ago that I used to wait outside here just to catch a glimpse of her. She was mine from the moment I saw her, she just didn’t know it yet. She soon found out though. She’s seen the lengths I would go to have her. My angel is also about to see the lengths I will go just to keep her.

Pulling my keys out of the ignition, I jump out and make my way inside. The place should be shut down and condemned. It’s not safe for anyone to live here, especially not my Remi. Pushing through the door, I come to an immediate stop when I spot a group of men, that look to be in their early twenties, fighting. Instead of intervening in any way, I ignore them and move to the elevator. Hitting the button to go up to my angel’s floor, I glance over my shoulder while I wait for the doors to open. They’re still fighting but seem to be ignoring me, which I am grateful for. I don’t need to be involved in their shit, which sounds like it’s about some drug deal gone wrong if the number of times the words “cocaine” and “fucked me over” have been used is anything to go by.

The door dings, then opens, and I step inside, glad to be out of the lobby. I didn’t want Remi back in this place but what I just saw has affirmed that fact. If she is here, then what the hell was she thinking? Anything could happen to her. The thought sends a shiver down my spine as I imagine something happening to my angel. There is no scenario I can think of that I could survive without her. No world where she and I don’t exist together.

Lost in my bleak thoughts, I’m startled when the elevator comes to a stop and the doors open. Rushing out, I come to a stop outside Remi’s door. I don’t waste any time with knocking. I could easily kick the flimsy wood in, but I don’t want to scare her. She is obviously mad enough about seeing me with Cali that she felt the need to come here in the first place.

“I know you’re in there, angel. Open the door before I kick it in.” I try to keep the anger from my voice, but I fail. I know I shouldn’t be angry, but I can’t help it. I pound on the door, only to stop when I hear her.

“Go away, Asher.” The hurt and emotion in her voice makes me pause, my chest tightening. I hate that she feels insecure about Cali. Someone that doesn’t matter. I understand her feelings, but Remi should know thatsheis my girl, that I want her and only her.

“I’m not going anywhere, angel. Now be a good girl and open the door so we can talk about what you saw. It wasn’t what it looked like. I would never do anything to hurt you.” I lean my forehead against the door. If I could just hold her. Touch her. I need her close so I can make things right. I don’t know how long I wait like that, but my patience eventually wears thin.

“Alright, angel, we’ll do it your way,” I growl.

---