Obsession

Chapter 30

Kai was charged with aggravated assault and is being held at the county jail to await sentencing. Daryl thinks we could get rid of him for as much as six months, but at the very least, thirty days. I've been able to breathe so much easier without him lurking around.

Without having to worry about what Kai's gonna do next, I can focus on my mom's case. There's still no sign of her. She hasn't used her credit cards or her cell phone since the day she went missing. Everyone is starting to assume the worst. It's been two weeks. There's a real possibility I'm never gonna see her again and that completely breaks me.

Which is why I find myself in the girl's bathroom in the science hall. I caught a whiff of her perfume in the hallway on my way to class and it's like something inside of me just snapped. I locked myself in a stall and I've been sitting on the toilet, silently sobbing, for the past thirty minutes.

"Mara? Are you in here?" a soft voice calls out.

I turn the lock and kick the door open to see Anna standing in front of the stall. Her eyes tear up when she sees me. "Oh, Mara. Come here," she says, holding her arms out to me.

I gladly fall into them and let her hug me while I cry out all the tears I have left. I'm not sure how much time actually goes by before we finally hear the footsteps of people heading to class coming down the hallway.

I pull away from her and wipe the tears from my eyes. "I need to get out of here. I can't sit through another class. Not today."

"Do you want me to go get Leo?" she asks.

I nod. "Please."

She rushes out of the bathroom and I go back into the same stall I just came out of. I sit there quietly until I hear the door open again a few minutes later.

"Mara?"

I stand and open the stall door to see Leo awkwardly poking his head through the bathroom's entrance. I jump into his arms and he hugs me tight, kissing the top of my head.

"I want to go home," I cry into his chest.

"I know, baby. Come on, let's go," he says, wrapping his arm around me and leading me out of the bathroom.

We get into his car, but before he drives away, I place my hand on his arm. "I want to go to my mom's house."

His eyes widen in surprise. "Are you sure? You don't think that might...make things harder for you?"

"Maybe, but I feel like I need to. Just for a few minutes."

He nods slowly and drives away, in the direction of my mom's house that I haven't been to in weeks now.

When he pulls into the driveway, I can already feel the crushing weight of grief on my chest. The last time I was here, I slept in her bed, in her warm, protective embrace. She made us hot chocolate. We watched a movie together. We talked bout Leo. We talked about Daryl. I had no idea it would be the last time I ever saw her.

"Mara, are you sure you want to do this?" Leo asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I look at him and nod.

"Do you want me to go with you?" he asks softly.

"No. Just wait here. I won't be long," I whisper before getting out of the car.

I take out my keys as I walk up to the front door. I unlock it and slowly step inside, swallowing back the knot in my throat. It still smells like her; like fresh, clean laundry with a hint of vanilla.

I walk through the living room and notice her book sitting on the coffee table, her bookmark still placed about halfway through. She never got to finish it.