Page 29 of My Wildest Obsession

“You are. You love Clara. Anyone can see that, and she loves you. You two could be together and happy right now. Instead, you’re alone and miserable,” Levi adds.

“It wouldn’t have worked out between us,” I tell them.

“Why not?” Adrien demands to know.

“It just…wouldn’t,” I finish lamely.

“Because of your childhood? Because you’re a grumpy jerk? Because Clara already knows about that and she still loves you.”

They have a point there…

“I don’t even know how to do relationships. I don’t want to… I can’t hurt her,” I finish quietly.

“You already did by pushing her away,” Levi tells me gently.

“You were handling a relationship just fine. You and Clara were happy together. Besides, she’s a strong, capable woman. If you do something that she doesn’t like, I’m sure that she’s not going to have any problem letting you know and demanding that you fix it,” Adrien says, and I smile.

He’s right. Clara is more than capable of taking care of herself. She stands up to me and doesn’t take any of my crap. She’s my perfect match.

“Will she take me back?” I muse out loud, and Adrien and Levi cheer.

“Of course! She loves you too,” Levi assures me.

“You’ll just probably have to grovel for forgiveness first,” Adrien adds.

I pause, but for the first time in forever, I don’t have a problem with doing that. I vowed to never ask anyone for anything when I was young. I was determined to make it on my own. I would do anything for Clara though. Even grovel on my knees.

“I can do that,” I say, and they both grin.

“Good. Then get out of here and go get your girl!” Adrien orders.

I stand, grabbing my keys and jogging out the door. I text Lucas on my way down in the elevator and he promises to be out front.

“Where to, sir?” He asks me as I climb into the back.

“Home.”

“Ah,” he says and I see him smile.

He must know that I’m going to try to win Clara back too. I wonder if I really have been wandering around like some lovesick fool.

We pull up out front a few minutes later and I hurry out and over to the elevator. She’s on the tenth floor, the one right under me and I hit that button, watching impatiently as the other floors tick by.

I find her apartment and take a deep breath. It’s quiet on the other side of the door and I frown as I raise my hand and knock.

I wait a moment, but there’s no answer, so I try again.

Still nothing.

My stomach starts to cramp and I wonder where she could have gone. Does she know that it’s me out here? She could have checked the peephole, I guess.

I pull out my phone, bringing up her number and dialing. I listen closely for any sound on the other side of the door, but it’s quiet as a church.

“Shit,” I curse when she sends me to voicemail.

Where could she be?

Her brothers.

---