Page 126 of Pretty Obsessed

"Why do you think I thought it was a bad idea from the start?"

"Because you didn't want to see me hurt…" I knew he cared but it didn't make hearing any of this any easier.

"No, because I've been there, and I've had it destroyed with rumors and talk. I know what you went through. I didn't want you to go through it all again, but this is so much worse. You've given him a free ticket to not care about your feelings."

"I haven't. I am trying to do what's best for both of us. If I don't have expectations, he can't hurt me."

"Bullshit. I hear the shake in your voice. I see the feelings written all over your face. You love him already, don't you?"

"Maybe… I don't know." I curled into myself, willing the fantasy back. Willing Japan back. The happiness and none of this crap.

"I still don't understand why you're calling me. Isn't he ecstatic to get all the best parts of you with none of the commitment? I can't work out where the issue lies," Octavius said at length.

"He's upset about the rules."

"Even he is trying to treat you better than you're letting yourself be treated?" He scoffed. "The issue isn't him, it's you."

"I told you, I'm trying to do what's best for him. He was in the club for a reason. What happens when we can't see each other for months? How long can a guy really take everyone throwing themselves at him when he hasn't been touched in forever? There is only so much sexting can help. Humans need physical contact. Can anyone expect a celebrity to be faithful? Maybe I'm the only one who's being reasonable about all of this. Seeing the situation for what it really is." I wanted to believe my words, but cracks were starting to form in my logic. I wanted those things with River. I wanted him to be the exception, but how?

"If you didn't believe any of those things were possible, you shouldn't have gotten involved with him, Emory. You're walking yourself straight into heartbreak. You chose this and now you're not giving him a chance." Disappointment tainted his tone.

"Now you want me to date this guy?"

"No, I don't think it's a good idea either way, but I can still tell you this isn't the solution because I'm going to be the one cleaning up the damn mess."

"He walked out. It's probably done anyway."

He scoffed.

"What?"

"Look at those photos again."

I flipped to the screen. “What?"

"You don't see it?"

"No." I flipped through them. Thankfully there weren't any of us in the museum. We'd nearly fucked that up. I had no idea we'd been followed.

"He's into you."

"We have sex, of course he is." I pulled my knees into my chest and tried to see what Octavius did.

"It's more than that. This isn't just sex to him. He looks at you like he owns you."

My teeth clamped together, and I was very happy we weren't on a video call.

"Your silence is telling."

"It is not."

"We've been friends half our lives. It is."

I huffed. "He owns me when we’re in the same city."

"You done fucked this up."

"I know." I laid back down, curling up on his pillow. "I'll come to the club when I get home."

---