Page 29 of Mutual Obsession (Rivals of Blackthorn #2)

I ’ve paced so much these last few weeks, I’ve barely needed to go to the gym. Marcus and Chloe have just got home to find me pacing in the kitchen, tugging on the ends of my hair, as anxiety trickles through my veins like poison. I don’t even need to look, I can feel their judgy eyes on me.

“I’m going to need to replace the flooring if you keep going like this, grinding away at it,” Marcus grumbles, as he climbs onto the stool at the island.

Chloe joins him, though she has to jump a little to get on hers, given how short she is. “If you don’t stop pulling on your hair, you’ll be bald.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m going grey anyway, and I may be developing an ulcer. Even raising a teenage girl wasn’t this fucking stressful,” I blurt out, rubbing my hand across my face.

Marcus laughs, but quickly turns it into a cough when his girlfriend glares at him. She then turns her fierce stare on me, and for just a fraction of a second, she looks just like her brother, which doesn’t fucking help.

“Sit down and tell us what’s going on,” Chloe says, pointing at the stool opposite.

I don’t bother sitting, as I’m too wound up for that, but I start talking. I tell them all about Gregg and The Count, making it clear just how much fucking danger Indie is really in. It’s a fucking miracle she’s survived as long as she has.

Marcus shakes his head, as he mutters a string of curse words under his breath. Chloe, on the other hand, has turned deathly pale and looks terrified. “What are we going to do to keep Indie safe?”

I wince, remembering her fucking brother’s stupid suggestion. Well, part of it was a good idea. It was only when I was dragged into things that it moved into the insane. “She’s moving in with Jacob.”

Marcus’ head snaps up, and suddenly he looks much more interested than he was before. Chloe appears to be just as shocked. She tentatively asks, “Is that the reason you’re practically pulling your hair out? Because she’ll be living with Jake?”

I let out a huff as I admit, “It’s hard seeing them together.” I leave off the part about me staying there too, as I’m not ready to admit to that yet.

Chloe nods, her face softening as she looks at me with understanding.

“You might not want to hear this, but I think it’s different with Indie for Jake.

I know he’s been really different since he came out of rehab, and I finally feel like I have my brother back, so maybe that’s the reason, but he’s definitely behaving differently with Indie.

“Whatever the reason, he’s approaching this in a way he doesn’t normally. He’s getting to know her, taking it slow. This is the longest he’s ever dated someone without sleeping with them. Hell, he’s not even kissed her yet, I?—”

“Really?” I cut in, sounding far too high-pitched and eager.

“Yeah, really?” Marcus echoes my sentiment with his own shocked tone.

Chloe chuckles as she nods. “I’m not sure if that’s because he likes her more than all the others, or he’s just doing things the right way finally.”

I let out a sigh as I flop onto the stool, suddenly feeling too tired to continue moving. “I’m not sure that helps me.”

Marcus clears his throat, grabbing my attention. “I’m not a massive expert when it comes to women, but if you hate her so much, after she hurt you as badly as she did, why do you care who she dates?”

I groan under the intensity of his gaze. “I don’t fucking know.”

Chloe lets out a chuckle, and we both turn to look at her.

My glare doesn’t deter her, she simply rolls her eyes at me.

“Haven’t you heard of the saying: ‘There’s a fine line between love and hate’?

For you, Miles, that line is anger. You’ve been so angry at her all this time because she left you, but now you know why she left, being angry at her is a lot harder, I’m guessing. ”

With a huff, I nod. “Honestly, she left at the worst possible time in my life, and I was so mad at her that I struggled to deal with things as well as I should have. Part of me has always blamed her for that, as it was easier than admitting my own failings.”

Chloe reaches over and grabs my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I think the thing you need to ask yourself is why you never moved on? It’s been seven years since she left, and in all that time, I’ve never seen you with anyone else.”

“That’s because he hasn’t been with anyone else,” Marcus adds, somewhat unhelpfully.

I groan, clamping my hands into fists to claw back the urge to pull on my hair again. “For the first couple of years, I was too focused on my new job protecting Marcus, training to get better and stronger, all while raising Courtney. She got all of my spare time and energy.”

Marcus scoffs. “You had plenty of time for one-night stands, you just didn’t go for those either. They wouldn’t have taken any time away from Court.”

I shrug, not able to argue with him. “I guess I’m just not a one-night stand kind of guy.”

Chloe chuckles as she says, “Or maybe you never got over the one that got away?”

I know she’s referring to Indie, but as soon as she says those words, my thoughts instantly go to her dirty-blond-haired brother. As soon as I think about Jacob, I can’t get the kiss from the other day out of my mind.

As soon as his lips touched mine, I felt that dangerous bloom of hope in my chest, and I’ve been trying to push it down ever since. Even if I can’t stop myself from reliving it whenever I’m alone.

When silence stretches between us, and it’s clear I’m not going to respond, Chloe asks, “Why don’t you just spend some time with her and see what happens?”

I guess now would be a good time to tell them the part I conveniently left out earlier. “Jacob said I could stay in one of his other spare rooms, to help keep her safe.”

Chloe’s smile grows, and she’s almost bouncing on her stool. “You should definitely do that.” Marcus lets out a loud groan, and she whips her head around to face him, her eyes narrowing as she asks, “What’s the matter?”

Marcus shakes his head despondently. “No good can come from this. What the hell do you think is going to happen? If Miles forgives Indie, and things move forward with them, it’ll only cause more hassle. Jake has made it clear he likes her, and I can’t see him backing off.

“Eventually, Indie will need to choose between them, and the last thing I need is a war between Miles and Jake. Things have only just settled since the last punching match. Not only that, Miles is his sober companion, so if they fall out, Jake’s sobriety could be on the line.”

Chloe’s eyes widen and she looks alarmed, her gaze frantically flicking between me and Marcus. “I didn’t think about that.”

“Calm down, Chloe. If it comes to that, I promise I’ll talk to Jake. I’ll always put his sobriety first.”

What I really want to say is that it might not come down to a choice. Ever since Jacob put the idea of us all sharing each other in my head, I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it. Well, over-analysing would be a much better description.

Chloe talks, pulling me away from those ever present thoughts.

“Before things even get close to that, you need to talk to Indie about her leaving. Obviously, when she left, it hurt you a lot. You’ve heard her reasons for leaving, but I think, for you to even begin clearing the air, you have to tell her how much it affected you. ”

As much as I hate thinking back on those days, I know Chloe is right. We have to draw a line over the past, but before we can do that, we have to make sure nothing is left unsaid.

Before I can focus on that, there’s one final thing I need to talk to Marcus about, and when I turn to face him, he’s glaring at me like he’s had enough shit to deal with for one day.

“As much as I hate to say this, Marcus, I think you’re going to need to arrange a meeting with Bree and the Doughtys. They need to know about Gregg The Twat and The Cunt—Jacob’s nicknames,” I add as Chloe laughs.

Marcus rolls his eyes, but I can see he’s fighting to hold back a smile, too. “I’m sure you’re looking forward to seeing Bree as much as I am.” There’s a sarcastic edge to his voice, so I flip my middle finger at him.

“I have a healthy fear of Bree, and I think anyone who doesn’t is a fucking lunatic,” I state unashamedly.

There’s a reason a girl who is younger than me can keep a country full of men in line… She’s someone you don’t mess with!

“True,” Marcus agrees. “Still doesn’t mean I want to meet with her any more often than I have to. She’s going to be pissed when we bring this to her.”

I nod, wincing as I think about her losing her temper. “We need her and her family’s help to keep Indie safe. Besides, The Count sounds like someone who needs shutting down as soon as possible. Bree has the resources and the power to do that.”

Chloe cuts in. “If she can help you save any children he’s taken, as well as keeping Indie safe, you have to do it.”

She’s looking at Marcus with those pleading eyes, and even though my best friend would have said yes to me eventually, he caves a lot quicker when she flutters her lashes at him like that.

“Fine. I’ll set up an appointment,” Marcus grumbles, and Chloe pulls him in for a kiss.

“That’s my cue to leave,” I grumble as I jump down from the stool.

As I walk down to the room I keep here at Marcus’, I think about the conversation I need to have with Indie. Chloe was right when she said we can’t move forward unless everything has been laid out.

Indie told me why she left, and now I understand, but it doesn’t change the way I felt after she’d gone. I need to tell her about what happened during that time, to help her understand why her absence hit me harder than it would normally have.

She opened up and told me about the worst time in her life, and now I owe her the same favour. I’ve spent a long time trying not to think about how dark things got, but now I have to let the memories in.