Page 56 of Shadows of Obsession

I hit send, hoping the humor would ease some of the earlier tension. Hoping she'd know I wasn't upset, that I understood why she'd been uncomfortable. I was focused on being a friend and looking out for her.

I stared at the phone, waiting for a reply. When none came, I slipped it back into my pocket and picked up a magazine from the waiting area stack, using the distraction to bide my time.

It was going to be a long day.

Anna

After cleaning up inside, I went out to the old barn and started working with the horses I'd planned to. I rode one, a light session, then put him back out in the pasture with his friends.

As I was putting away the tack, footsteps sounded behind me. I turned to see Connor leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, his expression softer than it had been this morning.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Can we talk?"

Great. Here we go.

I nodded, setting down the bridle I'd been cleaning. "Yeah. About this morning?"

Connor sighed, running a hand down his face. "I'm sorry I overreacted. I just... when I saw you two out there, I panicked. I know nothing happened, but—"

"Connor," I interrupted gently, "I get it. You're worried about me. But you have to trust that I know my own boundaries. If Jaxon had made me uncomfortable, I would have left. You know that, right?"

He nodded, though concern lingered in his eyes. "I do. It's just hard seeing you getting close to anyone right now—even Jaxon. Especially after everything with Daniel."

Daniel's name sent a familiar chill down my spine, but I pushed it away.

"I appreciate you looking out for me. Really, I do. But I need to figure things out on my own. I can't live in fear forever."

Connor was quiet for a moment, then gave me a small smile. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'll try to back off a little."

"Thank you," I said, returning his smile. "And for what it's worth? Nothing happened. We just fell asleep. That's all."

"I know," Connor replied, pushing off from the doorframe. "I trust you. Both of you, actually. Jax is a good guy, even if he's dealing with his own shit right now."

I considered that he was a good guy with a dangerous brother living in his house.

"I know he is," I said quietly, picking the bridle back up. "I want to get these horses done early if you're done with the lecture?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

Connor nodded. "Okay, just be careful. If you need me, I'll be in the office."

As he left, I grabbed a banana and an energy bar from the tack room counter, thinking about Jaxon's late visit last night. It was strange he'd stayed after I fell asleep. I wondered why he had stayed.

I shook my head, pushing the thought aside. For now, I had work to do.

I was on my second horse when I heard tires crunching on gravel. Looking up, I saw Jaxon's Jeep pull up beside the fence, and my stomach flipped unexpectedly.

Then I saw Jared in the passenger seat, and the flip twisted into discomfort.

Jaxon rolled down the window, his tone forced. "We're heading to town. Need anything?"

I looked past Jaxon and caught Jared's eyes as they raked over me with a hint of appraisal that made my skin crawl. It reminded me too much of how Daniel used to look at me—as something to be assessed, catalogued, owned. I knew I couldn't go through that again.

"No, I'm good," I replied curtly, turning the horse back around to end the conversation, and Jared's unwanted attention.

The bay shifted beneath me. I patted his neck quickly, whispering reassurances even as my own heart raced. It wasn't fair to project my anxiety onto him.

Through my peripheral vision, I saw Jaxon's expression darken before he turned the Jeep back onto the road and drove off. Did he think I was rude? Mad at him? I shook my head at myself.

I couldn't deal with that right now, not with Jared's eyes still burning into my memory, not with the way my hands were shaking slightly on the reins.