Found Obsession

Chapter 129: Gabriel and The Lost Secret.

Elijah stopped at the end of the bus, his piercing gaze narrowing as it shifted between the two of them. Brianna, still holding the phone, shot him a sheepish grin that practically screamed innocence—an innocence Rose knew was anything but genuine.

Elijah's eyes locked onto the phone in Brianna's hand, where a picture of Rose was still on display.

Before he could say anything, Brianna managed to slip the phone into Rose's hand with a quick, mischievous move.

"Mommy!" Brianna called out as she bolted down the aisle, her feet carrying her swiftly out of the line of fire.

Rose blinked, dumbfounded, before realizing she was now holding Elijah's phone. She felt the tension between them grow, the weight of his stare pressing down on her.

Slowly, she looked up, meeting Elijah's gray eyes. For a moment, neither of them said a word. Rose saw the slightest flicker of something—embarrassment?—in his eyes before he looked away.

Her lips parted as if to say something, but she bit them closed, feeling her face grow hot. She quickly pressed the button to lock the phone, her fingers trembling slightly.

"I... I think this is yours," she whispered, her voice barely above a murmur.

She held the phone out to him, her heart racing in her chest.

Elijah reached for it.

For a moment, the silence lingered between them, charged and heavy.

"We're here," Riley announced, his voice cutting through the haze in Rose's mind.

She blinked, turning to look out the window. How long had she been lost in those visions? The scenery outside was unfamiliar, a stark reminder that time had slipped away from her.

They had arrived with no issues... Just like he had said would happen.

Swallowing hard, Rose grabbed her backpack and stood. The weight of the artifacts inside pressed against her, grounding her as she steadied herself.

She turned slightly, her gaze meeting Elijah's. He was still there, his posture tense. His eyes flickered to her briefly before looking away, as though he wasn't sure whether to say something or stay silent.

Rose didn't know how to feel about it, either.

She had known about the pictures in his room. She had known about his obsession—if that's what it was—but seeing it laid bare on his phone had been... different.

Her thoughts drifted to the revelation from her vision, to what she had just been told: her deepest desire. For Elijah to escape the darkness her family had dragged him into. For him to find a way back to the light, even if she herself had no place there.

Her grip on her backpack tightened. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words refused to come. The heaviness in her chest, the confusion and guilt swirling inside her, made her close it again.

Without another glance at Elijah, she turned and hurried to the front of the bus.

Her mind raced, a storm of conflicting emotions. The obsession, the connection they seemed to share, the damage they both carried—it was all too much. Being a Hansley had shaped her life into a twisted, unrecognizable thing, and somewhere along the way, it had entwined with his.

She squared her shoulders as she approached the bus doors, forcing herself to push everything else aside.

"Open up," Rose said softly, turning to Riley. He nodded and pressed the button, the bus doors hissing open.