Page 103 of The Obsession
“You hungry,mia tortina?” I ask Emily, holding out my free hand to her. There’s no thought behind my movement; it just seems like a natural extension of the moment, like breathing.
Her eyes scan my face for a brief second before she threads her delicate fingers through mine, and my heart nearly leaps out of my chest.
It’s a simple gesture—harmless, even—but the heat in her gaze, and the electricity behind it, makes it feel anything but. Her hand is small and soft. My fingers curl instinctively, tightening just enough to keep her there.
She swallows and steps a little closer, close enough that her warmth brushes my side. She glances up at me, and thelook she gives me is hard to decipher. Is she hungry for food, or me?
I squeeze her hand and start walking. I can fight it, pretend I’ve got a say in where this goes, but that’s a lie I don’t even believe. Whatever this is, it’s already taken hold. And whether this burns out fast or not, for today at least, this woman is mine.
Chapter 33
Dominic
Lil’ Peach has been fed, bathed, and is already down for the night. It was a big day for her. A huge day for all of us. I’d never admit it out loud, but I actually enjoyed myself more than I thought I would, and for so many reasons.
When I realised where we were going, my initial thought was to protest, but I have no regrets about going through with it. For some reason, everything about today just felt … right.
I enjoyed my time with Emily and my niece, but I kept thinking about my sister while we were at the zoo. Peach is so much like her it’s uncanny—well, at least like the person she used to be.
Those happier moments with Violet and my parents are sitting heavy on my chest. Moments I’ve spent years trying not to think about came crashing back, one after another, like a damn fucking tidal wave.
These days, I rarely check in on my sister. Only knowing what Mary tells me when we talk, but for some reason, it’s eating away at me now. I need to know how she is. I did everything I possibly could to help her. I even kepttrying after she wiped me from her life. Abandoning Lil’ Peach at the hospital was the final straw, but that doesn’t stop the guilt swarming around inside. It doesn’t stop me from thinking I could’ve done more.
We both lost so much when our mother died and our father took off, but overall, she had a far better life than I did once she was adopted.
I met the couple who took her in when Violet and I reconnected, and they were good people. My sister fucked that relationship up, too, once her addiction started running her life.
My nostrils flare as I suck in a sharp breath through my nose. I hate that I’m dwelling on the past and letting it taint what Peach, Emily, and I shared today. We had a nice time; it felt like it was a giant leap forward.
Once I made the move and took hold of Emily’s hand, I didn’t let go for the rest of the afternoon. It seemed to shift something between us. Even on the drive home, she reached over without prompting and rested her hand on my thigh.
I push off the kitchen counter and head into the main room, trying not to let my current mood spoil what’s left of the evening.
Emily’s in the shower, but she’ll be out soon. I haven’t exactly avoided her since we arrived home, but I also haven’t given myself the chance to let whatever shifted between us today evolve. Now that the house is finally still, there’s nothing left to hide behind.
The television is on, and I’m stretched out on my recliner, but I’m not watching the screen. My arms are folded behind my head as I stare blankly at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the clusterfuck raging in my head.I’m so caught up in my own thoughts that I don’t even notice Emily has entered the room.
“Are you okay?” she asks, pulling me back into the present.
My gaze snaps in her direction as I tilt the chair upright before answering. “Yeah.” Obviously, it’s a lie, but I’m not getting into my fucked-up past with her. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” she says with a small smile, dropping down nervously onto the edge of the sofa. This timid side of her tugs at my damn heart.
She’s dressed in an oversized T-shirt that stops mid-thigh, and I try not to stare at her bare legs, but it’s hard. This woman is my weakness, and has been since we met.
I watch her stretch the shirt she’s wearing over her knees, tugging it down like it suddenly matters. At first, I don’t think anything of it, but then she does it again.
My eyes flicker up to her face to find she’s no longer looking at me. Her gaze is somewhere off to the side, and her hands won’t stay still. She looks nervous and out of place, and I don’t like it.
“Are you sure you’re fine?” I ask, leaning forward in my seat and resting my elbows on my knees, giving her my undivided attention.
Her baby blues snap back to me as a pink blush climbs her neck. “Yes.” She pauses for a beat before continuing, “Thanks for letting me plan our day. It was fun, but my feet are killing me. We certainly got our steps in.”
“We did,” I grunt in return.
“I’ll definitely sleep well tonight.”
My eyes dart to her feet as I observe her wiggling her toes in an attempt to rid herself of said pain, so before I can talk myself out of it, I place my flattened palms on the armrest of the chair and push myself to stand.
