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EIGHTEEN

SILAS

Obsession, according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, is “a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling. Also: something that causes such preoccupation compare compulsion, phobia.”

T here’s a certain word in that definition that doesn’t quite fit when it comes to my behavior toward Sable.

Unreasonable.

I’m not being unreasonable .

From the moment we were old enough to form memories, our families, tightly bound by tradition and power, made sure that Sable and I were linked. Raised together, growing alongside each other, our lives have been interwoven like a script—one they expected us to play out. They believed we were destined to be together, the perfect match. Our parents saw us as inevitable, a union meant to cement their friendship, power, and legacy.

I believed it, too.

Every Valentine’s Day, I bought her a single red rose, a silent symbol of the connection that had been carved into our souls by our parents long before we could comprehend it. I was steady, every year, like clockwork, until we turned thirteen. That was the year she crushed it—literally. She took my rose, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it. Red petals flattened against the cold asphalt of her front porch. She glared at me, her eyes full of fire, and slammed the door in my face. No explanation.

The reason? She was pissed because I beat her in a chess tournament the weekend before, which somehow led to her being grounded for a month. I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand why winning mattered more than what I thought was us.

That moment—the rose, her rejection, the door slamming in my face—was the first time I felt her rip my heart out of my chest. But not the last. She’s done it again and again, without fail.

And yet, I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t let her go. I can justify every reason why I’ve kept tabs on her, why I’ve watched her every move since we were kids. Because in a world without Sable Wilson, there is no Silas Morgan. She’s not just the girl next door. She’s my other half. The shadow and rival that complete me.

But she never lets me explain. Never.

She always jumps to conclusions, always assumes the worst. She sees things in black and white, and she paints me in the darkest shades. Like the other night in the library—she ran. She didn’t even give me a chance to explain why things happened the way they did. And it crushed me. Again.

It felt just like that day when she stomped on my rose.

All I wanted back then was to tell her the truth. My father had threatened me—he told me if I didn’t beat her at chess, he wouldn’t let me play lacrosse anymore. And lacrosse was my out. It made me feel human, detached from the weight of my family’s expectations. But she never gave me a chance to say any of it.

She never lets me explain.

She always takes things at face value.

Why can’t she just ever let me talk.

Why?

Why?

Why?

The dinging of the bell ends the round.

My opponent is bloodied and on the ground.

The sharp, incessant ringing of the bell pulls me out of my head. It’s over. The fight is over. My opponent lies bloodied on the ground, and I can see one of his teeth lying beside him in the pool of blood on the mat. He’s from Omega Chi. He’ll recover.

Levi pulls me away, saying something I can’t quite hear. My ears are ringing. The room feels far away. I probably got hit harder than I thought. Or maybe I’m just fucking rusty.

It’s because of her.

Everything is because of her.

Levi splashes water over my head, and suddenly the world snaps back into focus. I hear the muffled cheers, the low hum of conversation, and Levi’s monotone voice in my ear.

“You fucking idiot, be glad you fucking won.”

I don’t respond. Winning doesn’t mean shit tonight.

I grab a towel, wiping the sweat off my face, and step out of the ring. My body aches, but not from the fight. It’s from the weight I’ve been carrying for weeks—the weight of everything falling apart. I walk down the dimly lit hallway, past the crowd of sweaty onlookers and the stench of stale beer and adrenaline. Levi follows behind me, always there, always watching my back like the shadow he’s become.

The guy at the end of the hall—a grizzled old man who runs this underground fight club—hands me an envelope, thick with cash. I pass it to Levi without a second thought. I know it’s all there. It always is.

This fight, this money—just another means to an end. I’ll take the envelope to financial aid on Monday, and that’ll cover my tuition. My father will never see the bill. He doesn’t need to.

Levi’s Mercedes waits by the curb, sleek and polished, the quiet hum of its engine filling the silence when he clicks the remote start.

Levi gets into the driver’s seat, and I slide in beside him. The leather is cold against my overheated skin, but I welcome it. It grounds me.

He starts the engine, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. “Seriously, man. What the fuck’s going on with you?”

I stare straight ahead, my hand gripping the towel on my lap. “I’m good.”

“You’re overworking yourself.”

“If someone’s fucking with Delta, I’m going to take them down.”

“Which is why we’re going to Dredyn’s house tonight?”

Dredyn Thompson. Omega Chi’s golden boy. He’s been on my radar for weeks now, ever since the rumors started swirling about Asher Blackwood’s murder. The bastard recently bought a house on the opposite side of town. On the surface, nothing suspicious about that—he’s graduating, setting up roots. But something about it doesn’t sit right with me. Not when strange shit’s been happening around campus.

Levi pulls the car into gear, driving us through the nearly deserted campus roads.

Dredyn’s hiding something. I can feel it. And whatever it is, I’m going to find out.

“I should never have forced Sable to stay with us,” I admit, my jaw clenching as I force the words out, refusing to meet Levi’s gaze.

Levi switches gears, letting out a snort of disbelief. “I tried to tell you it was a terrible idea. She’s fucking with your head, isn’t she?”

I don’t respond immediately. The silence that follows is louder than any argument I could make. Levi knows me too well, and the truth is written all over my face.

“Dude, you’ve been obsessed with her since we were kids. Maybe it’s time to let her go.”

His words strike a nerve. Let her go? It’s like he’s asking me to tear a piece of myself out and walk away from it. “Letting her go is never an option,” I snap, my fists tightening in my lap. “But it’s making me more violent the longer she ignores me in that fucking house.”

Levi sighs, pulling the car into a parking spot near the Omega Chi house. “Look, man, Day is attached to her like a puppy, and I’ve seen the way Kai looks at her. You’ve got two choices here: either you completely cut her off, like she seems to want, or you do what’s necessary to win her over.”

“And you?” I ask, eyes flicking over to him. I want to know where he stands.

Levi hands me a pair of binoculars without answering immediately. “I still think it’s best if I keep my distance. I still don’t trust myself after Victoria.”

His words simmer in the air as we settle into a rhythm, watching the house across the street. Hours pass, the conversation turning to lighter topics. But no matter what we talk about—fraternity drama, fights, school—Sable is always lurking in the back of my mind, a constant presence I can’t shake. I can’t let go of her.

Around midnight, a sleek black car pulls into the driveway. Levi nudges me as the headlights cut through the dark, lighting up the house.

Three guys stumble out of an Uber—Dredyn Steele, Jasper Thorn, and Talon Reed. The officers of Omega Chi. They’re unsteady, clearly drunk, after what must have been a wild night out. Dredyn, tall and blonde, fumbles with the keys, struggling to unlock the front door. Jasper leans heavily on him, his bulk sagging against his shoulder, while Talon, the redhead with a perpetual smirk, clutches a half-empty bottle of whiskey, swaying on his feet.

They push open the door, and the house swallows them in a burst of laughter and a final shout. The door slams shut behind them, and the night seems to breathe a sigh of relief.

Minutes pass, and then a shadow emerges at the edge of the streetlight. A small figure approaches the house, hesitant, moving slowly.

“Who is that?” I slap Levi, jarring him from his drowsy state.

Levi rubs his eyes, peering through the binoculars. “Uhh... looks like Mara Black?”

No.

That can’t be right.

Mara? The sweet, innocent girl whose brother heads Psi Theta? What the hell is she doing here? Mara is as clean cut as they come, friends with all the guys in Psi Theta, never known to step out of line.

What is she doing at Omega Chi’s doorstep?

She hesitates at the bottom of the steps, her eyes darting around nervously, like she knows she shouldn’t be there. She knocks lightly on the door, her small frame illuminated by the porch light.

There’s no response for a moment, and I think she might leave. But then the door swings open, and Dredyn stands there, filling the frame with his broad shoulders. A grin spreads across his face as recognition flickers in his eyes.

Without a word, he scoops her up into his arms.

Levi lets out a humph. “Guess they know her.”

I watch as Dredyn carries her over the threshold, her surprised gasp swallowed by the closing door. The night falls quiet again, but something about it feels off. Something more than just a frat boy bringing a girl home.

As the lights in the house go dark, Levi stretches beside me, stifling a yawn. “Looks like they’ve called it a night. Let’s head back.”

The drive home is suffocatingly quiet, the low hum of the engine doing nothing to ease the tension crawling under my skin. Levi shoots me the occasional glance, but he doesn’t press for conversation. He knows when to give me space.

When we finally pull up to the house, a sense of dread wraps itself around my chest, tightening with every breath. I don’t want to go inside. Not when she’s there, filling the air with her anger and resentment. It suffocates me.

I can’t stand the fact that I hurt her.

But I had to do it.

She has to understand that there are consequences of leaving me, to leaving us. The logic is sound in my mind, but the emotional toll is becoming unbearable. Levi’s words echo in my head, “Maybe it’s time to let her go.”

But how can I?

How do I sever the ties that have defined my entire existence?

Taking a deep breath, I push the door open and step inside. There’s an immediate shift, a palpable sense of peace that washes over me. The familiar scent of home, the faint hum of the refrigerator, the quiet creaks of the old house—it’s all so grounding.

But foreign.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I stop in front of Dayton’s door. My hand hesitates on the doorknob. If she’s awake, I’ll apologize. I’ll explain everything. I’ll tell her she’s the last person I would ever want to hurt.

I turn the knob, pushing the door open just enough to peer inside.

Sable is lying between Dayton and Kai, their bodies wrapped around her protectively. They’re all asleep, their breathing steady and peaceful.

My chest tightens, jealousy burning hot in my veins. That should be me.

I’ve never made her feel safe like that. Never made her feel the way Dayton and Kai clearly do. But knowing that she’s here, that she’s with us—even if it’s not with me—it’s enough to quell the rage bubbling beneath the surface. For now.

Together, we can protect her. Together, we can give her what she needs. If she lets us.

But she’s still mine. No matter what.