Page 64 of Psychotic Obsession
"What?" he asks, confused, standing slowly with his hands up. "Aria?—"
"Is he hurt?" I panic, my eyes widening as the thoughts run wild in my mind.
"Hurt? No, he's in his room. What's going?—"
He's lying.
"I need to get him out of here, Ewan. Help me. It isn't safe." I walk to him, gripping his forearms with a begging look.Hurry."Please help me get him out of here."
"You need to stop. I'm his dad. He is safe."
"No, you hurt people and mess with their heads." I start to raise my voice, my lip trembling as I cover my mouth. "You want me to lose everything."
He kneels in front of me as I drop to the rug, rubbing both hands down his face, his tired eyes on my scraped knees. "I would never hurt you, Aria. It's not me you should be worrying about," he says, pushing my wet hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ears, the contact nearly taking my breath away. "This guy, he has his claws dug deep into you, and you're falling into a deep hole. When does Aria Miller everlet anyone run her life?"
"He doesn't."
Settling his hand over mine, he rubs his thumb over my skin. The act is small, but it's massively affecting me in ways it shouldn't.
"I'm worried about you, Aria. To me, you're a strong, independent, intelligent woman who takes bullshit from no one. I need you to remember that when you feellike you're lost." I watch him with tears streaming down my cheeks; my lips move, but no words come out. "And I'm not saying all of this because you mean so much to me. I'm saying it because it's true. A lot of people look up to you, me included."
"But..." My throat tightens, my free hand grabbing his sleeve. "Iamlost."
"Are you? Are you sure you aren't just hiding? If you were lost, then you wouldn't know unless you were found. You told me that years ago, remember?" I stare at him, chewing the inside of my cheek. The corner of his lip curls up, and I feel some of the crippling pain lifting from my chest. "You still have clothes here. I'll put them in the bathroom so you can change."
I watch him stand and let out a heavy breath as he walks around the couch, opening a cupboard in the corner, pulling out a fresh towel. Handing it to me, he helps me up from the ground, and I stagger a little, my palm hitting the wall. "I don't like how I feel," I admit, meeting his gaze. "I don't like it. I feel sick all the time. I have butterflies."
"I know. You reallyneed to speak to someone," he says, wrapping an arm around my waist to help me walk without falling, the closeness erasing the dark feelings and thoughts, replacing them with something calm, something that makes me let out a deep, well-needed breath.
"I'm talking to you," I reply, looking up at him. "Can I sit with you and Jason? We could watch a movie?" I ask, Ewan leading me to the bathroom, turning on the light that blinds me momentarily, sitting me down on the edge of the circular bathtub. I wince a little as he lifts my leg, pressing a cool cloth to a cut on my foot. "I just want to see him for a while. I miss him."
"I don't think that's a good idea. I'll get you dressed and take you to your parents’ house. Tobias will get the wrong idea?—"
"I'm not herefor a quick fuck. I'm herefor Jason." Interrupting him, I stare him down, watching his pale green eyes close in defeat.
“Not when you're like this, Aria. If you don't want to go to your parents’, you sleep it off in the bedroom, and we'll get you to a doctor tomorrow.”
He pours me a glass of water that I gulp down before handing it back to him. He’s shaking just as much as I am, and I wantto hold his wrists and tell him the way I feel, truly feel, but the words and thoughts and feelings are caged.
Ewan helps me up the staircase, the wall lined with family photos of us three through the years. The dogs are at my feet, excited and barking, but I can’t see them. When I think about leaning down, I feel like I’m going to pass out or vomit, or both.
The bedroom we shared for years still looks the same, it only being a few months ago since I left. My favorite bedding is on, the window slightly ajar the way I like it. He tugs the duvet down and fluffs my pillow, settling another glass of water next to the bed.
“I’ll bring you a bucket in case you feel sick again. Do you need anything else?”
I shake my head. “I need sleep.”
He nods. “I’m going to settle Jason down. He might’ve overheard, and I don’t want him to be worried.”
My fingers twist together as I walk towards the bed, sitting on the side. He settles my phone next to the glass, giving me a warm smile before leaving.
I reach over to the table and flip my phone in my hand, wondering if I should turn it on yet. I look around at all the pictures, and my eyes land on a very small one, one we took in a booth years ago when Jason was three. We are all smiling, Jason sticking his fingers up both our noses. We all look happy.
A lump builds in my throat, and I look away.
Holding the power button down, I feel my chest tighten, waiting for the vibrating to stop so I can call Tobias.
With the phone pressed to my ear, I quietly walk down the hallway to the bathroom, taking one step at a time as Tobias answers. "Where the fuck are you?"
