Page 78 of Shadows of Obsession

Harper rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, please. Jaxon. The way he looks at you? Girl, that man is gone."

"He's just... we're friends," I stammered, but even I could hear how unconvincing it sounded.

"Uh-huh. Friends who can't keep their hands off each other." Harper smirked, bending down to grab the last of the cleaning supplies. "I saw how you two were at my store. That wasn't 'just friends' energy."

Before I could defend myself, or admit she might be right, Chester came trotting over, tail wagging enthusiastically. I bent to pethim, grateful for the distraction, running my fingers through his soft fur.

"Who's a good boy?" I murmured, scratching behind his ears the way he loved. His tongue lolled happily as he leaned into my touch. At least with Chester, things were simple.

The evening settled in beautifully as Denny, Paul, and Mitch arrived. The sun dipped lower, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, and the air had that perfect summer-evening quality—warm, with a hint of coolness creeping in.

Jaxon had started grilling, and the smell of burgers and hot dogs made my mouth water. Harper and I handed out drinks, cold beers from the cooler, condensation dripping down the bottles, and then Harper had the brilliant idea to call Connor on FaceTime.

"Connor! We're having a party without you!" she announced gleefully when his face appeared on the screen.

Connor's grin was infectious, even through the phone. "I can see that! Looks like you're all having a great time." Behind him, Felix and Mark waved at the camera.

We spent a few minutes catching up, Connor sharing news about the show. "We sold one of the horses today," he said, his excitement palpable. "Got a great price, too. If things keep going this well, we might wrap up sooner than expected."

"That's amazing!" I said, genuinely happy for him, but a small flutter of uncertainty stirred inside me. If he came home early, things would change. The easy rhythm Jaxon and I had fallen into would shift.

After we said our goodbyes and ended the call, the group gathered around the fire pit. The flames crackled and danced, sending sparks spiraling into the darkening sky. Laughter filled the air as everyone relaxed, drinks in hand, the week's stress melting away in the warmth of good company.

I sat for a while, soaking it all in, the firelight flickering across everyone's faces, the easy conversation, the sense of belonging. But after finishing my drink, I realized I hadn't seen Chester in a while. I assumed he probably went inside to escape the noise.

"I'm going to go feed Chester," I told Harper, standing and brushing off my jeans. "Be right back."

The house was quiet when I stepped inside, a stark contrast to the laughter outside. The kitchen was dimly lit, only the under-cabinet lights casting a soft glow. I expected to find Chester waiting by his food bowl, doing his usual dinner dance.

But he wasn't there. That was weird.

I walked down the hallway, my footsteps muffled by the runner carpet, and spotted him sitting on the front porch through the screen door. He was just... sitting there, staring inside, his tail wagging faintly.

I chuckled softly. "You could've just walked around, silly boy."

As I started toward the door to let him in, movement caught my eye.

A shadow. In the den.

My heart stuttered. Someone was inside. The shape shifted, a dark form moving in my peripheral vision, and every instinct in my body screamed danger. I knew I needed to run now.

I gasped, trying to step back, but a hand shot out and clamped around my wrist with bruising force. The grip was iron-tight, fingers digging into my skin, stopping me cold before I could even process what was happening.

Jared emerged from the shadows like something out of a nightmare.

Chester's barking exploded from the other side of the screen, frantic and protective, but Jared slammed the inner door shut with his free hand, cutting off the dog's view. The sound was like a gunshot in the quiet house—final and terrifying.

No.

Cold and paralyzing fear flooded my system. My breath came in short, shallow gasps as I tried to pull away, but his grip was unrelenting. The door's closure amplified the isolation, the outside world, the safety of the others, all of it cut off. It was just me and Jared's menacing presence in the dim hallway.

I glared at him, trying to summon courage I didn't feel, and yanked against his grasp. "Jared—"

His other hand slapped over my mouth, cutting off my words. My eyes went wide with shock as he shoved me back against the door, his body pressing into mine. The weight of him, the smell of him,alcohol, sweat, and something sour made my stomach turn. I was immediately reminded of Daniel.

"Shut up," he sneered, his breath hot and reeking against my face.

Up close, he looked awful. Filthy, with a smear of grime across his cheek and a fresh scratch running down one side of his face, like he'd been in a fight. His eyes were wild, unfocused and dangerous in a way that made my blood run cold.