Page 10 of The Dark Obsession

His stance is stiffer this time. His dark eyes watch me as I turn, and he follows. At the front door, he kisses my cheek and nods.

I raise my hand in farewell as I leave him standing in the doorway. His confused expression as he turns around tugs at my heart.

Chapter 5

Alone I sit on my sofa, my mind a blur as I argue with myself about why I’ve done what I did. I’m furious at myself for forcing time away when I want him so much, when I can’t even stop thinking about him. Though I know this space between us will give us both time to think, I don’t want to mess around anymore. I want a real relationship. I can’t help but wonder why I feel so drawn to him. I never get attached like this; my own emotions scare me, and I ponder about what has made this situation any different from my other romantic interests. There must be a reason someone so handsome and sweet hangs around a library, picking up girls.

My train of thought crashes as my brother enters the front room.

“Rosa, some of the guys from my theatre group are coming tonight for a pre-production drink. You’re welcome to sit with us, though I’m sure you won’t want to sit around a load of guys. But Michael will be there.” He winks, grinning, then focuses on my face. “What’s up, Ro?”

“Ahh yeah, my childhood crush. Think he’ll finally grant my deepest, darkest desires?” I laugh heartily. “Nothing, I’m fine,” I say, surprised at how convincing I sound.

“Eww, Rose. If he does, he’ll be answering to me.” Ben’s eyebrows cross fiercely.

“I think I’ll pop down and say hello, but other than that, I’ll be upstairs. What time?” I ask with a grin.

He chuckles and rolls his eyes then tells me to come down at around eight p.m.

I sit in my bedroom for what seems to be hours, preparing for my first day on trial with Mr Alcazar, unable to focus for more than a few minutes without thinking about Dale, then screwing my eyes up and refocusing on my work. The front door opens and closes several times before I decide to peek downstairs.

I halt outside the door to the room and glance through the gap. Nine men sit in a circle, completely covering the sofa and the chairs. The atmosphere is full of laughter and excitement. Three bottles of whiskey sit on the centre of the dining table, glasses are placed on every stable surface. I take a deep breath and open the door. Each smiling face turns to me, but nothing can contain the shock on my face when I see him staring in my direction.

Dale smirks in my direction, then resumes staring at his glass, as if it’s the most interesting glass in the world.

“You’ve decided to grace us with your presence,” Benjamin says with a huge grin.

“I, well … yeah,” I stutter back, unable to keep my eyes off his face.

Benjamin glances at Dale, who’s still busy examining the glass. Ben’s eyes light up, and his grin turns smug as he shoves a glass of whiskey into my hand. “This is Dale, our screenwriter,” my brother says loudly, introducing us from across the room with a smirk.

My heart jolts as Dale stands and approaches me. His hair is brushed back, eyes shining more than ever. He is wearing a white shirt that clings to his muscular body and tight black jeans. I notice everyone’s eyes are still on me and take a large gulp of whiskey. I hear Benjamin’s and his friends’ laughter.

“Nice to meet you, Rosa.” He proffers his hand, flashing his dimpled smile, and winks as I take his hand. His grip is tight and warm, his touch intoxicating.

I can do nothing but stare at his face, still shocked to see him here with my brother and all of his friends.

He focuses on my lips and returns to his place in the centre of the group.

My stomach flips as I force a smile and sit next to my brother. My heart is hammering as I finish my first glass of whiskey. I mainly listen to the group of friends talk. I drink more than I usually do and laugh in all the right places. I notice Dale’s eyes keep flitting toward me, even though he’s talking to others; his body faces me, his left hand unconsciously pushing his hair from his eyes. My body craves his gentle touch, the taste of his experienced lips, and his irresistible smell.

I bite my lip and turn away, trying to distract myself by talking to my brother’s closest friend and my childhood crush, Michael. Michael has always looked good with his dusty-blonde surfer style. We chat about when we were younger, about how much I’ve grown. I haven’t seen him for years, since I started college and uni, when I had no boobs and braces. My face glows red at the thought.

“You had quite the crush on me when you were younger.” Michael laughs, his voice is very low.

I laugh a bit louder than usual. “Yes, don’t worry though. I’m over it.”

“Are you sure? You’re blushing quite a lot.” Michael looks a bit disappointed when he stares at his hands.

“No, not entirely,” I say, trying to make him feel a bit better.

Michael pinches my cheek. His eyes linger on mine until Benjamin flicks his nose, like a dog.

“Off limits, bro,” Ben whispers to Michael.

I can’t see Dale, but I can feel him watch me while Michael talks animatedly, drunkenly putting his arm around my shoulder.

My brother loudly exclaims that he’ll officiate our wedding.

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