Obsession.

Chapter 21 ~ Valen

I haven't seen her for five days. Five days that life hasn't provided the joy that I'm used to. The world is missing the little spark of happiness I've had over the last couple of months. It's a good reminder of the shell I used to be.

I've spent every day thinking about her, but not in the ways I usually do. I've been worried sick. I have no way of knowing if she's hurt. I know she can handle herself, but they have probably starved her in there. How can she fight if she doesn't have nourishment?

I'm driving Amir and I to Hayes' house. I haven't been here for a couple years. I've missed the streets of London though. It's got a different charm than I'm used to. Much calmer than the bustling New York intersections.

All week I have been distracting my father. He thinks she's out of the picture. He thinks she's out of my life. The vile shit he said about her... and the same vile shit I nodded and laughed along to. This isn't the man I knew when mom was alive. He was a dickhead, but nothing like he is now. I've lost all of my respect for him.

If I wasn't with him, I was drinking my sorrows away. I've been better with alcohol this past year, and all of that progress came plummeting this week. Sobering up was hard, but it was necessary for this trip. I can't let her see how much this tore me apart. She would feel guilty.

I just pulled into their driveway. I've never anticipated anything like this before. Seeing her will hopefully make everything feel better.

Amir knocks on the door. Laurent opens it and invites us inside.

"Long time no see!" He says, reaching out to hug me.

I hug him and then he hugs Amir.

"Good flight?" He asks.

"More or less..." Amir says.

"How is she?" I impatiently ask.

"She's... fine for now. She went through a lot though. You can't see them now, but her legs are very bruised. She's been waiting for you guys to say anything."

Now I'm worried for what she has to share.

"Where is she?" Amir asks.

"They're in here watching movies."

He leads us through the long hallway to the living room. The only light is the faint colors coming from the TV. I take a deep breath and walk into the doorway.

There she is.

Her eyes light up. She tries to get up, but she's caught in a web of blankets. I walk over and help her out. As soon as she's free, her arms latch onto me. I hold her fragile head in my hand and let the other rest around her waist.

She's finally in my arms again.

She's snuggling into my shirt. It's these cute little things she does that makes everything feel worth it. They're the things that make me smile.

We hold each other for a little, but I can't wait for her lips any longer. After pulling away, I move my hand to her cheek and look into her eyes. Then, I lean in and finally kiss her. It's the gentle kiss that I had pictured. Her lips are chapped, but they're still the ones I thirst for.

I don't care what they think of us right now. I can feel their questioning eyes, but they can look all they want. None of that matters to me. I just care about her.

"What the hell!?" I hear Jax yell in his thick accent.

The kiss pauses. He ruined the fucking mood. I pull away from her and look into her beautiful eyes again. I hate that they don't have the sparkle that I'm used to.