Page 114 of Obsession (Dark Revenge)
“You know, normally I wouldn’t be collared,” she pointed out. I glanced at her collar but didn’t feel like taking it off, so I shook my head.
“Fine,” she sighed, then grabbed my hand. To my surprise, she intertwined our fingers.
It was an unusual feeling, but I didn’t resist. She led us downstairs, through the living room, and outside. We stopped on the porch, where she took in a deep breath of the fresh morning air.
“You must have been good. The sun is out,” she teased me, but I didn’t quite understand her meaning.
“I’m far from good,” I reminded her.
“It’s just a fun thing people say.”
“I see.”
“You’ve never heard that before?”
I shook my head, and her expression shifted from happiness to sadness.
“Well, since I can’t really bring you breakfast in bed, as we’ve already passed that point, typically the birthday person gets to decide how they want to spend their day.”
“I want to go to the blue room,” I replied, causing her to shake her head.
“You agreed to do something normal first.”
“I don’t know what ‘normal’ is.”
Alison pondered for a moment, then an idea seemed to strike her. “How about going for a drive?”
“And not spend the day in your personal torture chamber? No, that doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
“Just for an hour. Have you never just gone for a drive?”
“I have.”
“By yourself, I assume?”
“Yes, it’s quiet and peaceful.”
“Have you ever tried enjoying that peace with a friend?”
“You know I haven’t,” I retorted. Alison grabbed my hand and led me inside again, guiding me to the garage.
“But we’re not friends!” I protested.
“Today we’ll bury the old disputes and forget we’re mortal enemies. Today we’re just Alison and Jared with no dark past. Two people going out together and leaving our real lives behind.”
The idea sounded appealing, and I didn’t resist her grip. She led me to the garage, where she initially walked over to my car. However, I shook my head and pointed to my motorcycle. Herface went pale, but it was evident that, since it was my birthday, she didn’t want to refuse.
“All right, but I want at least a helmet,” she said.
I had multiple helmets in the garage, and I handed one to her before fetching the keys. I assisted her in putting on the helmet before we mounted the bike.
“This is so unsafe!” she exclaimed. Even before I revved up the engine, she clung to me tightly, and I couldn’t help but find it amusing. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t explored this option before. As we pulled out of the garage and onto the concrete, I accelerated, and she screamed. It was already shaping up to be a good day.
-Alison-
It took a while before I no longer clung Jared like a scared monkey. As I realized we weren’t about to crash and the sounds of the world gradually penetrated my mind, I opened my eyes. Everything around us rushed by in a blur, but I didn’t feel afraid, knowing I had this warm presence in front of me that I could hold onto.
Slowly, I began to smile, taking in the surroundings and getting lost in the moment. Jared seemed to share in my enjoyment, as more than an hour passed before we returned home. When he turned off the bike and helped me dismount, I noticed something different about him. As our helmets came off, there was the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. Not only did he appear calm, but he also seemed almost happy.
