Page 25 of Fame & Obsession

I avert my eyes.

“You could’ve told us,” he says quietly. “You didn’t have to deal with it alone.”

My fingers clench together in my lap. “Not now, man.”

I have my reasons for keeping it a secret, but I don’t have the patience or energy to get into it right now.

Ty just dips his chin. “What’s changed?”

“Zane said they’ve gotten a little more...personal,” Tanna says, pulling her skullcap low around her eyes.

For a moment, my attention shifts from my shit show of a life and settles on her. Gone is the badass bassist from earlier. Tanna’s demeanor flips from harsh to shy as she sits down beside me on the couch and draws her body inward.

I don’t get women—at all…

And too damn drunk to figure them out.

She’s like a little sister who wants our approval one minute, then makes a one-eighty and acts standoffish and reserved the next.

Teenage moody bullshit.

This is why people love dogs more than kids.

I rub my temples in an attempt to ward off the headache brewing behind my eyes. “You could say that.”

“Not to beat a dead horse, but how is this letter different?” Ty asks.

I pull the folded piece of paper out of my back pocket and hand it to him. “The bitch is crazy.”

He can read it for himself. The words sicken me.

I watch his eyes widen as he scans the rambling paragraphs. I know them front, back, and sideways. I hear each psycho line in my sleep.

My Dearest Julian,

I lie here thinking of the greatness that’s befallen you, and a tear slides down my face. I know if you were here, you would bring it to your lips to bind us. That’s who you are. Your light shines for all to see.

As you embark on your moment of prosperity, I remind you that we will be together soon. It’s our destiny to rejoice in body and soul for eternity.

I’m chasing you, Julian. I see you. I think of you, and I imagine the fingers that caress the strings of your guitar also caress me. I know you see me too. You’ve touched me, and I know you trust I’ve saved myself just for you. The moment we become one, you will be absolved.

Until then, I’ll be thinking of you and watching your every move. You belong to me.

Your Angel,

Me

“Dude, this chick has lost contact with the mothership,” Ty blurts out, his eyes wide.

“Who are you telling?” Closing my eyes, I roll my neck.

“What were the others like?”

“Not as batshit as that one.” Cracking an eyelid, I stare at the paper in his hand. “The others sounded fangirly. This one is fucking creepy.”

“Have you told Helena you have a stalker?”

I let out a halfhearted laugh. “Get real.”