BE MY OBSESSION

CHAPTER 30

•SHELBY•

He had been on the phone for nearly an hour, and his escalating anger during the call had me deeply concerned. Trying to keep my focus on Zaya proved difficult with William's behavior becoming more and more troubling.

What's gotten into him? And who is he talking to?

"Look, Shelly! We have to dress up the dolls now," Zaya said, diverting my attention back to her as she played a Barbie dress-up game on her iPad.

Zaya, being five, had trouble pronouncing my name correctly, so she called me Shelly instead. Now, I had a second person using that name for me.

I stole another glance at William, but he had vanished. Confusion washed over me as I scanned the room, searching for him.

Wait, where did he go? He was just here a minute ago.

After returning from the restroom, Mrs. Nakamura asked, "Sorry I took so long. Are you ready to go, sweetie?"

Zaya jumped off my lap, and as I stood up, she clutched my hand tightly.

"Mommy, can Shelly come with us?" she pleaded with an adorable pout, melting my heart.

I've always had a soft spot for kids, but I rarely showed it openly unless I wanted to. However, Zaya's charm quickly made me feel attached to her.

"Honey, no, Shelby is a very busy person. She probably has work to do today. Maybe some other time," Mrs. Nakamura replied.

Zaya pouted even more, and her grip on my hand tightened.

"It's okay, Mrs. Nakamura. I can spare another hour to hang out with her," I offered.

Mrs. Nakamura seemed surprised by my response. 

"Oh no, we wouldn't want to keep you from your work, Miss Falcon. I'll convince her to let you go, and maybe we can meet up another time."

"No!" Zaya whined, and I chuckled.

"It's alright, don't worry about me. I'll keep her company for a while," I assured them.

Mrs. Nakamura gave me a sympathetic smile before turning to Zaya and speaking to her sternly in Japanese.

Zaya listened attentively, then broke into a huge grin, looking up at me. 

"Yes! Shelly, you're coming with me."

I laughed and gently stroked her hair. 

"You'd like that, huh?" She eagerly nodded.

Mr. Nakamura joined us, smiling but a bit confused. 

"She won't let Miss Falcon go and keeps whining about it. But thankfully, Miss Falcon has agreed to hang out with us a little while longer for Zaya's sake," Mrs. Nakamura explained to him.

"That's wonderful. By the way, have you spoken to Mr. Fontane? I believe he left," Mr. Nakamura inquired.

Now, how on earth should I explain his rude behavior, leaving without a word?

"Uh, there was an urgent call from the office, so he had to leave to see what was going on. Everything is okay," I reassured them.

Gosh, I can't believe I'm covering for that jerk. Again!

We all left the restaurant together and visited an aquarium. Zaya and Toji were thrilled to be there, and I spent the whole time holding Zaya's hand.

Later, we went to the mall, and despite their parents' protests, I bought some toys for the kids. I simply wanted to do something nice for them.