Page 23 of Shadows of Obsession

Jaxon shook his head, his expression grim. "I've seen how she strings him along. Just watch her tonight. You'll see how she keeps him on a leash, how she plays with his emotions. Trust me, you'll pick up on it."

A surge of protectiveness toward Connor washed over me. The thought of him being manipulated left a bitter taste in my mouth. I nodded, deciding to keep a close eye on Morgan. If Jaxon's warning held any truth, I needed to understand the dynamics at play.

With that, Jaxon turned and headed back inside, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

As more guests arrived, I made a deliberate effort to stay within earshot of Connor and Morgan, my senses attuned to every word and gesture. Connor, ever the attentive host, moved easily among the growing crowd, greeting friends with warm handshakes and easy laughter. But even as he mingled, his eyes always seemed to find Morgan. His gaze lingered on her with a mix of longing and uncertainty, and he always drifted back to her, catering to her every need.

Morgan, for her part, seemed strangely indifferent to Connor's presence. Whenever she could, she kept her distance with practiced ease. When his attention shifted elsewhere, she'd drift away, putting space between them. It was both unsettling and fascinating to watch. She floated through the party like a ghost, her smile bright but fleeting, her laughter just a touch too forced.

In the quiet moments between bursts of laughter, I began to notice the subtle cues: the way Morgan's smile tightened and turned brittle when Connor drew near; how her eyes never sought him out; how she edged away when he leaned in close, her body language building a barrier he either couldn't see or refused to acknowledge.

As the evening wore on, unease settled in my stomach like a lead weight. I glanced around at the other guests, wondering if they too sensed the strange undercurrents between Connor and Morgan.

To my surprise, I caught more than a few knowing looks. Raised brows, quiet whispers, sympathetic glances. More than one face held pity for Connor.

Lost in thought, I barely noticed when someone sat down beside me on the porch steps, the worn wood creaking beneath their weight. It wasn't until the woman spoke that I jolted back to the present.

"You see it too, don't you?" she asked, her green eyes sparkling with a mix of mirth and understanding.

I blinked, taking a moment to place her face. She was about my height, with a slender build and long red hair that flowed down her back in soft waves, catching the glow from the fire pit. Her eyes were vivid, strikingly green, her pale skin flawless. Natural beauty radiated from her, a blend of elegance and approachability that was impossible to ignore.

"Harper, right?" I ventured, relieved when she nodded, her smile warm and genuine.

Harper laughed, the sound rich and infectious, drawing the attention of several nearby guests. I caught sight of Connor and Jaxon, their brows furrowed in confusion as they watched us, while Morgan fixed Harper with a cold, piercing stare.

"I've known Connor for years," Harper explained, her voice dropping to a whisper as she leaned in closer. "He's been seeing Morgan for about a year now, and everyone knows about it. But she refuses to acknowledge their relationship, even going so far as to deny it outright when anyone brings it up, saying they're just friends. He deserves so much better than that, but he's too blinded by love to see it."

The more Harper spoke, the more I felt drawn to her energy. There was an authenticity in her words and a sense of genuine concern that felt rare and grounding.

I nodded, a pang of sympathy welling up in my chest as I glanced back at Connor, taking in the hopeful expression on his face as he watched Morgan from across the yard. "Has anyone tried talking to him about it?"

Harper sighed, her gaze drifting back to the couple. "Yes and no. I've brought it up a few times, and he usually agrees that he deserves better. But somehow, she always manages to reel him back in, to convince him that things will be different this time. It's like she has some kind of hold over him that he can't break free from."

With a final shake of her head, Harper rose to her feet, brushing off her jeans and offering me a warm smile. "It was great meeting you today, Anna. I have a feeling we're going to be good friends. Make sure you come visit me in town sometime soon, okay? But I think I've done enough gossiping for one night." She winked, then turned and made her way back to the group around the fire pit, her laughter ringing out into the night air.

I watched her go, a strange mix of emotions swirling in my chest. On one hand, I was grateful for Harper's insight, for the confirmation that I wasn't imagining things. But on the other, I couldn't help but feel a growing unease, a tightening worry for Connor and the pain he seemed destined to endure.

The weight of the evening's revelations pressed down on me, the laughter and chatter of the party fading into a distant hum. Suddenly, the air itself felt heavy, the once-comforting sounds of merriment now grating against my frayed nerves.

Without a second thought, I rose from my seat and slipped into the house, my feet carrying me up the stairs to the sanctuary of my room. Once inside, I closed the door behind me with a soft click, leaning back against the solid wood and letting out a shuddering breath.

After a long moment, I pushed away from the door and crossed to the reading nook, settling into the plush cushions and reaching for my book, desperate for escape. But even as I tried to lose myself in the familiar words, my thoughts kept circling back to Connor and Morgan, to the tangled web of emotions and manipulation that defined their relationship.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear the soft knock on my door or the quiet footsteps crossing the threshold. It wasn't until Jaxon spoke that I realized I was no longer alone.

"Hey," he murmured, his eyes searching my face with a mix of concern and understanding. "I saw you leave. Is everything okay?"

I hesitated, my lips parting as I searched for the right words. When I met Jaxon's gaze, I caught a flicker of something in his eyes, a shared worry, a mutual desire to protect the man we both cared about.

"I'm worried about Connor," I said at last, my voice barely above a whisper. "This whole thing with Morgan… Harper told me about it. It's not right. He deserves so much better than that."

Jaxon nodded and moved farther into the room, perching on the edge of the bed. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled slowly. "I know. It's hard to watch, seeing him caught up in something that's only going to end in heartbreak. But we can't force him to see what's right in front of him, Anna. He has to figure that out for himself, in his own time."

I sighed, leaning back against the cushions and tipping my head toward the ceiling. "I just wish there was something we could do, something to make him see that he's worth more than this."

Jaxon was quiet for a moment, his gaze drifting to the window. When he spoke again, his voice held a note of resigned understanding. "The best thing we can do is be there for him. Let him know he's not alone, even if he's making choices we don't agree with. Sometimes that's enough to help someone find their way back to themselves."

A lump formed in my throat at the sincerity of Jaxon's words, at the quiet strength and care that radiated from him. I knew he was right. Connor's path was his own to walk. He spoke as though he knew from experience.