BE MY OBSESSION

CHAPTER 11

•SHELBY•

The following morning, as I diligently attended to my paperwork in the office, my attention was abruptly drawn to movement outside. Raising my gaze, I spotted William making his way down the hallway towards my office, causing me to roll my eyes in exasperation.

"Make a turn. Please, just make a turn," I muttered desperately under my breath, pretending to be engrossed in my computer screen, silently hoping he wouldn't enter.

Unfortunately, luck was not on my side today. Before I knew it, the door swung open and he sauntered in, wearing a smirk that clearly reveled in my irritation.

Without uttering a word, he made a beeline for my drink cabinet, and I watched with a scowl of anger as he helped himself to a drink. His comfort around me was becoming unbearable, and I hate it to no end. Lately, I had even entertained the thought of getting away with his murder.

After preparing his drink and taking a sip, he finally approached my side. I spun around in my chair, glaring at him.

"You certainly put on a show yesterday. I must admit, I never expected you to have a violent streak," he remarked, taking another sip of his drink.

Was that whiskey?

"You haven't witnessed true violence yet, William. Continue to test me, and you'll soon find out," I retorted sharply.

He chuckled and gestured towards the open folders on my table.

"You should have considered my suggestion. You're already growing irritated, and I haven't even done anything yet. Focus on your work, not on me."

I arched a skeptical brow.

"Oh, is that why you dislike my presence? Whatever plan you have in mind won't work. I have my eyes on you, Fontane, so tread carefully."

"Ah, I love it when you make threats. It's rather sexy," he quipped.

I rolled my eyes and swiveled my chair back toward my desk.

"If you have nothing interesting to say, you can leave. I'm quite busy, and I don't have time for your stupid games."

He remained silent, and I attempted to refocus on my work. Then, he shifted back, and I swiftly glanced up, catching his reflection on my computer screen. He was gazing out of the floor-to-ceiling window behind me.

"Remember that time during one of our lab classes in high school? We were working on an experiment, and Jennifer Smith dropped a beaker, blaming you for breaking it."

I paused, frowning. Yes, I remembered that moment, but where was he going with this?

"Damn, I could have sworn I saw tears welling up in your eyes when you insisted that you didn't do it. I witnessed the entire incident, and you flinched when that thing shattered."

Just as I was about to respond, my heart skipped a beat when his arm moved in front of me, placing his empty glass on the table. My heart raced, heightened by his proximity.

"What's your point?" I managed to force the words out.

He leaned next to me, his arm still resting on the table, and leaned down. His face mere inches from mine, I forced myself to remain composed.

What the hell is he doing?

"The point is, for someone who used to keep her emotions in check, you certainly know how to control your anger."

I could feel his breath on my skin, and my heart pounded within my chest with each passing second.

When he brushed a lock of hair behind my ear, my entire body froze. His cold fingertip grazed my skin, and I turned my face away, still unaccustomed to his proximity.

"I miss the girl you were. Happy, lively, calm, and easy to get along with," he whispered in my ear.

I glared at him. His face was so close to mine that any slight movement would result in our lips touching.

"Did you honestly think I'd remain the same after all these years?" I snapped, my tone sharp.

He leaned back and gazed down at me, a small smile playing on his lips.

"No, but I still see glimpses of the old Shelby in you. You should let her out to play sometime. Frankly, this game of hatred you're playing is getting boring Shelly."

I scoffed, disbelief etched on my face.

"You think this is a game? I do hate you, and I have no reason to hide it. I despise the fact that you suddenly reappeared in my life, and I can't tell your ulterior motives. But don't worry, I'll find out soon. So don't twist things around in your head."

He leaned toward me once again, his gaze briefly dropping to my lips before locking onto my eyes.

Wait, when did his eyes become so blue?

"Admit it, Shelly. The only reason you held back was because you were afraid of what others would think of you. You've always had this anger and coldness within you. So you should thank me for that. Without me, you wouldn't have embraced the real you."

What did he just say?!

I pushed my chair back, finally standing to face him.

"You want me to thank you for what you did to me? For almost ruining what was supposed to be the best and memorable year of my life? Fine! I'll admit that what you did was the reason why I changed but there is no way in hell I'll ever appreciate what you have done."

He straightened his posture, sliding his hands into his pockets, a remorseful expression crossing his face for the first time.

The sound of my phone ringing cut through the tension. I grabbed it from the table and saw Becky's name flashing on the screen.

Suppressing the tight knot in my throat, I turned back to him.

"Could you leave now? I have work to do."

With a curt nod, he began to exit, without uttering another word. As the door closed, I cleared my throat, plastering a smile on my face before answering Becky's call.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Hey, bestie! Want to grab lunch with me?"

I pulled my chair back in and sat down, responding to her question.

"Sure, I'd love to. I'll be done in the next two hours. Shall I call you?"

"Great! See you then!" she replied cheerfully, and I ended the call.

As the realization of what had just happened with William sank in, my mood shifted, and tears prick the back of my eyes. I felt grateful for Becky's timing. A distraction was exactly what I needed right now, as the lingering tension from William's presence affected my mood profoundly.

I suddenly couldn't wait to finish my work and get out of here.