Page 51 of Reckless Obsession

“I did?” he asks, quieter now.

“You did.” I confirm, a faint smile pulling at my mouth.

He lets out a breath as if he’s been holding it since the final whistle, then leans back against the bench. For a moment, we sit in comfortable silence, the kind that doesn’t need filling.

It doesn’t last.

“So,” Jamie says after a beat, glancing sideways at me, “you gonna tell me why your car looks like it lost a fight with a bomb?”

“How did you even hear about that?” I ask, raising a brow.

“Charlie sent me a picture,” he says.

Of course he did.

I lean back again, gaze drifting ahead. “I don’t know. It just… blew up.”

Jamie watches me for a second too long, then clicks his tongue.

“Yeah. I don’t believe that.”

“Oh?” I glance at him. “And what do you believe?”

“That you either pissed off some unhinged client…” he pauses, eyes narrowing, “…or you pissed off Maksim.”

I scoff, folding my arms. “Maksim? What gave you that idea?”

Jamie lets out a laugh, shaking his head.

“Seriously? You think I don’t know that guy?” He turns toward me fully now. “Do you want me to start listing things? The stalking, the hacking, the whole ‘I don’t understand personal space’ phase? And mind you, he tells me all of this like he’s proud.”

I shake my head, because there’s no point denying it. Not to Jamie.

“Then maybe you should advise him,” I say. “He’s getting a bit too reckless.”

Jamie hums, folding his arms. “I wonder why he’s so reckless.”

A laugh slips out of me before I can stop it, and he joins in, the sound easy, familiar.

Then his tone shifts.

“I don’t want him hurting you, though,” Jamie says quietly. “He’s my friend, yeah. I care about him. But you’re my brother.” His jaw tightens. “If he crosses a line… I won’t take it lightly.”

I turn my head, studying him. The seriousness sits differently on him, less controlled than mine, more honest. There’s no calculation in it. Just loyalty.

“He won’t,” I say simply. “I won’t let him.”

Jamie shakes his head, his gaze dropping briefly to the ground as if he’s trying to gather his thoughts before they spill out the wrong way.

“He’s going through a lot, you know,” he says after a moment, quieter now. “I think his mental health is getting worse.” He exhales slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. “He had a fight with Alex a few days ago because he refused to go to therapy. But… he finally went yesterday.”

“I know,” I murmur, letting out a quiet breath. “Anton told me.”

“I worry for him.” Jamie says, softer now, his eyes fixed somewhere ahead.

I watch him in silence.

It’s strange how easily Jamie carries people. How naturally he makes space for them, even when they don’t deserve it. There’s no hesitation in him, no instinct to pull back or protect himself the way I do. He just… cares. Fully and openly.