Page 16 of The Art of Obsession

I should be focusing on my business dealings. The auction requires my full attention. But I can’t let her out of my sight—not tonight. Not when she’s stepping into a world that doesn’t deserve her.

A world nearly as cruel as me.

The nightclub isa cacophony of sound and light, an assault on the senses. I slip inside, unnoticed. The music vibrates its bass in my chest like a second heartbeat. I move with purpose, keeping to the edges, scanning the dance floor until I find her.

Everleigh.

She’s standing with her friends near the bar, a drink in her hand and a hesitant smile on her lips. She looks radiant, the dim lights catching the curve of her cheek, the shine of her hair. But there’s something else—a tension in her shoulders. She’s trying to lose herself, but she can’t.

I grin.

She’s thinking of me.

Everything in my dark, despicable soul wants to prowl my way toward her and give her every reassurance that her nightmares are real. The memory is real.Iam real.

I watch as she sips her drink, wincing slightly at the alcoholic burn. One of her friends pulls her toward the dance floor, and she resists at first, shaking her head. But they insist, laughing and tugging at her arm until she relents. I follow, never taking my eyes off her.

She begins to move, her body effortlessly easing into the rhythm. Her limbs loosen, her edges softening. She sways to the tempo, her soft, slender hips rolling in time. Some of her dark hair escapes its bun in ravishing curls swinging at her sides. Something primal stirs within me. She’s beautiful—utterly mesmerizing. But I know what this is. She’s trying to escape.

From me.

From the memory of what I made her feel.

I’m torn between appreciation and resentment. She came alive for me in ways she never has, and now she dares to forget? To let go of the art—her maker? The thought makes my jaw clench, my fists curling at my sides.

And then I see him.

A young man, confident and grinning, makes his way to her. He says something I can’t hear over the music, and Everleigh laughs—she laughs. It’s a small sound, fleeting, but it’s enough. He steps closer, his hands hovering near her small waist, and she doesn’t pull away. Instead, she dances with him. She reciprocates.

Something dark and violent coils in my chest, igniting a fierce jealousy that burns like acid in my veins. I want to tear him apart. I want to rip him from her and remind her who she belongs to. My fingers twitch at my sides, the urge to act nearly overwhelming.

She doesn’t see me watching, doesn’t feel the weight of my gaze as it sears into her. She’s too busy spinning beneath the stranger’s hands, and laughing. I can’t stand it. The sight of her with someone else—someone unworthy—makes my vision blur with rage.

She’s mine.

The thought echoes through me like a war drum. I have the means, the motive, and the skill to handle this matter with the surgical precision it requires, followed by the dramatic reveal to leave all her doubts to ruin.

Tonight, she will learn the grave mistake of poking the beast, of trying to escape his jaws. Instead, she will feel them grow stronger.

For now, I retreat to the shadows. I watch her dance, watch her smile, watch her try to forget. But I know the truth. She can dance with a thousand strangers, drink until the world blurs, until she loses herself—but she will never be free of me.

I’m in her mind, her body, her very soul.

7

Girrrl, he’s not just living rent-free in your head. He’s hosting exhibitions there

Chapter Playlist:

“I’m So Sick” – Flyleaf

“Because of You” – Kelly Clarkson

EVERLEIGH

I’m tryingto forget him.

The music rolls like soft thunder through my body. I’m laughing, spinning, my friends pulling me into a chaotic whirl of limbs and wild grins. The tipsiness adds a silver haze to everything. The colored lights streak across the dance floor, the glint of sequins and glass, the heat of too many bodies moving together. It feels good to let go, to feelnormal.