Page 121 of Unapologetic Obsession
He collapsed beside me, his breath sounding ragged in the quiet room. My legs almost gave out beneath me when I tried to stand. By the time he had closed his eyes in the afterglow of his release, I had grabbed my clothes and bolted.
Chapter
Thirty-Nine
ROSE
Pushingthrough the throngs of people, I climbed the stairs toward the second floor. The masquerade-themed party was in full swing. It was meant to celebrate my and Amelie’s graduation, but that was the last thing I felt like doing.
Damon had reached out to me a few days ago, dropping hints about an invitation to this party. I was surprised he showed, more so because he brought the bane of my existence with him.
I had been avoiding Professor Maxwell like the plague and stopped going to class completely. When the grades were posted, I stared at my screen in disbelief. Instead of failing me, I received anAfrom the man who is legendary for never awarding them. Perhaps it was the price for my silence about what had happened in that abandoned warehouse. A shudder crawled up my spine, and I quickly shut down the unwanted images.
No. I couldn’t go there again. It would wreck me.
I had successfully dodged Professor Maxwell for days. Despite his attempts to stalk me, reach me, threaten me, coerce me, I had stayed hidden. The few quiet days had given me a sliver of peace. Meanwhile, he had become relentless in hispursuit, getting angrier with each rejection, and now he was here to torment me.
But I was determined to ignore him tonight. I was a woman on a mission. Three tequila shots buzzed through my veins. The liquid courage was just what I needed to confront Damon.
Why had he saved me from the brink of death, only to never spare me a second glance?
A part of me already suspected the truth. My life-changing moment was a dime a dozen to him. He was a philanthropist who had probably saved hundreds of suicidal teens and didn’t remember it was me on that rooftop. And that’s okay. Romance wasn’t even on my radar anymore. After everything that had gone down with his brother, I felt too used and spoiled for anyone else. At least there was one upside, Professor Maxwell had cured my lifelong affliction.
I just needed an answer to the question that had haunted me for years and put my burning curiosity to rest.
But first, I needed to find Poppy. Her parents were out of town and had graciously opened their home to host this party. My aunt had only one condition: Poppy must come out of her solitude for at least thirty minutes to enjoy the company of people her age. My antisocial cousin was yet to make an appearance.
I reached the second floor of Poppy’s castle-like home. Poppy occupied the entire floor and her gothic taste was reflected in every nook and cranny. Only my aunt and I were allowed access to this level, aside from her trusted housekeeper. The mezzanine balcony overlooked the party downstairs. I ignored the raging music and charged toward her room. Perhaps I could bribe Poppy into coming out of her fortress of solitude. I rehearsed the pep talk I’d been ordered to deliver when I stopped dead in my tracks.
Standing in the hallway, right by the wall next to Poppy’s bedroom door, was Professor Maxwell. He leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, one ankle cocked over the other, as if he’d been waiting for me specifically. The shadow he cast seemed darker than the gloomy ambience in the hallway.
I considered retracing my steps, but his eyes had already zeroed in on me. As always, there was a flicker of recognition in his gaze that made me realize he could see straight through me. Neither of us spoke. The thrum of the party below sounded a million miles away. I became acutely aware of the way my hands trembled and the sweat gathering beneath my dress.
Then my eyes landed on Poppy’s door. A small mercy. What Professor Maxwell could do to me paled next to what would happen if my she-devil cousin found him lurking here. I just needed to make a break for her room.
He uncrossed his arms and inclined his head toward her room. “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” he warned, realizing my intention.
The door to her room was slightly ajar, though I couldn’t see inside. The lights were turned off.
“It sounds like your cousin has company.”
Was it Poppy’s annual fuckfest already? She didn’t like distractions during the school year and only allowed herself physical contact one day a year.
I hesitated, expecting him to do something nefarious. He didn’t move a muscle, just tracked me with those bored eyes as I inched backward. My shoulder blades prickled until I moved out of the periphery of his attention. Only when the distance between us felt safe did my lungs remember how to work again.
I pivoted on my heel, but his detached voice froze me mid-step. “Rose.”
Every instinct screamed for me to keep walking, but with several feet between us, I felt safe enough to engage. Perhaps apart of me was itching for a fight. Spit in his face, kick him in the shin, or just scream at him until my lungs burned.
I spun in place. “What now? Discovered more of my family members sleeping with each other? Let me guess. You plan to blackmail me to make me sleep with you.” It was a strong reaction to him calling out my name. ButI had been angry for days, and there hadn’t been an outlet.
He smirked. “Tempting. Now I wish I had dug something up to blackmail you with.”
“What do you want?” I spat.
“I missed you.”
I blinked, caught off guard. The unguarded admission hit me like a slap.
