obsessively mine

CH#24 HER

The night came to an end sooner than I expected. The guests slowly trickled out, their laughter and clinking glasses fading into the distance. I stood by the entrance, offering brief goodbyes, but my mind was already on Vince. The way he watched me all evening, silent but ever-present, sent a pulse of electricity through me. Tonight, words would finally be spoken.

I stepped into the cool night air, and there he was—leaning against my car like he had all the time in the world. The streetlights threw shadows across his face, half-hidden, yet his eyes gleamed with something unreadable. He straightened the moment I approached, the casualness in his stance belied by the sharpness of his gaze.

"Nice job tonight," he said, his voice smooth but carrying a dark edge. It wasn't a compliment. It was a challenge.

I stopped a few feet from him, the night's chill biting against my skin, but it was nothing compared to the tension coiling between us. "I always do well," I replied coolly. "I told you I had this under control."

He smirked, a twisted, knowing expression that set my nerves on edge. "Control?" His voice lowered, almost a growl. "You really think you're calling the shots here, don't you?"

His words hit hard, but I wouldn't let him see it. Not tonight. I stepped closer, closing the gap between us, feeling the heat radiating off him. "You're the one pretending to watch from the sidelines, Vince," I shot back. "But we both know you can't stay away."

He moved so fast I barely registered it—now inches from me, his breath hot on my skin. My pulse spiked as he leaned in, his voice a dangerous whisper. "Maybe I don't have to stay away. Maybe I just enjoy watching you... struggle."

I clenched my fists at my sides, hating how he always knew where to cut deepest. "I'm not struggling."

"No?" His hand reached out, fingers brushing against my arm, sending a jolt of sensation through me. "Because from where I'm standing, you're barely keeping your head above water."

Anger surged, mingling with something darker, something I couldn't control. "You think you know everything, Vince? You don't. You never will."

He stepped back, eyes glinting with amusement, like this was all a game to him. "I know enough," he said quietly. "Enough to know that whatever power you think you have, it's slipping."

I swallowed hard, my heart racing. He wasn't entirely wrong, but I refused to give in. "And what about you? You're always here. Watching. Waiting. If I'm so unimportant, why the hell do you keep showing up?"

Silence hung between us, thick with tension. His eyes never left mine, the intensity in them making my breath catch. Then, slowly, he leaned in again, his lips brushing dangerously close to my ear. "Maybe," he whispered, his voice sending a shiver down my spine, "I'm just waiting for the right moment to see you break."

I shuddered, but I couldn't let him see the effect he had on me. "You won't get that satisfaction."

"We'll see." He stepped back, his gaze lingering on me a moment longer before he turned and walked away. The silence he left behind was deafening.

We drove in silence back to the mansion, the hum of the engine the only sound between us. My pulse was still racing from the encounter, but I kept my face neutral, my hands steady. We pulled into the driveway, and as the car stopped, I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

"By the way," I said, my voice slicing through the quiet, "today's the 26th."

Vince didn't move for a second, then slowly turned his head to look at me, eyes sharp and suspicious. "So?"

I stepped out of the car, my shoes clicking against the pavement as I stood and faced him fully. "That means there's only three more days." My tone was calm, but the weight of the words hung heavy between us.

"Three days until what?" His voice was flat, but there was an undercurrent of something darker there, a challenge I knew all too well.

I took a step closer, holding his gaze, feeling the weight of the night settling over us. "Three days until we find out whether I'll still be alive... or dead."

His expression shifted—subtle, but unmistakable. The threat in my words wasn't new, but this time it felt real. The deadline was creeping closer. He stepped closer, his presence looming over me. "And you're not scared?" His voice was low, dangerous.

A small, cold smile tugged at my lips. "No. Living in silence, pretending this never happened—that would be worse."

Vince's gaze darkened as he took another step, closing the space between us until I could feel the heat radiating off him. "So, you've accepted that I'm going to kill you?" His voice was deadly, almost soft.

I lifted my chin, refusing to back down. "Yes. If that's what it takes to get you to feel something." My voice trembled, but I kept it steady enough to meet his gaze.

The silence that followed was suffocating. His eyes locked onto mine, intense and unyielding, and for a moment, I thought he might break, say something, anything.

Instead, he leaned in, so close I could feel his breath against my neck. "You want me to kill you, Stacey?" His words were soft, but laced with steel. "Be careful what you wish for."

I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs, but I wouldn't let him win this. "Maybe I'm counting on it."

He stared at me, jaw clenched, the tension between us almost unbearable. Then, with a sharp exhale, he stepped back, his eyes still locked on mine. "We'll see," he said quietly, turning and walking into the house, leaving me standing alone in the cold night.