Obsessed

by Ashton Blackthorne

“Who else would?” Jax sighed glancing at his hands which had a rim of dark, dried blood underneath his fingernails. He needed to wash them again.

  Jax was jolted by a peal of laughter.

  “This is fantastic, Jax! Priceless. Oh, the media will love this! Did you send me all the pictures? I’m going to get these up on social media as soon as I get off the phone with you. This is marketing gold!”

  “What?” Jax was confused. So was this part of her plan all along?

  “I told you Sarah Bender was the best. She’s a terrific actress worth every penny!”

  “So this was part of the plan?” Jax didn’t know if he should be relieved or annoyed.

  “Well, I admit this is going to the extreme, but this will make you the talk of the writing world especially given the theme of your current work in progress. How’s the writing coming by the way?”

  “Actually, it’s going very well. As soon as I saw the mess when I got home, I ran to my laptop. I wrote for hours.” He confessed.

  “See now my plan worked just like I told you it would! Now your words will seem genuine to readers because you have actually experienced the terror of stalking.” Jax could hear her smiling over the phone. Kristi had been right. Jessica was the best.

  “Maybe you’re right,” he whispered his thoughts still lingering over the sticky, congealed blood on the floor.

  “I wonder what she used. Food coloring and corn syrup?” Jessica laughed.

  “It was real, Jessica. I swear it looked like she’d sacrificed a chicken in there.” A nervous laugh escaped his lips.

  “Real? Seriously? How do you know?”

  “I smelled it, Jessica. It was real.”

  She was quiet a moment.

  “That’s odd. I would’ve thought she’d use fake blood. Still, maybe she got some from a local butcher shop. That’s better makes it even more authentic.”

  Although Jax had his doubts, he agreed.

  “The feathers were a particularly nice touch. I’ll have to compliment her on that whenever I see her again. If I see her, that is.”

  “What do you mean? I thought she worked in the building with you.”

  “She does, but I haven’t been able to catch up with her for over a month. I’ve been communicating with her via email. I assumed she was just busy stalking you. I’m sure she’ll be back in the office soon. I left her a voicemail a few days ago to see me whenever she was here.”

  Something unsettled Jax. That was strange. How could she not be in the office for more than a month? Jessica wasn’t her direct supervisor, so wouldn’t she have other work to do besides stalk him?

  “Jax, just relax. Sarah is a wonderful actress. This is all just a game. Don’t let it unnerve you.”

  “There’s also the fact she shattered a glass pane in my French door, Jessica. What should I---“

  “---don’t worry. I’ll call someone to come fix it immediately. But it’s working, Jax. Don’t you feel terrified?”

  Yes, he certainly did.

  “You could say that.”

  “Then I’m doing my job. She’s doing her job. You’re writing again, aren’t you? See, everything is coming together. The readers will swoon over this! You will sell tens of thousands of books in week one alone! New York Times here we come!”

  Jax loved the passionate way she spoke, but there was a nagging feeling tugging inside him.

  What if this wasn’t just an act?

  What if it was real?

  12

  Tapping her pen against the desk, Sarah wondered what Jax’s reaction had been to the nasty scene she’d left him. She wasn’t one for blood, but still sometimes things just had to get messy.

  You did what you had to do, Sarah.

  The voices had been relentless lately. She wondered if she should go back on the medicine she’d taken when she was younger.

  Not that that had stopped them.

  No, the voices were always there lingering in the shadows ready to comment on her every movement and to direct her steps.

  It had been like that since she was nine years old.

  Sitting back in her chair, she could still hear her brother, Tristan’s laughter in her echoing in her ears.

  “Crazy Sarah, Crazy Sarah!”

  After the incident with Mollie and her subsequent commitment, Sarah was returned home to her parents. She’d been sent away for four years.

  “Now, Sarah, today’s the first day of school. It’s time to start over again, time to start a new chapter. No one at this school knows what happened with Mollie.” Her mother brushed her long brown hair so that it hung in glossy waves down her back.

  “Yes, Momma.”

  “All that nasty business with Mollie is over. Her family moved to the next town. You won’t see her again. Just keep your mouth shut about it. You’ll make lots of new friends.” Her mother kept babbling to her in her usual cheerful manner.

  “Of course, Momma.”

  “Haven’t you missed school, Sarah?” Her mother turned her around to face her.

  Sarah nodded. Her new pink dress had an acrylic collar that itched her neck. She desperately longed to scratch, but knew her mother would fuss at her for fidgeting.

  “Well, today is a whole new school year! You’re in the 7th grade now and I expect you will conduct yourself in a more mature fashion. Your father and I went out of our way to buy you a whole new wardrobe for this year so that you would fit in and do well here.”

  Sarah swallowed hard. She knew her incident with Mollie had cost her parents dearly both emotionally and financially. They’d spent thousands on her mental health treatment and had advocated relentlessly to have her released.

  And declared sane.

  The psychiatrists at the hospital had finally deemed her ‘fit’ to return to society. They claimed she’d been suffering from a delusional disorder which wasn’t full blown schizophrenia.

  At least not yet.

  Dutifully, Sarah took her pills that morning before school. She hated them as they made her so sleepy and feel like a zombie. But the goal was to quiet the voices in her head.

  The joke was on them. The voices were never quiet. They merely settled down to a dull roar.

  Sarah learned to ignore them. Pushing their whispers aside, she set off for school with her new pink backpack slung over her shoulder.

  “Crazy Sarah!” Her brother, Tristan laughed as they waited for the bus together. He was going into the ninth grade, but would be riding the same bus as they lived in a rural area.

  “Shut up, Tristan! Momma said not to say anything.” Sarah twirled a silky brown lock of her hair around her finger.

  “What? I’m not supposed to warn people my sister might try to kill them? That would be irresponsible of me, wouldn’t it?” He mocked her with his laughter.

  Sarah stomped her foot.

  “Tristan, leave me alone!”

  Looking behind them to ensure their mother wasn’t watching, he shoved her hard knocking her to the ground. The gravel cut her knees. Sarah stood up brushing her dress off and wiping the trickle of blood from her legs.

  “Fuck you, Sarah. You’re not my sister just a crazy girl our parents insisted on getting back. I don’t know why they spent all that time trying to get you home. I don’t want you here you’re crazy.”

  His words cut her to the core. Tears stung behind her eyelids as she blinked several times. Before the Mollie incident, they’d been close. He’d changed since she’d been gone.

  “Then stay away from me, Tristan. I don’t want you as a brother either!” She drew back her fist to strike at him as the bus pulled up to their driveway.

  “Crazy Sarah!” He taunted her one last time as he hopped onto the bus. Sarah climbed up onto the bus after him.

  Walking down the aisle of the bus, Sarah looked for an available seat. Every time she moved to sit down, the other child on the seat scooted over.

  “Seat’s taken.” They each said. Tristan laughed as Sarah desperately tried to find
a seat. The bus driver tapped his hands on the steering wheel impatiently.

  “Find a seat, girl!” He growled.

  Sarah looked around in desperation. Tears tickled beneath her eyelids. She fought to keep from crying.

  “Sit down!”

  “I can’t,” she whispered hugging her backpack to herself.

  “Somebody move and give her a seat! NOW!” He slammed his fists on the steering wheel.

  Sarah looked around her as a thin girl with mousy brown hair scooted over.

  “You can sit here.”

  Sarah sat down as the bus pitched forward.

  “I’m Haley. You’re new here, aren’t you? I haven’t seen you around before.”

  Sarah sat rigidly in her seat. Haley’s friendly tone relaxed her slightly. She sat her backpack on the floor between her feet.

  “Yes. I’m Sarah. I used to go to Washington—” She began before she could catch herself.

  “You’re Tristan’s sister?”

  Sarah nodded.

  Haley’s brown eyes widened as she realized who Sarah was.

  “Holy shit, you’re the one who tried to kill Mollie Simmons!” She clapped her hand over her mouth.

  So much for the new start, Sarah thought.

  “It wasn’t like that,” Sarah whispered.

  Haley twirled a long lock of hair around her finger thoughtfully. She didn’t look alarmed.

  “Mollie Simmons is a big hoe now. I’m sort of sorry you didn’t finish the job. She sucked my boyfriend off last year.”

  Sucked off? Sarah didn’t know what she meant.

  “Only in the seventh grade she’s been screwing guys since last year. I couldn’t believe it when he told me. That’s gross. I bet she’s screwed half the JV football team.” Haley rolled her eyes.

  “I’m sorry about Mollie.” Sarah looked down.

  “Hey, I don’t care. I know they say you’re crazy, but I think you look okay. Don’t worry this school is better than Washington.” Haley beamed at her. Sarah started to feel relief wash over her.

  “Good.”

  “Just watch out for her.” Haley jerked her thumb towards a petite blonde with long curly hair sitting in the back row.

  “Why?”

  “She’s Mollie’s best friend now. Once she hears who you are.” Haley drew her finger across her neck.

  Sarah gulped getting the implication.

  She was doomed yet again.

  As the years passed, people began to forget about the Mollie incident as did Sarah. In high school, she was very popular and had lots of boyfriends. The voices were quiet for many years and Sarah began to think the worst was over. Even her brother, Tristan lightened up and began to repair his relationship with her.

  The voices even left her alone long enough to complete her graduate degree in English landing her a job as an editor at Meridian International. She re-discovered her passion for reading.

  A few years after working as an associate editor, she found Jax Paulson. His books spoke to her on a level she’d never experienced. She felt a powerful connection to him that she just couldn’t explain. She quickly became a huge fan buying all his swag and wearing panties with his logo on it daily. She’d had a boyfriend at the time, but all she could think about was Jax.

  There was something magical between her and Jax, something akin to a destined connection.

  Then she overhead Jessica talking in the office about needing someone for a special job involving Jax Paulson. She clamored for the position practically begging her supervisor to let her do the side job.

  And she’d nailed it.

  As well as Jax.

  She knew she wasn’t supposed to sleep with him, but when she actually laid eyes on him she was smitten.

  Then the voices started again. They tormented her day and night warning her that Jax was evil. He must be watched at all times. Sarah panicked, scared that the voices were going to ruin her life again. She tried medicating herself with anti-anxiety pills and alcohol.

  But they wouldn’t stop.

  Now she knew it was more than just a paid job to stalk Jax. She was supposed to watch him for real. It saddened her to think that the man she’d so adored was evil.

  But she knew the voices were right. They had been right about Mollie. She had no reason to doubt them.

  13

  The bar was more crowded than usual. He sighed as the car pulled to a stop in front of the entrance. He was getting tired of going out every night. Jax longed for a quiet evening at home snuggled up with Brooke, but Jessica said it was important for him to be seen out with lots of different women.

  And for Sarah to be seen watching him.

  Jax smoothed his dark brown hair back as he stepped out of his car. He looked around for the gorgeous blonde Jessica said would be meeting him. He hoped she wasn’t as much of a ditz as his last date. He didn’t think he could handle another night of aimless chit chat about nail polish colors and the advantages of a gel manicure.

  As he entered the bar, several girls raced towards him.

  “Jax Paulson! Oh my God, it’s Jax Paulson!” They cried.

  Inwardly he groaned as he beamed at the small crowd of women.

  After a few strokes of the pen, he quickly signed several cocktail napkins.

  “So, you’re the great Jax Paulson?” A stunning blonde approached him wearing a black dress with a plunging neckline.

  “That I am. And I guess you are Fiona?”

  She grinned extending her hand.

  They continued chatting as they entered the bar. Thick smoke surrounded them despite this being a supposed smoke free bar, but that didn’t bother Jax. Throngs of people were leaning against the counter drinking and talking.

  “So how long have you known Jessica?” Jax led Fiona to a table.

  She shrugged removing her long coat.

  “Not long. She contacted me through the agency.”

  “What agency?”

  “The modeling agency I work for. They told me it would be an easy job just go out to dinner with a famous author.”

  He grinned as he ordered them drinks.

  “Of course. Just a quick date for publicity’s sake. Smile for a few pictures that’s all.”

  She nodded sweeping her long hair from her shoulders.

  “Easy enough. But they never told me you were so handsome too. I figured it would be a date with some aging writer.”

  He winked at her as they sipped their drinks. He gazed around looking for Sarah.

  Then, suddenly she appeared. She was wearing a long emerald green dress looking absolutely beautiful. She certainly wasn’t a scary looking stalker that was for sure.

  Sarah took a table not too far away from them. She held her glass up to Jax.

  As Fiona and Jax continued their date, Sarah kept watching.

  Fiona stood to use the restroom. Sarah followed her into the restroom.

  As she stood there fixing her hair, Sarah watched her intently. Noticing the strange woman staring at her, Fiona turned to her.

  “Do you have a problem?” Her pretty lips curled up into a nasty sneer.

  “No. I have a question.”

  Fiona rolled her eyes.

  “What?”

  “Who lies beneath the shadow of the pyramid?”

  Fiona’s mouth fell open. She scooted away from Sarah.

  “Are you fucking crazy? What the hell are you talking about? Do I look Egyptian?”

  Sarah felt rage boiling within her. She slammed her fist against the mirror shattering it. Her hand dripped with blood.

  “Tell me!” She screamed at Fiona.

  Screaming, Fiona raced from the bathroom. By the time Sarah arrived back to her table, she saw Fiona and Jax leaving.

  Guess she wasn’t her replacement after all.

  14

  Jessica slammed the door to her son, Devin’s room shut. Ever since he’d become a teenager, he’d been impossible. Devin refused to come join the family at dinner nearly every nig
ht. He never answered questions about what was going on in his life when asked. Jessica’s husband, Tom dismissed her concerns about Devin noting he was a typical teenager, so she was on her own with him.

  Running her hands through her thick hair, Jessica sauntered down the stairs to pour herself a glass of wine. It was too late to do anything tonight anyway.

  Picking up the Devin’s clothes which he’d thrown around the living room, she sank down onto the couch with her wine. Turning on the remote, she flipped aimlessly through the channels.

  God, she hoped that her plan for Jax worked out. Jax Paulson had such enormous talent, but he was stagnant in his career. Jessica had worked with many talented authors in her life, but he was special. His books were more than just alpha male romantic crap. She could see that something more was brimming beneath the surface just aching to come out.

  That was where her brilliant plan came in. Jax had expressed a desire to turn to his first love, thrillers and his latest book, Disturbed was supposed to be just that. Jessica came up with the idea that in order to inspire him and to drum up much needed publicity he could actually become a stalking victim himself. However, Jessica was concerned that Jax’s work was starting to take a darker turn. His PA, Kristi had expressed her concerns over Jax’s latest writing noting how dark it was. It was her impression that Jax being stalked was starting to get to him.

  Jessica shrugged it off as she finished her glass of wine. She knew her plan would work. Sarah Bender was noted for being an accomplished editor and apparently her acting skills were wonderful as well. There was nothing to worry about.

  Or was there?

  Something had been gnawing at her. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  Sarah Bender hadn’t been in the office for more than a month. When Sarah’s supervisor, Tony told her that Jessica couldn’t hide her alarm. Tony dismissed her concerns citing that Sarah had contacted him indicating that she was going to be working from home for a several weeks. This wasn’t unusual, he told her for an editor to do that. Given her special assignment with a high level executive like Jessica, Tony had granted her request. Still, it didn’t sit well with Jessica.