Page 87 of Psychotic Obsession
"I'mten!"
"Older, older," I say with a smile. "I'll stay tonight, but I'm going home tomorrow, okay?"
He jumps up and hugs me, a massive grin on his face. "I love you, Aria."
"I love you too, little guy."
I finish tidying up the house, hearing the front door opening and Ewan shouting he's home. I feel strange, like an emptiness begging to be filled as I walk out of the kitchen, melting a smidge when I see him smiling at me.
"Hi."
He pulls his cap off. “Hey. Did you see the news?" he asks, swiping through his phone as he walks toward me. I shake my head, and he stands next to me so I can see the screen: the court case has been adjourned due to an insanity plea. "On the radio, it says he's being transferred in three days. Have you called his mum?"
"I've no idea what to say to her, but I will."
I read the article, seeing a statement from Doctor Blythe that Tobias isn't deemed fit to stand trial, that he is to be taken to a holding facility half an hour from here.
I feel my insides twist as I read he's being sent back to America next week at the request of his mother so he can be institutionalized there.
Psychosis, schizophrenia, anxiety, antisocial personality disorder, and many others have been mentioned in the reports, but none have been solid on what exactly Tobias has. He also suffers from psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, and once, he experienced one while driving, having his licence revoked after crashing into another car.
Fear riddles me that my child may have what Tobias has.
“I thought you were leaving today. I was going to drive to your place to pick up Jason."
"Oh. I just came here when I picked him up from school," I nervously lift my shoulder. "I can go now if you want? Jason's dinner is in the oven. I'll just..." I trail off, walking back with my thumb over my shoulder. "I'll pack my things to take back with me. It's better you don't have a wardrobe full of my clothes."
"Okay," he replies, leaning his elbows on the stair bannister as I ascend them slowly. "Do you need a hand?"
I shake my head, turning and quickly running, calming myself as I walk into the room and grab a suitcase from the wardrobe. "Why do you need to be so complicated, Aria?" I ask myself, huffing and dropping so my back hits the side of the bed, feeling the carpet beneath me.
I look at the open wardrobe, every hanger in use, boxes of jewellery and shoes at the bottom. I left so much because I truly believed there would be a day I’d come home, but not like this.
I've disregarded the love between Ewan and me, accepted fake love from some psychopath who mistreats me in every way possible. Yes, I care about Tobias in ways I shouldn't, and I trulybelieve he cares for me, but not in any sort of healthy way. We have no future together.
From this moment forward, I'm focusing on myself and myself alone. I don't need Tobias, and Ewan doesn't need someone like me messing with his head on a weekly basis. I need to focus on my job and finish paperwork so I can fly to Denmark to be with Ivy.
I get to work on packing, feeling a tug on my heartstrings when Jason stands at the door, staring at the half-packed suitcase. I smile at him, and he runs off, slamming his bedroom door behind him.
"He'll be fine," Ewan says, walking into the room and handing me a cup of tea. "He's just gotten used to you being here, that's all."
"None of this should even be happening; it's not fair on him. I should've stayed at my parent's house."
"Your mum would have ended up killing you," he replies, lying on his front on the bed, my back against it, his forearm touching my shoulder. "Did you message her back?"
Oh, yeah, Mom saw on the news Tobias had confessed to drugging me, admitting it was his fault I became delusional, and not to neglect the fact that because of the medication, I may have skipped my pill and become, you know...pregnant. She apologized, saying I should know to stay away from people like him, that I'm to come with them to Barbados.
I nod at his question, and he slides down to sit on the carpet next to me, shoulder to shoulder, both staring at the half-empty wardrobe. A heaviness in my chest has me leaning on him, and I feel his chin on my head.
"I told Jason I'd stay one more night. But if you want me to go, I will."
He huffs, twirling strands of hair around his fingers before our hands interlock. "This is really messing with my head."
"What is?"
After a long moment of soft touch, he releases my hand and moves to his feet, running his fingers through his messy hair. "I think once you go home, we need to stop all of this. No more staying over at each other's places. No more holding hands and cuddling or whatever the fuck is going on right now."
I feel my heart stopping, and I stand. "Why are you saying this? We already agreed to be friends."
