Obsession

Chapter 2

Lia's POV

I heard heavy footsteps approaching through the doorway.

"Lia baby!" My father exclaimed as he rushed to my side, he clumsily threw his arms around us and brought the three of us into a tight embrace.

"Oh honey we've missed you so much but it's okay... You're okay... You're safe now!" My father assured firmly.

I leaned back and looked my father in the eye, his eyes were clouded with tears and his expression was soft. I looked at my father and urged myself to believe his words, to believe I was safe, to believe I would be okay.

"I know... I know." I replied quietly and then offered him a weak smile, which he accepted by widening his grin.

I felt a pang of uncertainty shoot through my body causing me to shudder and suddenly my father's face, before my very eyes, began to distort and morph. The skin on his face pulsed and flexed, his features began to slip away and were soon replaced with those belonging to him.

My father's warm amber eyes were replaced with cold grey ones; my father's soft features became chiselled and defined; my father's loving smile transformed into an arrogant smirk. This was no longer my father - This was my captor, my tormentor, my kidnapper. Jake.

"I said you would always be mine baby." He drawled obnoxiously before pulling a gun from his pocket and holding it to a gun from his pocket and holding it to Steve's head.

Bang.

I heard Steve's desperate cries and I felt his strong hands gripped on my shoulders as he shook me. "Lia!...Lia?!...Lia wake up!" He yelled frantically.

My eyes shot open and I released the breath I had subconsciously been holding; I coughed and spluttered noisily as my lungs dragged in oxygen hysterically.

"Lia listen to me, you're okay. It's just me, he's not here." Steve implored worriedly as he brought me into his arms. My cheeks were coated in my tears as they streamed from my eyes and plummeted down my blotchy cheeks. Steve rocked me gently in his embrace and told me I was OK in a muffled voice through my hair.

My breathing slowly began to settle and my heart rate calmed to a gentle flutter. I felt the rough material of the corner of Steve's sleeve brush against my skin when he wiped away my tears.

"What was it? What did you see?" He pleaded.

I simply shook my head. I couldn't tell him, I saw him die, I couldn't tell him that I watched my kidnapper kill him right in front of me - I couldn't hurt him like that.

"Lia ?" Steve tried anxiously.

"Just a bad dream." I mumbled quietly, hoping this would be enough for him.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He enquired gently.

"Not really." I replied. I felt tired and I felt sad, all I wanted to do now was roll over and go back to sleep. Steve pressed on.

"I think it would be good for you to talk about what happened, you know just let it out." He continued.

"You're no longer just talking about the dream are you?" I replied quietly.

He shook his head.

Since waking up in the hospital the day after I was rescued, 5 days ago, Steve and my father have been bombarding me with questions about what happened to me when I was taken; I haven't told them anything and I'm not sure if I can bring myself to; the memories are to raw and I can still feel the pain of what I went through.

"Lia it's not good to bottle it all up... Maybe if you just tried talking abou-"

"NO!" I yelled. Steve looked taken back and his eyes were filled with hurt at my outburst.

"Okay okay I'm sorry honey... shh shh it's alright, if you're not ready you don't have to say anything... I can wait." He said soothingly.

"That's the thing... you may be waiting a long time." I replied dejectedly.

"Keeping it to yourself won't make the pain go away." Steve spoke quietly; he wouldn't look at me, he merely stared at his hands which were sat in his lap.

"I know!" I snapped.

"Do you?" He countered, his voice remaining steady. I opened my mouth to reply but shut it again briefly as I let his words sink in.

I knew it wasn't good for me to build up these walls and shut out the ones that I love but I just couldn't tell them. I couldn't tell them how weak I was. I couldn't show them how vulnerable I became. I couldn't' bring myself to let them know that I had given up hope on them.

"I don't expect you to give me every painful detail," Steve began hesitantly, "I just want the lies about how you're fine to stop."

"Okay." I breathed out.

"No more lies?" He asked.

"No more lies." I said.

Okay.

2 days later Steve asked me if I was fine...

I told him I was fine