Page 9 of Quiet Obsession
“I know. I’m not guilt-tripping you. I’m stating a fact, Hyde. You weren’t there when I faced Evan again. I survived him, the finger-pointing, mockery, whispers, name-calling, and bullying... I’mnotweak, so stop acting like I’ll fall apart the moment you look the other way.”
He stares at me, eyes a little wider, emotion written all over his face. “This is the longest you’ve talked since...” He trails off, pulling me into a warm bear hug. “I know you survived. I just...fuck, I hate I wasn’t there for you whenyou needed me.”
I think about that night, how I sat under the bathroom sink, a phone in hand, tears streaming down my face. I think about every call he declined, every video I watched, and every comment that felt like a knife in my heart.
Gritting my teeth, I grasp Hyde’s hoodie in both hands and inhale his scent, grounding myself in the here and now.
“Don’t make the same mistake again,” I say. “Creed just lost his father. He needs you more than I do. Be there for him.”
He snorts, squeezing me tighter. “Creed’s not... well, it’s not my story to tell, so I won’t, but it’s not how it seems.”
“But your worry is just as it seems.Eating you alive. Go, Hyde. Be there for him.”
He mulls it over for a long moment, but once his shoulders sag and he stamps a kiss on the crown of my head, I know he’s made the right call.
“Promise you’ll ask Noah or Dash for help if you need it?”
“I don’t—”
“I know you don’t trust them, Millie. That’s okay. But you trust me, don’t you?” He pushes me away by my shoulders so he can watch me nod. “Good. Then promise you’ll ask for help.”
He’ll be gone a few days at most. He might even be back before classes start, and frankly, I have no reason to leave my room until then. Nothing will happen.
“I promise.”
“Good. Come on, you need to finish kicking Noah’s ass.” He takes my hand and leads me back inside.
“You’re going?” Dash asks when my brother lingers in the doorway, watching me settle on the couch.
“Yeah. Keep an eye on Millie for me, alright?”
“I’m insulted you feel the need to ask.” He plucks a fresh beer from the crate. “Go tame Creed. We’ve got Mini Ward. Trust me, we got the long straw.”
My brother smirks. “Comic relief, shop runs, or the best cooked-from-frozen pizza, Dash is your guy,” he tells me, and said guy puffs out his chest as Hyde continues, “If anyone bothers you, tell Noah.”
“Asshole,” Dash mutters, chest deflating. “I’m perfectly capable of defending your honor, Mini.” He drapes one arm over my shoulders, trying to tuck me into his side.
I jolt, shrugging him off. “Don’t.”
“Boundaries,” Hyde emphasizes, jaw ticking.
“Sorry,” he says and sounds sincere. A little ashamed, too. “I got carried away.”
“Don’t push it, Dash. And stop fucking flirting with her. I meant what I said.” He looks between his friends. “She’s my sister. Off limits.”
That statement has a very contradictory effect on me. On one hand, I’m happy because Hyde’s finally acting like the big brother I’ve always wanted. On the other hand, it’s embarrassing.
“I’m trusting you here, alright?” he adds. “Don’t think I won’t break your jaws.”
“You?” Noah scoffs, a shadow of a smile twisting his lips. “We all know you’d get Creed to throw the punches. Can’t injure those surgeon-in-the-making hands.”
Hyde shifts from one foot to the other, the casual atmosphere dying before my eyes. “Keep her safe.”
They both send him pointed looks, and he leaves without another word. Even though I told him he should go, my stomach drops once the door closes. Being without him at home, in a familiar setting, was different than being alone in a new place with two men I met half an hour ago.
I exhale a shaky breath, forcing my shoulders to relax.
Hyde wouldn’t leave me with them if he didn’t trust them. Besides, he won’t be around forever. After graduation, he’ll move to a warm state, marry a model, and spend his life making a name for himself as the best neurosurgeon in the country.
