Obsession (Stalker #1)

by Alice C. Hart

  “Jake, what’s with you and Ozzy Osbourne? Don’t think I didn’t notice Ozzy’s dog collar, Prince of Barkness.” I’m totally laughing now.

  “I love Black Sabbath, I love Ozzy, and it’s a bad ass name for my boy,” he says in all seriousness.

  “That’s the best name I’ve ever heard for a dog in my life. Ozzy Pawsbourne, Prince of Barkness,” I smirk, just as the devil himself, hears his name and sticks his head in the door.

  “Hey Oz, I’m coming, buddy,” Jake says, stripping the bed. I head to the shower for a quick rinse, but not before getting another peek at Jake walking around the bed, naked. Fuck. He’s so hot.

  I’m a lucky bitch I am.

  Abby

  I feel like I’ve been caught in a whirlwind of emotions. Handling emotions is not my strong suit. Everything feels like it’s happening so fast, but it doesn’t feel wrong. Nothing has ever felt this right. In the span of a weekend my entire life has changed. I have a boyfriend. I have a fucking boyfriend and he loves my crazy ass, to boot. I emerge from the bathroom to find the bedroom clean and the bed is made with fresh sheets. As much as I know Jake, I don’t really know him. I want to spend today getting to know him better.

  I wander around outside his bedroom and the whole house seems so quiet. Jake’s house is an open concept so I can see into the backyard from the kitchen, which is where I find him with Ozzy. I grab a jacket and head outside to have a smoke with them. They both turn their heads when I open the door.

  “Hey boys, mind if I join you?” I ask them a laugh.

  “Not at all. Ozzy, let’s make room for Abby, buddy.”

  They scoot over and I sit beside Jake. Ozzy is so cute as the cool breeze blows in his face. I sit downwind of Ozzy so my smoke doesn’t blow in his face. It’s funny, I can totally picture my life here.

  “Jake, I don’t know what it is about you, but I’ve never felt this strongly before. Like ever,” I say, inhaling.” I can picture my life with you and it doesn’t freak me the fuck out.” I exhale my smoke.

  “Abby, you are welcome in this house anytime you want, even if I’m not here. I hope to have you move in here eventually. I want my life to be with you. You are it for me. I don’t know how I know, I just do,” Jake says with complete sincerity.

  “I want that, too, Jake, but there are things we have to figure out, like work for one, your ex, Izzy, and even Ozzy.” These things all matter in the grand scheme of things.

  “I know, so let’s talk. I’m on straight days as a supervisor and I’m needed in that spot, so I don’t think I can move. I know you rotate your shifts so I only supervise you sometimes. I don’t know what it’s going to be like at work for us now. If people find out, it could be bad for us. I’d probably get fired, to be honest, and I can’t lose this job. As you know, the pay is good and the benefits rock. I need that for Izzy,” he says, laying it out.

  “I totally get that, and to be honest with you, I don’t know how much longer I can take working there. I’m not happy anymore. I’ve been thinking of transferring or possibly quitting. I just don’t know what I want to do yet.” I lay my shit out, too. Jake looks at me thoughtfully and I have no idea what is going through his head, but I know the wheels are turning.

  “Baby, I won’t ever tell you what to do. I want you to do whatever makes you happy. If you want to quit, then do it. I will support you in whatever decisions you make. I think I knew the job was getting to you last week. The burn out rate in this line of work is five years and you’ve been at The Shelter for seven. You have taken all kinds abuse, especially since you’re a woman. Women always have it harder in this kind of environment. I know that you have been kicked, punched, spit on, and are verbally abused on a daily basis, so I understand if you don’t want to do it anymore,” he says. I’m shocked that he knows and remembers much of my history.

  “But, what would I do if I didn’t do this anymore? This is the only real job I’ve ever had. I’ll look into the other locations, but it’s more or less the same. Maybe I should do something totally different?” I ponder out loud.

  “Abby, nothing has to be decided this second. We have time and can figure things out together,” he says, taking my hand in his. He brings it to his mouth and lays a small, gentle kiss on it. I know this man will support me no matter what decisions I make.

  “Jake, I have a serious question I need to ask. Do you think Ozzy and Oreo will get along?” I’m serious as fuck when I ask this. I’m not losing my kitty for nothing! He throws his head back and laughs, scratching behind Ozzy’s ears. I’m positive Ozzy knows we are talking about him.

  “Abby, Ozzy and Oreo will somehow work out their differences,” he says still chuckling.” I’m not sure if he’s ever met a cat before, but I’m sure he saw one when he was at the Humane Society,” he says, melting my heart.

  “I got Oreo there, too, about three years ago or so. The vet says he’s about five years old, but it’s hard to tell, I guess.”

  “Huh, so they are about the same age. I’m sure Izzy would love a cat,” he says, chuckling.

  “Jake, what if I’m a crap step-mom? I don’t know about kids and I don’t understand them. I won’t even tell you about the time I saw a baby being born because I’m still traumatized by that little incident,” I say as I shiver. Jake laughs at me again. Am I a comedian? That shit scared the fuck outta me! “Jake, I thought I was having a heart attack. Do you know that’s how I met Kim? She helped deliver my aunt’s baby. I needed to get the fuck out of the room and Kim found a doctor to give me something to relax me. I was positive I was having a heart attack. Kim and I have been friends ever since.” I give him a little more information about me.

  “Wow, I didn’t realize, Abby. I saw Izzy being born, but I guess that’s different because it was my kid,” he states, matter of fact.

  “I mean, I guess so,” I shrug.

  “Let’s go grab some lunch, baby, and we can talk some more. I’ll get ready and you can pick the place,” he says, getting up, holding his hand out for me, and pulling me up.

  “Sounds good. Do you mind dropping me off at home afterwards? I gotta check on Oreo,” I say. I see him tense and the weird little tick in his jaw. What did I say? “Jake, are you cool?” I ask.

  “Yeah, I just didn’t realize we’d be sleeping apart tonight. I want you with me, always,” he says, looking me right in my eyes.

  God, Jake’s eyes are so fucking beautiful and I don’t want to see them hurt or sad. But, I have shit to do, and things to process, and a cat to feed.

  “Jake, we will figure it out. We have nothing but time. I’m so down for our relationship to work that I’m not even worried about anything,” I say, reassuring him. “Hey, I feel like a burger. Let’s go get burgers for lunch!!!”

  “Ok, you got it. I’ll be ready in five. Click the starter for the Jeep so it can warm up a bit, ok?”

  “I’m on it,” I holler, finding his keys and pushing the little button. I guess I should go find my stuff before we leave for lunch. I gather my stuff, which isn’t much since I came here straight from the bar.

  We end up in a little dive burger joint and I swear it is the best burger I have ever had. Jake and I talk about everything from favorite movies to our families. I am sad to learn that Jake’s parents are both dead. They died in a head on collision one snowy winter about four years ago. He explained that he got some inheritance, which is how he could afford his little house in the city of Etobicoke. It is one of the most expensive parts of Toronto. His parents never got to meet Izzy and that breaks my heart. He says that he thinks that is why he ended up with Tiffany one last time, the time she got pregnant.

  I tell him about my crazy family, how close I am to my mom because she had me when she was so young and I tell him that I’m not particularly close with my father, but I’m ok with that. I explain how Dallas is more like my sister, and how close I am to my Aunt Michelle, the one who had the baby and nearly killed me. We both love animals and like the same kind of music
. We seem to just click and conversation is so easy between us. I don’t think I’ve felt this comfortable with a man. Ever. We talk about how he will be supervising me this week at work. Since I’m on days, we decide that it’s best to just act normal and hope nobody notices anything between us.

  Jake drives me home, and before he lets me out of the Jeep, I get a kiss goodbye. God, I want this man’s lips on me all day. I’ll never get enough.

  “I’ll never get enough of you kissing me like this,” I say, grinning.

  “Good, because I’ll never stop,” he says, grabbing my hand and kissing it before I go.

  I hop out of the Jeep, wave goodbye, and head on inside.

  Abby

  I get inside and I hear Oreo running towards me. He slides across the floor on his belly and smacks into the wall again. Damn, I swear he’s going to get brain damage. Why does he do that? I lean down to pick up my fur ball and notice tiny specks of blood on the floor. What the fuck is that from? Then, I notice the tiniest specks of blood on Oreo’s face. What the fuck is going on? I inspect him thoroughly and can’t seem to find where the blood is coming from. It did not come from Oreo. Was Kev in here? Maybe I should text him.

  I grab my phone and realize quickly that it’s dead, so I fire up my computer while my phone is charging. My Facebook opens and I see I have a private message from Kev. Maybe this will explain what happened to my cat. I click on the notification and my heart drops. What in the ever loving fuck is going on here?

  Abby, you looked so hot last night. You don’t even know what you do to me. I’m hard just typing this to you. You make me think the dirtiest thoughts and I want them to all play out with you. You don’t need Jake, Abby. You need me. Tell me it’s not too late for us!!! You have teased me for far too long and I’m growing impatient waiting for you. But wait I will. Talk soon, K <3

  No!!! No, no, no, no, this can’t be right. Kev is like a brother to me and has not made a move on me, so why would he do this all of a sudden? There is blood on my cat, a weird message from Kev, and I don’t know what to think right now. I can’t reply to that message. It’s too weird. I know he’s working today and should be home a little later tonight. I’ll catch him before I go to bed. For now, I need to clean up the blood on my floor and off my cat.

  I make my way to my kitchen and grab some cleaning supplies to mop the floor. I grab a paper towel and dampen it with some warm water to get the blood off of Oreo’s face. He’s so good for me, purring away.

  “What happened to you, Oreo?” I ask, knowing my cat can’t answer me. I sigh.

  I decide to change my clothes and get something comfy on so I go upstairs to change. Something feels…weird. I can’t explain it. Something feels off, but I can’t quite place it. I look around my bedroom, but everything seems to be where I left it, but I can’t shake this feeling. I go into my bathroom to brush my teeth since I only used mouthwash at Jake’s. I can still feel something is off in here. What the fuck is it? I’ve never had this feeling in my apartment before and I don’t like it. I live with a cop and this should be the safest house ever, right? Except for Kev’s weird message; what the hell am I going to do about that?

  I’ll think about it later. It’s been a long day and I want to curl up with my cat and maybe get some reading in. Oh, I need to call Dallas first and fill her in. I sit on the couch and grab my phone even though it’s not fully charged. I put my headphones on my ears, keeping it charged, and call.

  “Sup, hooker?” Dallas answers.

  “Nice way to answer the phone, whore,” I laugh.

  “Tell me all about your sexcapades with Jake, bitch!!! I want details and don’t leave anything out!”

  “I’m in love with him, Dallas, and I know you’re going to say no fuckin’ way, but it’s true.” I sigh into the phone.

  “I fuckin’ knew it. Abby, I’m on your side and happy for you. Listen, nobody knows your heart except for you. You can’t help how you feel. Nobody can. Jake seems like a solid guy, Abby, and I bet he’s totally lovin’ on your ass, too,” she says at the speed of Mach twenty, as only she can do.

  “He really is solid, D. Oh my shit, I almost forgot to tell you about how I met Izzy. She’s cute as fuck and I think she might even like me. Or, well, she did. It may change since I met her MOTHER this morning.”

  “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU MET HER MOTHER!?” Dallas screams in my ear.

  “Dallas, stop screaming. Tiffany came by this morning to pick Izzy up. I mean, I just showed up last night and it’s not like I knew their plans or anything. But yeah, she drove up while I was outside smoking and claimed to be Jake’s wife.”

  “She said what? Abby, he’s divorced, right?”

  “Yeah, he’s divorced. She’s obviously not over it and I saw her wearing her wedding ring. She pissed me off so I blew smoke in her face.” I laugh as I recall the look on Tiffany’s face. “I told Jake everything that happened outside between us and when she was leaving, Izzy hugged me goodbye right in front of her. I’m not going to lie, it felt good. She’s adorable, D. She is the cutest little kid I’ve ever seen, and holy hell, does she ever look like Jake. She has dark hair with jade green eyes and is such a daddy’s girl. But, Tiffany was clearly not thrilled with my presence and let Jake know it. In front of all of us, she announced that this issue will be discussed later. Whatever.”

  “Abby, she’s not going to like you. Probably never. But, I’m sure you expected that, right?”

  “I mean, yeah, I guess I did. I’m not used to people hating me on the spot for no reason though.”

  “She has a reason. Actually, she has two. Jake and Izzy.”

  “She’s not going to make this easy. Jake warned me.”

  “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Abby.”

  “I know. I’m still in this for the long haul. D, I’m really in love with him. But, oh, listen to this. So I get home, and log onto my Facebook, and see this private message from Kev.”

  I read her the message.

  “WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?” she screams again.

  “D, stop screaming, for fuck’s sakes. I don’t know what to do with that. And, when I got home this morning there was some blood on my floor and on Oreo’s face. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I’m a little freaked out.”

  “Oh my God, Abby, are you ok? I don’t even know what to say. Do you want me to come over?” she asks.

  “I think I’m cool, I just feel weird. Creepy. I’ve never felt like this in here before. I really just want to read and chill out a bit before Kev comes home. I have to talk to him. I need to know what the hell is up with that message.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me there?”

  “Yes, I’m sure, but, thanks. I’ll call you later after I talk to him.”

  “Ok, but if shit gets weird then you better call me, or better yet call Jake. Wait. Have you told him?”

  “Uh, no. He had just dropped me off and I don’t want to worry him, especially if it all turns out to be nothing, which I’m sure it is.”

  “Fine, but I’m putting the bitches on alert. You can chill, but I’m informing them.”

  “Ugh, fine, but tell them I’ll talk to them later. I really need to just chill right now.”

  “Alright, Abs, I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Bye, D.”

  “Bye.”

  I can only imagine the shit storm that is about to ensue with Dallas telling the girls about what the hell just happened. But, they would also be pissed if they weren’t informed. We are always up in each other’s shit because we all love each other and have been friends for so long now. I know they care, but they can also be pushy. I suppose, I’m the same way, and if it was one of them, I’d be all up in their shit, too. It’s just how we are and I wouldn’t change it.

  Well, looky here!!! One of the girls from my online book club gifted me the book Bright Side by Kim Holden. I must send a thank you message to Amy AKD. She gifts me books, has some awesome recommendations, and I lov
e her to death. There are a few girls in my online world, I consider friends. Even though we are on the computer, we read books together and gush over the ones we love. So, I grab my cat and Kindle, and gear up to read Bright Side!

  Four hours later…

  I’m ugly crying like nobody’s business. What in the fuck? I’ve read some books that have made me tear up a bit, but Jesus Christmas, not like this. What a beautiful story! That made me booger everyfuckinwhere and on my Oreo, to boot. This one hit me hard. I need to clean my face and smoke a joint after that one.

  My joint is rolled and I head outside and light it up. I take my first puff. Aahhhhhh. I hear Kev coming around to the front porch, talking on his cell. As soon as he sees me, he stops and tells whomever he’s talking to that he will call them back.

  “Abby, what the fuck? Are you ok?” he asks with concern and a lethal look in his eyes.

  “Yeah, Kev, I just finished reading a book and it made me cry,” I say, laughing and smoking my joint.

  “Jesus, I thought something happened to you. Don’t fuckin’ scare me like that,” he says, placing a hand over his heart.

  Now is as good a time as any, I suppose, and I have the courage because of the pot.

  “Kev, what the hell was with the message you sent me on Facebook? I’m kinda freaked out a bit here,” I say.

  Kevin looks confused. “Abby, what the hell are you talking about? I’ve been at work all day. All my apps stay closed on my phone or it drains my battery, and I need my phone for work. I wasn’t even on Facebook today,” he says.

  And I believe him.

  I’ve known Kev for a long time and I can tell when he means what he says. I grab my phone and find the message, shoving my phone towards him.

  “See? How am I supposed to know it wasn’t from you when it says it was, dorkus?” I question.

  Kev and I both hear a car pull into the driveway situated beside the house. Must be the other dude that lives here. Kev and I are both waiting and are both shocked to see Jake walking around to the front porch.