Page 24 of Stuffing My Obsession
So fucking adorable.
“Don’t worry,” I murmur, letting my amusement seep through my voice. “I’ve seen worse parental tactics.”
She groans, peeking at me through her fingers. “They’re ridiculous.”
“They’re parents,” I counter, my lips stretching into a full smile. “Typical. I bet they just want you to be happy.”
“And you?” she asks quietly, her expression turning serious.
The question hangs between us for a while. I stare at her face, trying to guess what she’s thinking.
“Me?”
“What do you want?”
“I—” For the first time in a very long time, I don’t know what to say.You, is the obvious answer. She’s all that I want. But I don’t know if she’s ready to hear it.
“I thought you had left,” she says, her voice catching with some emotion I can’t decipher.
“I couldn’t,” I say simply.
Silence. “Why not?”
I run a hand through my hair, letting out a weary sigh. “Paris, I—”
“Thanks for earlier,” she cuts in stiffly, pointedly avoiding my eyes. “You should probably leave now. It’s a long drive back to Baltimore.”
She turns to leave, but I quickly grab her hand, curling my fingers gently around her wrist. “Paris, please…”
She whirls around, snatching her hand from mine. “What the hell do you want from me?” she snaps angrily. “Haven’t you done enough? You followed me, watched me without my permission. You left roses on my doorstep like some…some creepy stalker. You made me feel safe and then ripped that safety away! Who does that? Who pretends to be someone’s savior when really they’re the reason she can’t sleep at night?”
Her chest heaves with every word, her face flushed with anger, hurt, betrayal. I let her get it out, all of it, because I deserve it. Every accusation. Every burn.
When she finally falters, her breath ragged, I reach for her hand again. Slowly. Carefully.
“Are you done?” I keep my voice steady, though my insides feel like they’re on fire.
She glares, lips pressed tight, but she doesn’t pull away this time.
“Give me a chance,” I beg softly, my thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Let me explain.”
Her silence is permission enough.
“I never meant for it to be like this. I didn’t set out to scare you. I just…” I shake my head, searching for the words that feel too big to fit in my mouth. “The first time I saw you, in the hallway of our building…I fell. Hard. You werelight, and I hadn’t felt light in years. I wanted to get closer to you, but I didn’t know how. I didn’t know how to be…normal with you.”
Her eyes soften, just a fraction.
“I noticed you worked late. That you came home at hours when the city wasn’t safe. I couldn’t stand the thought of someone else watching you. Someone with bad intentions. So, I followed. To keep you safe. To make sure you got home in one piece.”
Her lips part, her breathing uneven, but she doesn’t speak.
“The photos on my phone…” My throat works. “They were stupid. I know that. But I couldn’t help myself. You smiled at a stray cat, you laughed when Captain burnt a pie…those little moments, Paris. I couldn’t resist capturing them. I wanted to savor them.”
I swallow hard, my voice lowering. “The roses…I found out they were your favorite. So I left them. Not to scare you. To…I don’t know. To remind you someone thought you deserved something beautiful.”
She’s listening, but I can’t let myself hope yet. I push myself to keep talking, to get it all out. “I only went into your bedroom the one time, through the window. I overheard a conversation about a missing girl, and I know it’s stupid, I knew it wasn’t you, but I just…I panicked. Needed to make sure you were safe.”
Her shoulders sag. The fire in her eyes dims, leaving something softer, something that makes my chest ache.
