Page 10 of Only Everything (The Obsession #1)

TAUREN

It was the nausea from the sway that drew me from the darkness.

There was a constant thump-thump of footsteps that made it feel like I was rocking on a boat.

I groaned, whimpering as I tried to swallow past the burning ache in my throat.

My entire body was screaming in agony. My head lifted, only to fall as I was drawn deeper into a chest.

“Almost there. Keep sleeping.”

The sudden gentle rocking didn’t help soothe me—the voice. I sobbed, feeling Emmett hug around me tighter.

“No need to be upset. We’re going to make you all better. You clearly weren’t thinking straight. I mean, trying to leave me? Crying while we made love? Love , Tauren. Tonight was special. We got engaged. We could be having a baby. And you were leaving me while you thought I was gone?”

“I can’t?—”

My voice was barely audible as I tried to push out the words. I couldn’t even continue through the pain .

“Clearly, what you can’t do is see the mistake you’re making.

You’re tired. This hike took a lot out of you.

That’s my fault. I’ve had a lot of time to think about this, and I see that now.

We’ll lay you down, and I’ll give you a nice massage.

I’ll show you how much you love me, and you’ll see how wrong you were when you tried to leave. Or…”

He trailed off, ducking under the sudden hanging vines that had me thrashing in his arms. I knew where we were. Had I been passed out for so long?

Wind picked up, and I clung around Emmett’s neck in a death grip.

“Or… maybe I should accept that you’re finished. Is that what we are? We’re done?” Rocks slid around his feet as he stepped onto the cliff. “You can be honest. You can tell me the truth.”

“N-not done. No .”

“I can’t hear you. You’re going to have to speak up.”

His arm dropped from under my knees as it lifted so that he could hold along my ribs. He still had his other arm barred across my back, and I was locked around his neck as my legs straightened but didn’t reach the ground.

“Not done. Not!”

“I can still barely hear you. You must be getting sick. You’ve lost your voice.

Did you say we’re not done? I mean, if you did, I can take you back to the tent.

” Fingers dug into my side painfully. “I can make you feel better. We can talk over our future.” Slowly, he bent down, lowering me until my feet touched the ground, but I wouldn’t let go.

Not with the cliff a mere foot behind me.

“Not done. Not, please. Please. Emmett.”

“Hmm.” He reached up, grabbing both of my wrists behind his head, prying them free to clasp between us. “You haven’t convinced me. Try again.”

Sobs, and I couldn’t stop them. “I want to go lay down. Massage. I-I want a massage. I’m sick. I’m not t-thinking straight.”

Silence.

“I think you said you weren’t thinking straight. Are you sure that’s it? You can be honest with me, Tauren.”

A strangled sound left me, and I could almost feel his hands back around my throat.

Emmett had come from the darkness. I’d almost ran into him as he headed in my direction, but he caught me, spinning me to slam on the ground as anger possessed him from my declaration that I was leaving.

I swung as his hand had latched to my face, but I could barely wrap my mind around how fast my swings triggered him.

He hit. And hit. And…then he was choking me.

I must have passed out because…we were here.

All that running. All those miles for nothing. How long had I been out?

Long.

Very fucking long.

“I can’t hear you.” His voice deepened, filling back with malice. “Are you choosing us, or are you choosing him ? That’s what this is really about right? Reid?”

My mouth opened, but words wouldn’t immediately come.

“He’s my brother.”

“People don’t normally fuck their brother. And you did. I know you did. No brother obsesses over their sister like he does you. You screwed him, and that’s why your dad killed his mom. ”

My head shook back and forth, sending my damp hair swaying against the middle of my back. Tears were blinding me, and blame was like a knife in my heart. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t speak. All I could do was continue to shake my head as I cried.

“Tauren… don’t lie to me . You were with Reid, and somehow your parents found out about it.

Why else would your brother give you a hard time about quickly moving on.

He said that at the funeral. His anger wasn’t over a fight.

It was over your breakup. You told me you hadn’t dated anyone.

I sure as fuck couldn’t find evidence that you did, and trust me, I looked.

I tried figuring out his remark, but after that message on your phone, I knew why I never found anyone. It was him all along .”

Still, my head shook. Pressure gripped into my shirt, twisting the material as Emmett stepped forward, pushing me a step back. I cried out, clutching to his shirt.

“Please!”

“Admit it. You. Fucked. Your brother .” Again, he pushed. I screamed out with the little voice I had, but it barely even made a sound.

“Hey! Why don’t you step over here and ask me that?”

Emmett spun, dragging me to the side as he did. My foot slid along the edge, and I screamed out again, almost falling. Emmett kept holding onto my shirt, dragging me along as he moved in closer to Reid.

“Well, I’ll be fucking damned.” Viciously, Emmett jerked me inches from his face, glaring down at me. “You called Reid?” Dawning had his top lip peeling back. “You were running… to Reid ?”

“I’m right here. Let her go and come ask me.”

Emmett didn’t keep his eyes on Reid for long. The longer he glared at me, the more I could feel myself fighting to lower to the ground.

“Emmett! Pussy , I’m over here. Come look at me like that.”

“You have no idea what you’ve done.” Emmett’s hand surged out, fisting my hair, but the click had his head snapping to Reid. I looked over, feeling my heart drop from my chest as Reid held the gun pointed at Emmett.

“I already called the police. Didn’t you hear the sirens? They’re coming for you.” Reid lifted my phone. “She was talking to me when you attacked her. I was on the phone with nine-one-one when that happened. Do you know how fucked you are?”

The anger drained from Emmett’s face, and he stood taller, looking towards the path we’d come down.

His hand loosened in my shirt, and the next thing I knew, Reid ripped me away from the edge.

He dropped me and lunged forward, connecting with Emmett’s jaw.

The pop was solid and brutal. Emmett stumbled back, letting out a roar as he tried grabbing for my brother.

Reid stayed just out of reach, toying with him. Stalking him as if he were food.

“Look at you. Pathetic. Losing to me . Losing Tauren. Losing this fight before it even begins.” Reid ducked as Emmett’s fist went for his face, and he was ready as his fist jabbed into Emmett’s mouth, forcing him stumbling back closer to the edge.

“I thought you were big and bad. Your ego is as big as the lies you feed yourself. Face it. You’re nothing but a lousy cop compensating for low self-esteem and a small-ass dick.

Beating on my sister . Did it make you feel good?

Make you feel like you weren’t losing her?

Because you are, you know that, right? Tauren isn’t yours. She belongs to me .”

Emmett’s roar echoed around us, sending a chill creeping up my spine. The hair on my arms even stood on end. Again, Emmett swung, but Reid didn’t move or duck. He just stood there taking it. I cried out, confused, holding my clenched hands at my mouth as Emmett hit him again.

My brother’s laughter filled the space, making my fear intensify. What was he doing? Was he crazy?

“Tauren will never be yours. We’re getting married .”

“And having a baby, right?” My brother smiled, and rage took over Emmett as he surged forward again.

It was exactly what Reid was waiting for.

The moment he stepped in, Reid jabbed, only to connect hard against his jaw.

He grabbed Emmett as he started to sway, connecting with crushing force as he practically held him up.

“It was never going to be you. She’s always been mine.”

“ Ahhh! Fuck you!”

Emmett threw his weight forward, right into my brother. Both men hit the ground hard. Blood was smeared along Emmett’s mouth and cheek, looking black in the darkness. Even Reid had blood trailing down his chin.

I couldn’t think. All I could feel was terror as I tried to imagine how my life was going to be after this. Emmett sure as hell wasn’t going to let it go now. He’d come after me again. And now Reid would have to endure this as well. The harassment. The stalking and threats.

“Stop it!”

I paced, fisting my hair as the men continued to trade punches. But it wasn’t right. Reid wasn’t fighting back like he’d been before. He was letting Emmett hit him. And if Emmett got the upper hand…he’d kill Reid. He’d hurt him.

Frantically, my eyes searched the area. With how the clouds were clearing out, the moon gave view to different sized rocks on the ground. I grabbed a smaller one, but it was still so big, I could barely wrap my hand around it.

“E-Enough! Dammit. Reid! Emmett!”

Emmett rolled Reid to his back, and I didn’t think.

I couldn’t. I stepped in, swinging the large rock with everything I had.

Emmett’s wide body flew to the side, and I could see blood running a river over the large gash on his forehead.

A groan left him as he tried to push to sit up, but he swayed, falling more towards the cliff.

“Taur-en. Fucking bitch. You’re dead. You wait.”

“I said stop it. We’re done. I never want to see you again.” I turned to my brother. “Reid , please. I want to go.”

“You’re not leaving. You’re never leaving me.

” Emmett surged up, swaying, his eyes a blaze as he righted himself.

Before I could process what I was seeing, air exploded from his mouth.

Reid’s boot connected with his ribs, and Emmett’s arms flew back, swinging wildly as he disappeared over the edge.

My mouth gaped but nothing would come out as I stared into an empty darkness.

For seconds I couldn’t move. Branches broke. A loud grunt sounded. Seconds or eternity passed before a heavy thunk landed on rock below. My legs gave out, but I didn’t fall. I couldn’t with how fast Reid had made it to me. He was curling around from behind, holding me up as I sobbed.

“Shh. I got you. It’s going to be okay now. Shh.”

“Reid, what have we done?”

“… What was always going to happen. I said I’d protect you.” His tone turned deeper, more absolute. “ You said you were mine. He’s lucky I didn’t have more time.”

Harder I cried, turning to hold onto Reid. For the first time, I heard the barrage of multiple sirens in the far distance. Even though I felt like this was an ending to a nightmare, I couldn’t ignore it was one I created.

Had I known my choices would come down to this?

Maybe I did.

Maybe I didn’t.

Someone had to fall. … This time it wasn’t me.