Page 1 of Obsessing Over His Favorite

Chapter 1 Memories

"Lucas, please... I'm scared," Emily whimpered, her voice trembling as she ran down the empty, darkened street. Her heels clicked sharply on the pavement, but louder than that was the frantic pounding of her heart in her chest.

“Someone’s following me.” She let out a shuddering breath, her steps quickening.

The footsteps behind her picked up speed.

Panic tightened her chest, making it hard to breathe. Her lungs burned, her whole body tense from fear.

She glanced around wildly. The road was lined with abandoned houses, shadows creeping across broken fences and cracked sidewalks. Not even stray animals lingered here.

“Emily, will you stop making excuses already?” Lucas’s voice snapped through the phone. That deep, commanding voice—once the same one she’d fallen in love with—now bristled with annoyance. “I’m just dropping Amelia off at her place. Why do you have to be so damn dramatic all the time?”

"No…," Emily whispered, her desperation growing as she kept moving forward. "Lucas, you told me to take this street. Yousaid you’d meet me at Harvard Street in five minutes. Where are you?"

"When the hell did I say that?" he barked. "I clearly told you to wait outside the hotel. Emily, this was a very important day for my business. Do you really have to ruin it even more just because I said I’d drop Amelia off first?"

"No—Amelia told me! She said you wanted me to wait here. She—"

“For fuck’s sake!” Lucas growled, slamming his fist against the steering wheel. The sharp thud echoed in the car, followed by a harsh exhale. “You just can’t stop badmouthing her, can you?” His jaw clenched. “Amelia warned me just minutes ago. Said you’d find a way to blame her again. Like you always do.”

"Lucas, please... please," Emily cried, her voice cracking as tears spilled down her cheeks. Her fear surged as she clutched the phone tighter, glancing around wildly. "I’m begging you," she whispered. "Come here. Please. I’m so scared..."

“I told you—I’ll pick you up after I’m done dropping off Amelia. Stop acting like a damn child and wait!”

Then the line went dead.

Emily froze. Her heartbeat stopped for a moment. The silence that followed was unbearable.

Frantic, she tried calling him again, but her phone slipped through her trembling fingers and crashed onto the pavement with a sickening thud.

"No, no, no..." she gasped, crouching down to pick it up. Her fingers shook violently as she reached for the shattered screen.

Just as her eyes lifted, she froze.

A pair of blue shoes stood inches from her face.

A man. Jeans. Broad legs.

Then—WHAM!

A sharp, brutal blow to her head sent her flying backward. The man’s hammer dropped to the ground, its metallic clang echoing through the alley.

Emily doubled over in pain, her vision blurred. Blood ran hot down her face, stinging her eyes. Her head throbbed, her hands clutched at the injury, but she could barely stay conscious.

The man's legs had already disappeared from view.

Then she heard it—a car engine roaring to life.

Headlights flashed.

No.

She turned her head slowly, dread soaking her bones. A black car charged straight at her.

She couldn’t even scream before it struck her. Her body flew several feet into the air, then crashed violently to the asphalt. Her limbs sprawled. Her breath knocked out of her lungs.

She couldn't see anymore. Everything hurt. Her head felt like it was splitting open. Blood was everywhere.