Page 54 of The Sweetest Obsession

“Look, Grant, I’m not staying with you. I don’t need a babysitter. I think I just overreacted. For all I know, that guy’s someone’s grandpa with a bad case of dementia. Confused about where he is or something. I bet the people who love him are looking for him everywhere. Is there anybody around town missing?”

I shake my head firmly.

“No, and if that’s the case, we’ll find out and have him home in a day,” I say, quickly snapping several photos. “Considering the shit going on here in the last year, though, I’m not taking that risk. You wait around for a happy ending and you might not have an ending at all.”

“Huh? It’s not that risky—”

“Ophelia.” I cut her off with a growl, locking my gaze to stubborn green eyes. “Listen, the last time we had creepy assholes following the new girl around, she wound up with one girl dead in her living room and a psycho trying to feed her to the Jacobins’ pigs. With that kind of shit going on, I can’t risk it being harmless.” I stop, my jaw clenching, then force myself to add, “Especially not when it’s you.”

When I shut my yap, I notice she’d started to open her mouth. Her brows are drawn together in a furious line.

She stops and gives me another strange look I can’t interpret as she frowns.

Her lower lip thrusts out in a bratty little pout I’m not fucking staring at.

Honest to God.

“I didn’t tell you Ros hasn’t been coming home. What are you hiding, Grant? What’s goingonwith her?”

Ah, fuck.

I shouldn’t have let that slip.

“Later. I’ll tell you at my house.” I haul myself to my feet.

“Nope. In case you hadn’t noticed, I still haven’t agreed to anything.”

I dart her the world’s dirtiest look.

Sweet Jesus, this woman and her pride.

“Philia, listen.” Sighing, I turn back to face her. “Look at it like you’re doing me a favor. Nothing more. Between you and me, my folks haven’t had a real vacation in years. I’d like to let them get out of town before Christmas and away from any sketchy shit around here, but they’ve gotta be here to look after Nell when I’m at work, and with school, I can’t let her go with them. I know you. I bet you’re going stir-crazy, fretting nonstop when you’re not with your ma. We could use a little help around the house to give my parents a break, let ’em take some time off. So, if you’re willing, I’d really appreciate it if you stayed with me, kept yourself out of trouble, and helped me out with the munchkin. It’d kill a whole flock of birds with one stone. You won’t have to be alone, looking over your shoulder while I track down your intruder, and I won’t have to worry about Nell while my parents are gone.”

Maybe that will push past her pride and let her actually accept.

But Ophelia just blinks at me, her mouth hanging open.

“What?” I frown. “What did I say?”

“...I don’t think you’ve ever said that many words with feeling in your entirelife, for one.”

I groan, smacking my palm against my face.

“I do know how to fucking talk, Butterfly.”

She laughs. “Do you? You had me fooled for a good long while.”

“All grown up and still a pain in the ass.”

“Well, you helped spoil me growing up. So yeah, you should know.” She tilts her face up, eyeing me intently. “You promise you’ll clue me in on Ros if I come?”

Honestly, I’d clue her in even if she didn’t.

It’s not hard to see how worried she is, and dammit, I never should’ve swept it under the rug in the first place even if my intentions were to save her some grief.

“Yes,” I bite off.

Ophelia sighs.

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