Page 13 of My Treasured Obsession

I shook the bottle of varnish and unscrewed the cap before meticulously painting my bare toenails. Red and black were my favourite colours and they were well-incorporated into my wardrobe. Over the last few years, Anna helped me curate my outfits based on my style, ranging from classy, business chic, dark academia, gothic-inspired to everything in between.

“Where are your mom and brother today?” I inquired after applying my first coat.

Pensive, Anna gazed down at her own sparkly pink nails. “Michael is hanging out with his friend, and Mom’s at work. Too busy for us as usual.”

I hated the sadness surrounding her. “Anna…”

Grief was the hardest emotion to process in my opinion. After all, it was love that had no place to go, locked inside the chest of your soul with the key floating somewhere in the river of your tears.

Anna’s dad died almost a year ago and the wound was still very much raw and bleeding, barely bandaged and with nosigns of healing soon. Michael was too young to fully grasp that his dad was gone forever, Anna’s mom avoided their reality by throwing herself into work so she never had to stop and think about the loss of her soulmate, and our best friend? She was all too aware of his death and trying her best to cope without his presence. Some days were good, like today. And some days were really bad, where pulling herself out of bed and going through the motions of her daily routine felt too much. She was wracked with guilt and pain that never seemed to lessen.

Layla and I did our best to be there for her and offer all the comfort we possibly could. But I understood that with these kinds of tragedies, only time would heal the wound. I truly hoped Anna could one day live freely without all these demons haunting her.

Anna shook her head as if ridding herself of certain thoughts. “Anyways, how was the party last night? Did you have a good time?”

During brunch, I avoided the topic of the party, steering the conversation towards our busy school and work week instead. Naturally, Anna picked up on it.

“It was good. I had fun.”

And I made out with the hottest man alive.

Done with her phone call, Layla chose that exact moment to breeze out of the walk-in closet, the train of her dress trailing behind her like an angelic cloud. “By the way, Josh mentioned you ran into Hunter at the party.”

“Oh.” My throat went dry. “W-what exactly did Hunter tell him?”

Anna and Layla sported matching frowns at my tone.

“Just that he ran into you.” Suspicious, Layla crossed her arms over her chest and went to stand beside Anna. “Was Hunter supposed to tell Josh somethingbeyondthat?”

Huh. So he didn’t tell Josh that we kissed. Not that I expected him to. Hunter didn’t appear like the kind of person to kiss and tell. And regardless of what men claimed, they loved to gossip. Just like women. If not more.

My silence caused their frowns to melt and their eyes to sharpen into inquisitive stares filled with plenty of unanswered questions.

“Gabriela,” Anna hedged calmly, the use of my full name not lost on me. “Is there something you want to tell us?”

I shrank under their undivided attention. Papà always said that if I ever got kidnapped and interrogated, I’d crack like an egg and spill every secret they demanded. I wasn’t one of God’s strongest warriors and I was okay with that. “Like what?”

“Did something happen between you and”—Anna and Layla exchanged a quick glance before fixating on me again—“Hunter?”

“Why would you say that?” I avoided eye contact and continued applying my second coat of nail polish. What a pretty shade of blood red. I loved it.

“Based on the way you’re acting and squirming,” Layla chimed in.

Fuck it.

Taking a deep breath, I blurted out, “I might have kissed Hunter last night.”

It got so quiet that you could probably hear a pin drop.

Followed by a loud eruption of girlish shrieks. I pretended to block out their noise by cupping my hands over my ears, even though I grinned widely at their reactions. “Quiet down, you banshees!”

Layla shot a pink pillow my way. “Spill. Every. Single. Detail.”

“I can’t believe that wasn’t the first thing you told us this morning,” Anna accused with a mirthful edge. “Why so secretive?”

Layla mock gasped. “She didn’t say anything because it meant something to her. Shelikedit. Otherwise, she tells us about every meaningless hookup.”

“You’re right. This one meant something.” Anna’s eyes flared. “You like him, don’t you, Gabby?”