Page 16 of Their Stolen Obsession (Phantoms and Obsession Duet #2)

Their Universe

Liv

I hadn’t been out of this shithole since the last time Zane had come, and I had to deal with that scumbag violating me.

His unwanted, vile touch had corrupted me for days.

It was pure torture as I relived those horrible moments on repeat until Zane showed up days later.

He had a bucket of warm water with bubbles inside of it and a loofah.

His granting me privacy and letting me sponge bathe myself surprised me. But I hadn’t seen Zane since.

Food was scarce. Sometimes when I woke up, a small meal was beside my mattress, and other times my tummy would grumble in hunger for God knew how long.

My gut ate me from the inside while my brain reminded me I might wake up to a meal next to me.

It was funny how the mind played tricks to survive through harsh times, making up excuses to stay alive.

The last few days had been lonely. How many? Fuck if I knew.

I’d never known loneliness like this before, where one ended up talking out loud to themselves and expected an answer in return, but only heard the echo of their own voice.

It was a bitter reminder of the captivity and fate I had never chosen.

I needed to hear a voice inside my caged walls instead of the assholes who roamed freely on the outside.

Why me?

Self-pity had finally sunk in. I had wondered when the dreaded emotion would make an appearance, and I tried my hardest to fight against it.

My external reality was terrible, but I struggled to keep the sorrow away inside by holding onto my shadows.

The men who I knew were out there tirelessly searching for me, unable to give up because I was their everything.

Their need to watch me was far too strong, their will to keep me for themselves too powerful to ignore, and their desire made them hell-bent on having me.

The pain they must experience without me must be as excruciating as mine.

I wanted what I had with Sin and Saint back.

There was the phrase you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.

Well, I knew what I had—unwavering devotion, no matter how screwed up their feelings were for me, their love was true.

Inside the dark world where we were all trapped, they found me, kept me, and made me theirs.

I needed my phantoms more than anything because I loved them too.

“Goddamn it…” I sighed as tears fell down my cheeks.

I missed the men who hunted for me in the blackness.

Sin and Saint were fucking persistent, chatty, and bullheaded.

I laughed at the memory of those assholes’ personalities, and it felt like they were right there with me.

Close enough I could touch them, reaching out in front of me, hopeful to find them there with me, but there was nothing.

Only air. And I couldn’t help crying endlessly.

I was broken, even when I had promised myself I wouldn’t be. I had made a silent pact while these monsters tortured me, but I had faltered. Again.

My sobs filled the stale, confined room, unstoppable as I wept in depression from my dire state.

Mental health was no fucking joke, and even the strong could break.

I simply wished I hadn’t been compelled because I wanted to hold on to hope.

Deep down, I didn’t want to give in, but the result was hopeless .

Suddenly, a sound caught my attention through my misery. A knock. Not against the door, but the wall. I darted my gaze toward the back of my hands, wiped my tears away, and caught sight of another note falling through the hole. A Snickers bar fell right after the piece of paper.

Desperately, I dashed to the wall. “Hey! Wait!” My mouth was over the tiny hole in the wall.

I didn’t want the person to leave. I needed them to stay. Prayed for whoever was on the other side of this barrier to come back to me. I was tired of being alone.

Captivity got to me. Messed with me within these closed off barriers.

I knew I had seen things that weren’t there as I clung to sanity.

I didn’t want to succumb to the brink of insanity, and any outside communication could keep me stable.

This person could be the balance to keep me from falling and never returning to clarity.

The silence was deafening from the other side. Hope had sparked, but anxiety crept in. I panicked, peeked through the hole, and saw no movement.

Was I losing my mind?

I gave my head a shake. Everything went blurry for a few seconds until I caught sight of the Snickers bar on the floor.

I reached down to grab it, praying the chocolate bar was real.

My hand shook, imagining the candy bar disappearing at any moment, but it didn’t.

I heard the wrapper crinkle, and the sound was the sweetest noise I had ever heard.

I opened the candy bar up and took a bite. I practically drooled at the pleasant taste I had almost forgotten and read the writing on the note.

Hold on. Don’t give up.

My heart swelled. Those small words were tiny but meant the world to me. The simple syllables made a tremendous impact, and I felt them deep into my core.

“I’m here,” a female voice whispered.

I glanced up through the hole and saw Knoxlee. She was the person bringing me a snack and encouragement to not let go of the person I once was before all of this. I should’ve known she was the one behind the wall coming to see me.

“Knoxlee?” I whispered back, worried my eyes played tricks on me.

But if it was Knoxlee, I didn’t want her to be afraid and leave me.

“Yes?” she answered .

I smiled. “Thank you.”

“I wish I could do more.”

“No. This is enough,” I said as I peeked through the hole and saw her glance down the hallway. “I’m grateful.”

Knoxlee appeared anxious. Antsy. She had a hand on her belly and rubbed her stomach.

“I should go before someone sees me.” Knoxlee fussed with her shirt.

“No. Please. Wait,” I pleaded and banged my hands against the wall. “I have one question?”

Knoxlee halted. Froze on the spot and peered in my direction. “What?”

“Why are you doing this for me?” I asked.

Slowly, Knoxlee came toward me. The green shade of her eyes turned hazel as she got closer until all I saw was the black of her perfect lipstick. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, but no words came out.

Until Knoxlee took a deep breath and exhaled. “Because I wish someone had done the same for me.”

This woman was strong. I had seen her strength firsthand, but everyone had a breaking point, and Knoxlee had cracked.

A small sliver of weakness had ripped through her after she admitted the truth, but she quickly recovered.

I watched her back away from the wall. A hand remained on her belly, but her face lost color.

Knoxlee went pale as a ghost .

“Is someone coming?” I whispered in a panic.

“No, but I—” She clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Knoxlee? Are you all right?” I asked urgently.

Knoxlee didn’t answer. Instead, she fled down the hallway as quietly as she could in her compromised state.

I listened to her heels clicking as they faded as she got further away until I didn’t hear her anymore.

Loneliness crept back, and I wondered if she’d ever return.

So many unanswered questions about her ran through my head.

At least Knoxlee helped me fight the demons that threatened to destroy me in this prison until my release.