Page 26 of His Obsession Her Cure

Pepper

C lass was in full swing, and I was in my element.

The early mornings and late nights of studying were something that I would have to get used to, but I could do this, besides I had Char for support.

We were good study partners. Being on campus has been quite the learning curve for me.

I wasn't like Char. She was the smart outgoing girl that could talk to anyone at any time. While I was also just smart, I chose solitude and the company of those I felt knew me best which at the moment was only Char and the family. Char has made a few acquaintances, and we have even been invited to a study group, but I wasn’t sure if that was going to work for me.

I wasn’t a fan of new people or big crowds, but I would have to push through in order to complete this program.

And I didn’t want to stop Char from being great.

She was a social butterfly, but she would pull back to make sure I was comfortable and as much as I appreciated that about her my mental health issues weren’t her burden to bear.

“Your clinical groups for this semester have been selected and are listed on the portal. This is the group you will be with throughout your time at the respective clinical sites.” Our clinical instructor told the class.

“Will we find out about our clinical site as well?” Asked one of the girls from class.

“Yes, the location and your clinical instructor will be listed as well. If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to speak with your advisors.

Class dismissed, we'll see you all next week.

Don't forget to study chapters two-fifteen for the exam,” she said as we made our way out of the classroom.

The quad buzzed with students and laughter spilling across the lawn.

I clutched my books tighter as I walked to the library, trying to drown out Nyx humming in my ear.

And then a cold sensation crept up my spine making me freeze on the spot.

I lifted my head, peering around the campus to see what had spooked me, when my eyes landed on the figure of a man standing behind a bush right outside the double doors of the math building.

There he was, his eyes were on me, hollow and accusing.

His lips moved soundlessly in a word I could barely make out.

Murderer.

My knees wobbled and the world tilted.

“No,” I hissed under my breath. “You’re not real.”

“He’s not there! We have nothing to worry about. We got rid of him and he’s not coming back.”

But he’s right there Nyx, we need to do something.

“We already did. Now stop looking and fix your fucking face. It will be alright I promise. We just need to relax.”

But her voice sounded unlike her normal confident self, less certain, like she wasn’t fully convinced herself.

“Hey Leila, wait up!” I was startled by someone calling me by the name I had given everyone on campus.

I turned to find Samuel, a guy from a few of my classes walking towards me with a smile on his face.

But I was still looking in the direction of the bush.

But when the crowd shifted, blocking my view and when I looked up, he was gone.

So, I shook off the feeling of unease and focused on the guy in front of me.

Samuel took Pathophysiology and Microbiology with us and was one of the people that had invited us to join his study group.

He was a nice-looking white guy with beautifully tanned skin that made him look like he was from a mediterranean country.

With sea green eyes and a jaw that looked like it had been carved out of marble.

Short black curls hung down in his eyes and framed his handsome features that were highlighted with a dazzling smile.

He had tattoos that trailed down his arms and decorated his neck giving him a little edge to his clean-cut appearance that screamed that he was destined for a career in the ER.

His presence dwarfed mine as he caught up with me and I waited to hear what he needed.

Samuel wasn’t anyone I considered a friend, but he was always friendly and initiated conversation when I was in the same setting as him and our other classmates.

He made an effort to make sure I felt included unlike some of the other students that ignored my existence all together.

“Are you okay? You look a little frazzled.” He asked, looking at me with concern.

“No, I’m fine. Just thought I saw something, that's all.” I said, fixing my face like I was interested in whatever he had to say.

“Oh, okay,” he smiled. “We got the same clinical rotation at Memorial with Dr. Bryant.”

“Oh, that’s cool, I hadn’t looked yet." I told him, continuing on with my journey to the quiet and solitude of the library.

I heard him drop in step with me as we made our way out of the corridor and onto the grounds of the school.

It was still really nice outside, so I removed my jacket and tied it around my waist. I felt Samuel's eyes on me as soon as my jacket left my body. He wasn’t disrespectful with his gaze.

He just seemed to linger too long for it to be a friendly peek at my outfit.

“I wanted to ask you something.” He said with a little hesitation.

“I don’t like this overly familiar white boy. We are already taken, Sir.”

“Okay, ask me.”

“I um. I wanted to ask if you wanted to go out on a date with me sometime?” He asked, causing me to stop and look at him.

“See I told you. He wants you. Get rid of him before I do. Daddy would not like us entertaining other men.”

I’m not entertaining anyone. He’s a classmate.

Samuel was definitely handsome, charming, always nice and had a good sense of humor.

And if I wasn’t currently seeing a man who claimed me as his wife every chance I got, I would definitely consider it.

Not only because of his good looks but because he noticed things about me and made sure to accommodate me, so I was comfortable.

I had come to notice that whenever I was alone in a room full of my classmates, he made it his business to come and sit with me so I wouldn’t feel alone.

He always included me when the other students left me out because they assumed I was just the smart weird girl that Char hung out with.

If I wasn’t with Char he was with me under the guise of needing a study partner even though I knew he was just as smart as I was.

Between the three of us we got the highest grades in the program.

I never realized that his actions were anything other than friendly.

Maybe because I was so wrapped up in Gunner and I wasn’t looking for anything else other than maybe a friend and I think that’s where I would have to keep Samuel.

“Um, no thank you. I don’t see you like that. Plus, I think I’m sort of dating someone.” I told him, making as much eye contact as I could so he knew I was serious. I was still working on that.

“You think… Either you are dating someone or you’re not. If you were my girl, you would never have to guess where you stood with me.” He said confidently. I stopped mid-stride to face him.

“I suppose we’ll never know. I think we should just keep things the way they are and remain friends.” I told him looking up into the sea green eyes. Now that I was looking at him, I could see the want in them along with a little twinkle of trouble as well.

“I don’t like this Pep. You better keep him in line or I’ll cut off his hands and collect them as trophies.”

“Just so you know if at any time this man of yours isn’t treating you right. I’m always here for you in any capacity you need me to be in whether it be as a friend or something more.” He said, grazing his knuckles down my cheek, and trapping me in a momentary trance.

Damn Samuel was smoother than I thought, but I couldn’t lose myself in his charm. I was already trying to find my way with Gunner and if I was being honest that was where I wanted to be.

“Pep, guess what? We’re all in the same clinical group.

” Char said, running up to me breaking me from the trance my thoughts had me in.

I took a step back and broke the contact Samuels hand was still making with my skin.

Samuel took a step back as well, straightening his tall frame and broke his intense gaze with me before turning to acknowledge Char’s presence.

“Did I disturb something?” She said looking at the both of us suspiciously.

“No, um I was just letting Leila know that we all got into the same clinical group. I can’t wait to get started taking care of real patients.” Samuel said like he wasn’t just trying to get me to be with him.

“Okay, right.” She said, looking at me with her brows raised before locking my arm in hers and turning to continue our trek to the library.

“Samuel, are you coming or do you have something else to do?” Char asked.

“No, I’ll see you guys in a minute. I have a couple of things to handle before class this afternoon. I’ll catch you guys later.” He said before giving me another one of his intense gazes before walking off.

“You’re not going to the library anymore?” I asked him, confused, because I swore he said he was headed there too.

“No, I forgot I had somewhere else to be right now. I’ll see you guys in class.” He said before rushing off.

And as he did, I stole another glance over at the bush, but it was still empty. So, I just shook it off as another symptom I would eventually have to take to a therapist about when I got one.

“Bitch what the fuck? Was fine ass Samuel Masimo just caressing your face ever so sweetly?”

“It wasn’t like that. He asked me out and I told him I was kind of seeing someone. He let me know that if I was his I would never have to guess where I stood with him.”

“Bitch I knew he liked you. He’s always watching and whenever I move, he can’t wait to jump in my skin and be wherever you are. Do you think he’ll take the hint because girl my cousin is crazy about you, and I would hate to see him get hurt behind fucking with you.”

“Samuel and I are just friends and classmates. That’s it, that’s all and I just told him as much. So, we won’t have to worry about Gunner doing anything to him because he won’t be finding out that we even had this discussion right Char?”

“Okay if you say so but the way that man was looking into your eyes he sees something he wants. And from what I heard about Samuel he usually gets what he wants but in this case, he might get an ass whooping for his trouble behind chasing you,” she laughed.

“Well, I’m not interested. Come on, let's go get some studying done before our next class.” Microbiology went by fast as usual, and we were back outside before I knew it.

Samuel didn’t say anything about what we had talked about earlier so I guess we would simply go back to how things were before the talk.

After classes were completed for the day, we headed over to the local scrub shop to pick up a few things for clinical.

We really didn’t need anything because the school supplied us with a few basics like our diagnostic kit, a stethoscope and our white coats.

But like Char said they were not meant to last so we should invest in getting some new items and some nice scrubs in our school colors.

Before we got to the shopping center where the shop was located.

I had Char stop me at the bank. Since Char and Gunner had been paying for my things I still had most of the money Tyron had given me.

I used the ATM card I recently got and followed the prompts to take out two hundred dollars.

The machine gave me my money, but when I got my receipt, I froze.

“Charrrr.” I yelled as my legs got weak.

“Girl, what are you yelling about? What happened?” She yelled, jumping out of the car to make sure I wasn’t hurt.

“Someone put over a hundred thousand dollars in my bank account.” I said, still staring at the receipt.

“Oh that. Girl, you had me thinking something happened to your ass.” She said nonchalantly, waving her hand.

“What do you mean, Oh that? What do you know, Charlotte?”

“Don’t get mad, but Gunner met with the bank manager and deposited it the day we went shopping. He wanted to make sure you could pay for school without looking for a job and depending on a bunch of loans.”

“That’s what the fuck I’m talking about, Daddy. Take care of your woman.”

“Why would he do that? I’m not a charity case.”

“No, you’re not but Gunner takes care of his family and whether you believe it or not you are part of his family now.

” She said as I grasped the receipt tightly.

These people were strange. I hadn't been here for a whole month, and they were taking care of me better than my own family had. I wonder what Demonica was doing, was she worried about me or was she happy I was finally out of her life. Probably the latter. Tyron had said I deserved better, and Gunner was better. Char was better. But it was still weird, I didn’t feel right taking his money for him to become my next jailer. No, I would have to give it back.

“Bitch, are you crazy? This is what we been waiting for. If you ruin this for us, you will regret it.”