Page 49 of The Obsession
There’ve been plenty of times when Mick’s behaviour has frightened me, but he crossed a line yesterday. There’s no going back. I honestly thought at one point he was goingto kill me. Thankfully, he had the foresight to leave before it came to that.
I toss back the covers, switch on the lamp, and rise from the bed. I feel uncomfortable being here, despite how welcoming and sweet Lucia was with me when I arrived.
I don’t even know these people; I barely know Dominic.
I rummage in my bag for my phone, and see it’s 3 am. There are no missed calls or messages from Mick, which is weird and a little concerning. Unless he’s still at the club and not aware that I’ve left.
Or maybe he’s with one of the bikie sluts. The thought hits me with a sour taste, but it only lingers for a heartbeat before I push it away. They can have him.
The night I found a half-naked Amber draped across his lap as if she owned him, the cold realisation settled into my bones. The understanding that he was probably cheating on me with her and God only knows who else was like a slap to the face.
In hindsight, I’m grateful I always insisted he wrap it. I’m on birth control, so I didn’t need it. I did it because I knew exactly the kind of women who hung around the clubhouse. God only knows what diseases they carry, passing themselves from one man to the next like it’s some kind of sport.
I should have seen all the signs. The late nights, the quick excuses, or the times he’d come home smelling like cheap perfume. Love makes you blind, or maybe it just makes you stupid.
Smoothing my fingers through my hair, I tiptoe towards the door and ease it open just enough to peek out. The place is swallowed in darkness, shadows stretching across the hall, but a dull light glows from somewhere further down.
A strange discomfort settles over me. I feel weird being here, like I’m trespassing even though Lucia invited me. ButI need water. My mouth is dry, and my head is pounding. It’s probably because I didn’t eat or drink anything yesterday. The bucketload of tears I shed hasn’t helped.
I pause in the doorway, unsure. Am I even allowed to wander around while everyone’s asleep? I don’t know the rules here. I don’t even know where the kitchen is. For all I know, I could turn the wrong corner and end up face-to-face with some mobster. But standing here won’t fix the ache in my skull or the dryness clawing at my throat.
Is Dominic even still here?
Then I remember I have his phone number. One I never used, but felt compelled to keep for some reason.
I gently close the bedroom door and move back to my bag to grab my phone, searching through my contacts.
I wasn’t stupid enough to save his number under his real name. I might not be a genius, but I’m not reckless either.
I’ve never cheated on Mick, but that didn’t stop him from accusing me every time he slipped into one of his paranoid moods. It was like he needed someone to blame for the things he was imagining. Or maybe those accusations were just his own guilt leaking through for the things he was doing behind my back.
I’m starting to realise that the ones who scream the loudest about trust are usually the ones breaking it.
Me: Are you still here?
Sonia from work: Who is this?
I screw up my face, feeling like an idiot. Of course, he’d have no idea who it was. I never gave him my number.
Me: It’s Emily.
Sonia from work: You kept my number?
His reply has heat climbing my neck, like I’ve been caught.
I stand still for a moment, trying to come up with a reply that won’t make me seem even lamer than I already do, when a soft knock on the door makes me jump.
“Em, it’s me,” Dominic’s deep, gravelly voice whispers from the other side.
My first instinct is to sprint back to the bed and hide under the covers like a coward, but instead, I do the grown-up thing and hesitantly open the door.
“Hey,” I say, feeling my cheeks warm.
“Hey,” he replies, reaching up to rub the back of his neck like he feels just as awkward as I do.
We both stand staring for the longest time, as if neither of us knows what to say or do.
The look he’s giving me is so intense, I have to look away. My eyes drift lower, which turns out to be a huge mistake, because that’s when I realise he’s shirtless.
