Page 37 of Obsessed with Her

"I won’t, I promise. But I want to have space to maneuver."

"Please enlighten me as to what that would entail."

"I don’t know exactly right now, but I swear I won't ask for anything that would be embarrassing for you, anything illegal, and much less anything that would put me at risk."

"I could force you to obey me anyway, without coming to any agreement with you."

"I'm starting to make money as a professional. I’ve been invited for interviews and even to represent a famous perfume brand. You'd be surprised if I told you how much they're willing to pay me. I could give up my fortune, and then do whatever I like, including get into trouble. Our contract would be void, butsomething tells me you like total control, Ares. You don't want to look back in a few years and remember that you failed me."

His eyes flash with fury, and I suspect it's because he's not used to being challenged, but by his expression, I also know I've hit the nail on the head.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to be my friend, first and foremost."

"No. I'm your guardian. Friends do not owe each other obedience."

"I'm an adult, Ares."

"Really? I hadn’t noticed. Your irresponsible behavior says otherwise. I want you to tell me everything about the stalker, which, by the way, you should have done a long time ago."

I look down at my hands resting on the sheets. I turn my palm up, focusing once again on the scorpion's tiny sting. "Think it might be a fan?" I ask.

"Who else would it be? You don't leave the house; you have few friends. Unless.. ."

"Unless what?"

"It's an enemy of your boyfriend."

"No. My . . . uh . . . relationship with Otis only started to get more serious after my debut as a soloist."

"After the night we had dinner, you mean." He looks at me as if he can read my mind and knows all my lies and sins. I don't have a long list of sins to my name, but as for lies...Jesus!

"Yes, that's right."

"In any case, I will have him investigated."

"Haven't you done that already?"

"No. I followed up on the information you gave me, and it checked out, but as you have barely seen each other in the last two years, I didn't think it necessary to go deeper."

"Not everyone has time to go out every night. Otis and I have a great relationship but separate lives."

"Platonic?"

"What?"

"You understood me, Serenity."

For a few seconds, I really don't understand, then I feel as if lava from a volcano is burning me from the inside. He's asking me if we've had sex yet?

I look at him to make sure that's what he meant, but when I see the shadow of a sardonic smile, anger overcomes embarrassment. "No, not platonic. When he visits me, we don't leave the hotel, if you know what I mean."

He will never be sure if I'm telling the truth. Otis always rents the room next to mine with a connecting door between us, although we've never used it because I always lock mine from my side, but at least I can pretend I'm not that inexperienced.

When I see that the ironic face has turned into a frown, I feel satisfied.

"Tell me about the stalker."

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