Chapter 76: An Act Of Obsession

Adrian’s POV

“Be careful that what you feel for Inez doesn’t twirl into obsession.”

Those were Leo’s words to me when Inez had walked away.

Was she telling me let her go because of how firmly my hand latched on hers?

Or she simply telling me to let her go?

My heart clenched tightly.

Perhaps it was the pain of being rejected in front of my team mates that struck me.

Inez was the only girl who had repeatedly proven that she would stand rooted for not wanting me. Sometimes I would burst out while under shower laughing at the absurdity that I had thought so highly of myself.

What exactly was I trying to prove to Inez?

Was it the fact that I wanted her?

Or the fact that I could have any girl I so wanted.

Days blurred past and it was still the same pain that gnawed at my heart anytime I recalled the look of rejection in Inez’s eyes.

Obession?

That word struck me again.

Could what I feel for Inez morph into obsession?

That was impossible considering the fact that I didn’t possess the characteristics of one who was obsessed with one.

Yet here I was stalking Inez on Instagram, wondering why she never really posted, driving to her street most evenings just catch a glimpse of her. That was if she would stroll out of the house anyway.

Some nights, that simple crazed act of mine would be rewarded. Other times, I would sit in my car counting the stars in the sky and ended up crushed into sleep till dawn cruelly woke me.

Sometimes, I gave myself hope that perhaps Inez would turn around. I wished she was just the Inez I’d kissed back in Sky’s hotel, the one who had clung desperately when I saved her.

Now, she had grown fearless - a girl once nerdy who wouldn’t look me twice in the eyes.

Goosebumps awashed me.

My skin bristled.

I was proud in a sort of funny way.

It was a thing which amused as yet as soared my heart round in circles. Had my persistence spurn that hidden trait in her?

Or had it been the troubles she had faced over the couple of days?

Would I also state watching her walk back - away from me had geared me into a heart-wrenching pain?

After the coming Game, exams would begin and winter would simply follow its tail.

At least the knowledge of winter would bring other things.

Things like the reunion of my parents.

It was comforting as I wouldn’t be all boxed up about Inez.

Mother would return as it was done every year since they separated. Dad would also be around. With family around, I wouldn’t have the luxury of driving to merely catch glimpses of Inez.

“Can I ask you something, Ma’am Carla?” I turned to face the older woman who had been my cook for quite some time.

She looked up at me. “You’ve been quite lost these days. Are you sure you are well?”

I tried one of those smiles of mine which she called charming. “I am well. But my heart isn’t.”

“Your heart?” she looked appalled by my statement.

“Come sit with me.”

I nodded, then walked over to where she gestured.

“Is it something that needs to be checked? We can go to the hospital…” she continued.

I tried a laugh, at least I found humour in the fact that she cared about my ironic bleeding heart. “It’s not that. What do you do when someone you care about doesn’t want anything from you, your love, your help?”

Her brows twitched slightly. “Oh. I understand now. It is a matter of the heart. She is basically not interested in you.”

“No, you don’t get it. She was at a time interested in me. I found her diary, read through some of this pages. She had been in love with me like forever.”

Her eyes turned slits. “You should know it is wrong to go through one’s possession?”

“Yeah, I do know that.” I pressed my lips into a tight line.

“If you have found out about that, that could simply mean a couple of things. Can I go ahead and use my childhood story?”

“I’m not against that. You can go ahead.”

“Girls are not all the same. A girl can go ahead and fall head over heels with a bad boy yet she may simply refuse him. That was what befell me.”

The word ‘bad boy’ shot through me.

Whilst concealing my shaking hands, I rubbed both hands together so she wouldn’t detect what was wrong with me.

Only once had Mrs Carla seen me with a girl and that had been way back. We were on summer break then - and I had this girl over. Can’t even remember her name but she had a gorgeous frame and we had been making out in the pool.

Luckily for us, we weren’t completely naked when Mrs Carla announced her entry.

Since then, I was careful not to have girls whenever Mrs Carla was around to either clean or cook.

“His name was Harry. His name didn’t even spark off any streaks of badass. But Harry was a bad boy. One time, he made a public announcement in the school cafeteria yet I still turned him down. He wouldn’t stop mingling with bad gangs and that was not what I wanted for myself.”

By the time she was done saying the story, I found myself releasing a spent up breath.

“And did Harry ever become a changed man?” I found myself curious.

“No. He simply became worst, a stalker. Did a lot of crazy things: bought me flowers, gifts and laid them at the porch. His parents was massively rich so they didn’t believe a word of what my mother had reported to them.”

“That was horrible.”

Would I transform to someone like Harry?

I was already beginning to stalk Inez…

No, I shook my head.

Harry was the clear definition of obsession.

I wasn’t like Harry.

“And did Harry ever changed or did you change your mind to please him.”

“If you force a love on someone, how does it ever grow once it screams toxicity?”

That question stayed with me longer than I intended.

I knew she would be present in the game. Irene would be there so, she would be there.

Perhaps, there was still a chance for us.

My phone chimed and Leo’s text came up.

Leo: I won’t be driving in the bus with the rest of the team mates to Sundale.

That had me picking up my phone.

For every away game the Rangers are meant to play, Leo would always drive with us-so, what was changing that now?