Page 40 of His Obsession
That had been the worst part of being with Adrian in the end. Not even the physical violence. It was the mental manipulation. He was always gaslighting me, making reality feel slippery under my feet until I wasn’t sure I could trust my own mind. Did I leave the lamp on? Did I move the vase? Did I say the thing he claims I said? Did I lock the door, or do I just think I did because I need to believe I’m not losing my mind?
Since I left him, I’ve been so much more deliberate about every decision I make. I check myself. I make mental notes. Nothing I do is by accident, and it’s because he made me doubt my own sanity. He’s the only person who would bother to do this.
I back out of my own living room so fast I almost trip over the rug.
I don’t need to inspect the rest of the house. I don’t need to see my bedroom or the office or the bathroom to know this was a carefully crafted message. Either he’s here, or he’s paid someone to do it. He knows where I live. Even after everything, he still knows exactly how to get to me.
I rush outside so quickly I don’t remember pulling the door shut behind me. By the time I get back into the car, I’m shaking so hard, I fumble my phone twice before I can unlock it.
I call Nico. I don’t even care that I’m pissed at him. He answers on the first ring.
“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” he answers warily, but I cut him off.
“He was in my house.”
He goes silent immediately, and I hear him take a sharp breath.
“What?” he asks sharply. “Who was in your house?”
“Adrian,” I say in a rush. “He was in my house and he messed with my things. He wanted me to know he can still get to me here. I know that sounds crazy?—”
“It doesn’t sound crazy,” he says immediately. “Are you inside?”
“No.I’m in the car.”
“Good. Stay there. I’m coming. Stay in the car. Lock the doors. I’m on my way.”
“Okay.”
“I’m serious, Val. Do not go back into that house alone.”
“I won’t.”
He hangs up before I can say anything else, which means he’s already moving. Even though I’ve already locked the car doors, I hit the lock button again just to reassure myself. I hate this. I hate that he can still do this to me.
He’ll never let me get over him. He’ll make sure I spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder.
Nico arrives within fifteen minutes, but the wait feels endless. When his black SUV pulls into my driveway, I finally feel like I can breathe. He knocks on my window and I reluctantly open the door. He crouches beside me so he’s at eye level.
“Are you okay?”
I nod automatically. Then shake my head because we both know that’s a lie.
“Tell me everything.”
I do. I tell him about the open door, about the things moved just slightly enough to make me feel crazy.
He nods once, processing. Then he looks up sheepishly. “Don’t be mad.”
I’m confused by his response when I hear another car pull into my driveway. I know before I look that it’s Sebastian. It’s strange because I would think he’s the last person I want to see, but I suddenly feel safer in a way I can’t explain.
16
SEBASTIAN
Nico wants to call the police immediately. I can see it on his face before he says the words. The second he steps back out onto the porch after a quick first pass through Val’s entryway, his whole body is tight with the kind of anger that needs a target. He looks at Val sitting in the car, pale and rigid behind the windshield, then back at me.
“We should report it,” he says.
