Deadly Obsession Read online

  “So what’s happening between you and Sam? You seem relaxed around him, and he’s constantly watching you.”

  I sigh, I wondered how long it would take her to bring this up. “I don’t know; he came over this morning and introduced himself. Then he left. Later that afternoon I had a flashback while I was sleeping, I freaked out, ran out of the apartment and straight into Sam. He calmed me down, and we talked. That’s it. What about you? You look different. What’s going on?”

  “Fine, skimp on the details.” She rolls her eyes at my lack of juicy information before revealing her secret. “What I’m going to tell you, no one knows. I’m pregnant. That fucker got me pregnant again. This time with twins.” Oh, shit.

  “How the hell is he still alive?” I can’t believe she’s pregnant again, but I’m hoping, this time, I’ll be here for the actual birth.

  “Fuck if I know. We agreed that we would wait until Liam was at least two, but no, the fucker has super sperm.”

  I laugh at her words. She was never good at filtering.“You’ll be fine hon. You worry too much. Can we leave here, as much as I love catching up with you, I hate being in a restroom longer than I have to.” She agrees, then she links her arm through mine as we walk back to the table.

  “You two okay? You were gone for a while.” Of course, Nathan noticed, he probably timed us.

  “What? Do we have a time limit to pee?” Geez, Soph must be super pissed at him, her sarcasm is out in full force.

  I take my seat beside Sam, his eyes are twinkling while he is watching Sophia. He glances at me and spots me watching him. He leans in to whisper to me and surprisingly I don’t freeze at having him this close to me. “Everything okay? I was worried. You were gone for a while.” His brow furrows, and I see the worry in his eyes. That is so sweet.

  “Yeah, we were catching up, for some reason us women love catching up in a dirty restroom, it’s ingrained in us or something.” He barks out a laugh, and everyone at the table looks towards us. I duck my head.

  Thank God for Nathan. “When are you going to forgive me? I didn’t mean to; it was an accident.” Oh God, I see the look in Sophia’s eyes. This is either going to be painful, hilarious, or both.

  “An accident?” Her tone is sharp. Nathan nods his head. “I’ll tell you what an accident is. It was when your mother didn’t swallow. Instead, she let your father cum in her.” Oh my, God, I can’t help the laughter that spills out of my mouth. Fuck I knew it would be painful, my stomach hurts from laughing so hard.

  “Babe, I thought you agreed not to say anything bad about my sister, she’s not being a bitch anymore.” Oh, this man is dense. Soph has the sweetest smile on her face.

  “Oh you thought I was talking about Kat?” at his nod, she leans in closer to him.

  “Nope, I was talking about you. You're the load your mom should have swallowed.” And with that, she walks to the bar, leaving Nathan with his mouth wide open.

  Everyone at the table can’t stop laughing, I have tears streaming down my face, I’m laughing so hard. I watch as Nathan stands up and stalks over to Soph. I feel a hand touch mine under the table, and I know it’s Sam. I look up at him and see that he’s looking at me. He has a look I haven’t seen on his face before. I can’t read what the look means.

  “Okay, we’re calling it a night. Thanks for coming, but it’s best to leave now before she kills me. Everyone at this table will help her hide my body if she does.” I giggle at Nathan’s dramatics; Sam squeezes my hand.

  “Damn straight we will. Make no mistake Brother, I told you before, you hurt her, and I will kill you,” Scott says in a lethal tone. Soph just shakes her head and laughs.

  “Do you want to go, Sweets?” I nod at Sam. I love Luke and Scott, as well as Skye, but I don’t feel completely at ease around Ryder and Oscar. Sam doesn’t say anything, he stands up and shakes the guys’ hand, Skye comes over and hugs me.

  “I’ll see you soon Winter.” I nod at her words. All of a sudden I’ve turned around and found myself in Scott’s arms. I’m frozen in place, Scott must notice, but he doesn’t say anything.

  “Listen Wints, you need me, call me, yeah? I’ll be there in minutes.” I sigh and sink into his embrace. “I’m giving you time, but Wints, we will be talking about who hurt you, don’t deny it. You think I don’t see you flinch anytime a man comes near you or touches you? You think I don’t see the pain and fear in your eyes? Listen to me Wints, I love you. You will get through whatever happened.” Damn it. I have tears in my eyes.

  “I love you too, I promise I’ll tell you, I have to tell Soph too, but I will be fine. I have you and Soph, you guys are amazing.” I don’t say anything else, I can’t. I’m so emotional right now. Scott nods and steps away.

  I feel eyes on me and turn and see Sam standing beside me. His face has taken a hard edge; I don’t know why. “Come on Winter, let’s get you home.”

  I say my last goodbyes and we leave the bar. Sam walks beside me the whole way to his truck, not saying a word. Once we make it to the truck, he opens the passenger door and waits for me to get in before closing it.

  He’s been driving for a few minutes and hasn’t said anything since leaving Johnnie’s.

  “Are you okay Sam?” I can see his jaw tighten, his knuckles are white. He must have a fierce grip on the steering wheel.

  “No Winter, I’m not, I knew something happened to you, but listening to Scott talk.” He shakes his head, and I watch as he swallows before continuing. “I know it was fucking bad and you haven’t told anyone about it. I don’t know what to think, my mind has so many scenarios running through it, each one getting worse.” I don’t know what to say to him.

  “Sweets, I don’t know what to do, I want to find the asshole that hurt you, I want to fucking kill him.” He focuses on the road. Soon we’re pulling into the apartment complex. Once he parks, he tells me to stay as he rounds the hood and opens my door.

  We're silent as we walk upstairs. I honestly don’t know how to respond to him, he’s making me crazy. I feel at ease around him then he talks like that, and it sends my heart into a spin. I have so much baggage and he is such a kind man, he deserves more than me and my fucked-upness. He walks me to my door, I know he is planning on leaving it like this, but I can’t.

  “Sam, please come in, we need to talk.” He looks worried. He has no clue as to what I’m about to say. I’m worried, too. I want to tell him something so he understands, but I don’t want him knowing what happened to me just yet. I open my door and walk in, throwing the keys on the counter as I do. I turn and watch Sam follow me in, his face blank.

  “Okay, I’m going, to be honest, I’ve been thinking of how to respond to you, but everything I think of in my head sounds stupid, so I’m just going to tell you what I’m thinking.” He nods, I take a deep breath.

  “Almost four years ago I was hurt, I didn’t tell anyone what happened until eighteen months later when Soph and I had an argument, and I shouted it at her.” That day is so vivid in my head. I didn’t intend to tell her, she pushed and pushed until I cracked. I watched as what I said sank in, and then I watched as she cried for me. Sam looks at me, his eyes wide with confusion. I’m being vague, I know I am, but I don’t want to go into it right now.

  “There are things that you don’t know about me, and you need to hear it from me.” This is the hardest part; I really do like him. I don’t think we can go far, I’m a fucking mess, but I don’t want him to be disgusted by me. I did what I had to do to survive.

  Chapter Three

  Sam

  She looks so scared; I don’t know what she’s going to say. She’s being vague, I get it, she doesn’t know me. She doesn’t trust me enough to open up.

  “Go on, tell me.” I try and keep my voice as calm as I can, hoping that I can coax what happened out of her. She has tears in her eyes.

  “I don’t want you to think I’m a slut okay.” What the ever loving fuck? Before I get a chance to correct her, she says in a broken vo
ice.

  “Please don’t hate me. After what happened, I turned to alcohol, I drank myself fucking stupid. When I was drunk I would flirt with everybody” She has fat tears rolling down her face. I want to hold her, tell her it doesn’t matter, but she needs to finish.

  “In those eighteen months I slept with three men, that was it, I swear that was all. People call me a slut because I flirt. I promise you, Sam, I only had sex with three men.” She’s sobbing now, and I feel sick knowing there isn’t any way I can help her right now. “Anyway, my drinking continued for eighteen months until Sophia came home. She saw the state I was in and got me help. I don’t use alcohol that way anymore. In fact, I hardly ever drink and if I do it’s never alone and never more than two.” She takes a deep breath and looks at me and continues

  “I feel at ease around you. I wouldn’t say safe because I honestly don’t think that exists for me. I feel like I can be myself around you, I can let some of my walls down. But then you tell me things that make my heart speed up, and I don’t know if that is a good or bad thing. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I don’t understand why you’re here.” She takes a step back and throws her hand over her mouth.

  “Oh my God. I didn’t mean it like that. That was extremely rude. I meant -” She looks as if someone just kicked her puppy, I can see her searching for the right words so I take pity on her and cut through her tirade.

  “I know what you meant, you don’t understand why I’m holding your hand and telling you that I want to kill the bastard that put fear into your eyes?” She has a tiny smile on her face, she’s nodding slowly. “I feel things for you, I want to explore them, but I also don’t want to scare you.” I watch in horror as she bursts into tears. “Fuck, I never meant to make you cry.”

  Shaking her head, she says, “You didn’t. You have to understand Sam, I have baggage, a lot of it. You deserve someone who is whole and amazing, not someone who is broken and has so many issues. You deserve better Sam.” She looks so heartbroken; I can’t help but walk over to her. She watches my every step. As I get closer, I watch her body go ridged. I place my hand in front of her, and she watches as I move it closer to her face, she leans into my touch as I put my hand on her cheek.

  “Listen to me, you’re not ready for me yet, Sweets, but you will be, I’m going to wait. The day you tell me all your secrets, that will be the beginning of us. Don’t put yourself down, it fucking infuriates me. You’re beautiful, and you deserve happiness. I’m hoping to be the one to give you that.” she doesn’t say anything, she looks so lost and confused. “We’re going to take things extremely slow, we’re going to get to know each other, and we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.” She has that look in her eyes like she’s about to run.

  “What’s going to happen once you realize that I have too many issues for you to handle?” she sounds defeated, like she expects me to just up and walk away.

  “I didn’t want to scare you, but you leave me no choice. I won’t think that you have too many issues for me. I have feelings for you. I have never felt the way I feel for you for anyone else, does that answer your question.” Her eyes are huge, her mouth is hanging open, and I chuckle. I have truly shocked her.

  “I have feelings for you too, I’m scared, Sammy.” She says in a whisper, I hardly hear her, I love that she calls me Sammy. I wrap my arms around her and place my chin on the top of her head. Something finally clicks in my head, she’s mine. The need to protect her is so strong.

  She melts into me and my heart soars, I love that she feels safe enough to loosen up around me. I know she doesn’t feel completely safe, that is something we need to talk about. It may take a while, but I want to know everything.

  I reluctantly pull away, I kiss her forehead. I feel her flinch. I look at her, and she is so gorgeous even with her tear streaked face.

  “Okay Winter, I’m going to go now, but I will talk to you tomorrow.” She sighs and looks into my eyes.

  “Okay Sammy, I will talk to you tomorrow.” She says as starts walking towards the door, I’m walking right beside her as I don’t want to frighten her and set back the progress I made tonight. When we reach it, her hand reaches out and grabs the handle. I don’t want to leave, but I have to. I lean down and kiss her cheek. Once again she leans into my touch.

  “Night Sweets.” She smiles as she opens the door.

  “Goodnight Sammy. Sweet dreams.” She is so fucking cute.

  “Lock the door behind me, yeah?” She nods and once I’m outside her apartment, she gives me one last smile and closes the door behind me, I wait until I hear the lock engaged, and next door to my apartment.

  I need to find out what happened to her, it’s not in my nature to sit back, I prefer to get all the details and make a plan. I hate going into an unknown situation. But I can’t betray the trust she has shown me. I have to suck it up and wait.

  My phone rings and I glance at the screen Mom shows up as the caller, just what I need tonight.

  “Hi mom, how are you?” I love my mom, but she is too much sometimes. She’s very selfish. Ever since Dad died, she’s changed and not for the better.

  “Hi Samuel, I’ve been better, Katelynn has a fever, I don’t know how long I can do this Sam, when are you going to accept the responsibility.” This God damn fucking tune again. I’m sick of this.

  “Mom. Stop this! I love Katelynn, but I don’t have time to have a four-year-old living with me. I don’t have the stability to have her here. You are her guardian, why must you start this shit every time you call, when are we going to have a normal conversation?” I hear her huff down the phone, and I mentally sigh. I feel bad for speaking to her like this, but I’m sick of this shit.

  “Fine, when are you coming to see her?” And get this shit thrown in my face yet again?

  “I’ll come by on Sunday, I’ll take Katelynn to the park and let you have some time to yourself, then we’ll have dinner together.” I love that little girl but having my mom throw shit in my face is not something I am looking forward to.

  “Good, I need a break, she is a handful. I raised my children, I shouldn’t have to raise my grandchild too.” She says in a huff, and my blood starts to boil.

  “Will you ever shut the fuck up? Seriously mom, I love you, I do, but you shouldn’t say that. Imagine how Katelynn will feel if she hears that. I’m tired mom. I’ll see you on Sunday.” I hear her sniffling. I feel like a bastard. Who makes their mom cry?

  “You’re right Samuel, I need to think of her, I’ll see you on Sunday. I love you too.” With that, she hangs up making me feel like a complete and utter asshole.

  I make it to the bedroom pull off my shirt and take off my jeans and collapse on the bed. I can’t stop the images in my head of scenarios of what Winter went through. I fall asleep with those images playing a continuous loop.

  *****

  It’s been two weeks since the night Winter, and I had that heart to heart in her apartment. I’m done wasting time. I have spent the last two weeks, texting her and talking to her in the hall of our apartment. I have stopped by her place a few nights, and we have had pizza and Chinese, she is getting used to me being around her, and she’s smiling a bit more now too. She hardly ever leaves her place, and when she does, it’s only to go to the store and straight back home.

  I’m drying off after my shower, I have an idea, I need Soph’s help, I grab my jeans and put them on, I walk into the kitchen and make a cup of coffee, and I call Soph.

  “Hey Sam, everything okay?” She sounds tired, I glance at the clock, it’s 7 am. Damn, I didn’t realize it was that early.

  “Shit, sorry Soph, I just saw the time.” I hope I didn’t wake her.

  “Don’t worry about it Sam, I was awake, I’m missing the boys. Are you okay?” How do I say this without sounding like I lost my balls?

  “Um, okay I want to take Winter somewhere, but I have no idea where she would like.” She’s silent for a moment, and I think she’s going to tell me why it�
�s the wrong thing to do.

  “Okay, so Wints is a party planner, she loves the fun stuff. She also loves reading like me as well as art shows, I hate those.” Soph tells me. You can hear her love for Winter as she tells me the things she loves.

  “Okay, that’s not much help.” She laughs. It’s something I didn’t think she would do for a while, especially after what happened in Afghanistan, Nathan has really healed her. I don’t think she has nightmares anymore, well not as much as she had.

  “I know, I’m thinking. You just sprung this on me.” She’s right, but I thought she would have an answer for me. They are best friends after all.

  “Oh I know, there is a marathon of lethal weapon movies playing at the theater, she loves those movies.” I have a huge smile on my face, they’re my favorite movies.

  “Great, thanks, Soph.” she’s silent, I know what that means, she wants to say something, but she’s worried, she wants to think it through in her head first. I don’t get it. Usually, she has no filter, the woman generally says whatever is on her mind.

  “Okay. I don’t know how to say this and not upset you. But it needs to be said. Sammy, I love you. I know you won’t hurt her on purpose. But she has a lot going on right now. I don’t know everything that happened to her, but I do know that it marked her, it marked her in a way that she won’t be the same Winter I watched grow up.” She sighs and takes a deep breath.

  “What I’m trying to say is, please don’t get her hopes up if you don’t think you will be able to deal with everything. Please, Sammy, I finally have my best friend back. I will take her any way I can get her, don’t hurt her.” I get where she’s coming from, I know that she is the one who has Winter’s back always, so I’m not mad at her, in fact, I’m grateful that Winter has Soph at her back, I of all people know what Soph is capable of.

  “I promise you, Soph, I won’t hurt her. Thank you for the suggestion. I’m going to look it up online.” I just have to ask Winter if she’ll come with me.