Love Obsessed

by Veronica Short

  “Shit.” I leave the girl rambling and head toward them.

  Someone yells, “Fight!” and a crowd starts to form.

  I catch sight of Ryan approaching the scene, too, and then I’m beside Erin. I tell her to meet me at the park down the road; it isn’t too far away and is well lit. Watching her leave, she looks so scared, watching the fight unfold. How could Brandon do this to her? Once her figure is out of sight, I turn back toward the scene. The boy is on the ground, and Brandon is standing over him.

  “You’re a fucking tosser, Brandon!” Ryan says, kneeling beside the unconscious boy.

  Brandon just stands there staring at him, and then looks around. “Where’s Erin?”

  We ignore him. I kneel on the other side of the boy. “I’m calling for an ambulance.”

  I get my phone out of my pocket, and start to dial, when he speaks again, “Where’s Erin!?”

  “Go home, Brandon!” Ryan yells just as loud. Brandon is very protective of Erin, sometimes too protective. We’re use to it. We all look out for her, but sometimes, like tonight, he gets too protective.

  “Where...”

  “Home!” Ryan yells, getting to his feet. If Brandon wants to start anything with Ryan, he will fail. Ryan is the one who taught Brandon everything he knows, and he doesn’t stand a chance.

  “An ambulance is on its way,” a girl standing in the outer crowd announces. I pocket my phone back up, and look to see where Brandon is. I don’t want him near Erin right now. He may protect her from the assholes, but I protect her from Brandon when he stuffs up.

  I see him walking through the crowd. “Give it a few minutes, and then go get her.”

  It is the longest few minutes of my life. The ambulance arrives and I take off running after Erin. I see her in the park, on the swings. I continue to run until I have her in my arms, and when I do, I hold onto her with everything I have. She’s shaking slightly, and tears are spilling down her cheeks. I just hold her, not wanting to let her go. After her shaking stops, I speak, “I got you something.”

  “What?” I still have a hold on her, so she speaks into my chest.

  “For your graduation, I bought you something.”

  She pulls back, her hands sliding from my back to rest on my waist. “You didn’t have to get me anything. All you guys being there today was enough.” I bring my hand up to Erin’s neck, picking up the necklace that Brandon got her. I know everything that she owns, and this is new. She could have only gotten it from him.

  “Brandon was allowed to get you something. Why not me?”

  “You didn’t have to get my anything.”

  “I wanted to.” Erin is staring at me, and I want nothing more than to kiss her in this moment. Instead, I reach into my pocket and pull out a small jeweler’s bag. “Hold out your hand.” She does, and I place the bag in her hand, folding my hands over hers, and then put them back on Erin. She looks at it, making me smile. “Open it.”

  She looks up at me and then back down to her hand. Slowly, she opens the bag and pulls out the bracelet I bought for her. When I saw it, I knew that it only belonged on her wrist. She gasps when she sees it, her hand on her mouth. “Cole, you shouldn’t have.”

  She’s shaking her head and looking up at me, “It’s too much, I can’t accept this.”

  I take the silver bracelet, with its seven threaded diamonds, and place it around her wrist, do the clasp up, and then bring her hand up to my lips and kiss it. “Perfect.”

  “You’re too good to me.”

  “You deserve it and so much more.”

  She wraps her arms around me, kissing my jaw, “Thank you.”

  “No need to thank me, honey.” I hang onto her before I ask the next question. The answer is going to break my heart, but it’s not her fault. “Do you want me to take you home?”

  Lifting her head to see me, “Yeah, I need to make sure that Brandon is alright,” she says.

  I close my eyes and nod. I hate that she lives with him. He doesn’t like her out of his sight. “Ok, then, let’s go.”

  I cling to Erin on the ride back to her apartment. She has her head down on my chest, and I kiss it every now and then, wishing that we could be like this more often. We arrive at the apartment all too fast. “Do you want me to come up with you?”

  “No. Go home. It’s been a big day.”

  I take a deep breath, “Call me when you’re in bed. I need to know that you’re alright before I go to sleep.”

  “Promise.” Kissing her cheek, I reluctantly let her go. “I love you, Cole.”

  “I love you, too,” I say, and she gets out of the car. “Can we wait until she walks inside?”

  “Sure thing,” the driver says as I watch her walk inside the apartment, and then the car pulls away.

  Erin

  When I reach the apartment, Brandon is in the kitchen on the phone, his back to me. “She’s not here! Where did she go?! What do you mean, Cole...” He turns and sees me, “Never mind. I see her,” and he hangs up. “Erin.” He moves around the kitchen bench, toward me. I take a step back and put my hand up, and he stops.

  “What the hell was that tonight?” I spit out, my anger from his actions earlier coming to the surface.

  “He could have put something in your drink, and you were going to drink it.” He makes it sound like that is enough of an explanation.

  “It was Aiden. He’s harmless.”

  “You don’t know him well enough to make that judgment.”

  “I’ve known him for as long as I’ve known you.”

  “You’ve known me longer.”

  “By weeks!”

  “Where did Cole take you? What did he do? What did he say to you?”

  “Don’t change the subject! That was unacceptable, Brandon! I like Aiden. Why did you have to do that? He didn’t deserve it. He’s a nice guy.”

  “I did it because I love you, Erin, and he’s not good enough for you.”

  “Bran...”

  He grabs my wrist, lifting it up, and his expression turns cold. “Who gave this to you?” He sounds pissed, and his body is tense.

  “Cole. It’s a graduation present.” He stares at it for what feels like a long time. I yank my arm free from his hold, and he drops his arms to his side, staring at the floor.

  “Are you and Cole dating?” he asks, barely audible.

  “No. We are not. It’s just a gift, same as the one you gave me this morning.”

  He raises his hand and lifts the necklace that hangs around my neck. “Don’t ever take this off.” He looks directly into my eyes, “Ever.” He leans down and kisses the top of my nose. “You’ve had a huge day. Head to bed. We’re going to Mum and Dad’s tomorrow for lunch. You need your rest.”

  “I thought we were doing something with them during the week.”

  “I called them earlier, looking for you. You left your phone home today. I thought that you may have gone there. They figured since we weren’t nursing hangovers tomorrow, that we’ll spend it with them.”

  I place my head on his chest, “I love you, but you drive me completely up the wall sometimes.” I feel his smile on my head.

  “The feeling’s mutual. Now off to bed.” Getting out of his grasp, we walk down the hallway. I go into my bedroom, and Brandon walks to his. “Night, baby.”

  “Night, Brandon.”

  Closing the door, I rest my head against the cold wood. I know that I got nowhere with him tonight. Despite our mini argument, he will turn around and do it again; he has so many times before. As I’m getting ready for bed, my phone begins to ring. Walking over to the bedside table, I answer it, “Colby Cheese, how’s it melting?”

  “Are you alright? What happened? Do you need me to come and get you?” he shoots out excessively fast.

  “Whoa! Slow down. What’s wrong?”

  His deep breaths come through the phone line. “You’re ok?” he whispers.

  “Yes. We had a minor argument; nothing new.”

  “What
did he say about your bracelet?” another whisper.

  “He was.” I sigh, “I don’t know what he was. He changed when he saw it. Asked who gave it to me. I told him you did, and that it was a graduation present, and then he asked if we were dating. That boy changes moods more than anyone I know.”

  “Are you still wearing it?”

  “I’m getting ready for bed. I don’t want to risk it getting caught and breaking while I’m asleep, so I’ve taken it off for the night.”

  I can feel his nodding through the phone. “He asked if we were dating?”

  “Yeah, he doesn’t let me date now. I mean, every time I think that I’m into someone, or that someone’s into me, he scares them off. At the rate he’s going, you’re going to be the only one left that I can date,” I laugh out. Brandon is horrible when we go out. He always knows when someone is talking to me, and then he comes up and scares them away.

  “You make it sound like you’d only date me if we were the last two people left on Earth.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” I feel bad for letting him think that way.

  “Dating me wouldn’t be that bad, Erin. I would treat you good.”

  “You treat me good, now. There’s no disputing that, but you don’t date.”

  “I would date you.” It only comes out as a whisper, but I hear it loud and clear, “I would cherish the ground you walk on.”

  “I...” I start, but am interrupted by a knocking at the door and Brandon walking in, eyeing me on the phone, with my legs crossed on my bed. “Who are you talking to?” he asks.

  “Colby cheese. I thought that you were going to bed.”

  His jaw tenses, “I am. You should hang up the phone and go to bed, too. You know Mum keeps you busy.”

  “Ok. I’ll say goodnight and then go to sleep.”

  He lingers in the doorway. “What are you guys talking about?”

  “You,” I smile over at him.

  “And how you’re a pompous ass with the worst timing,” Cole says over the speaker.

  I widen my eyes, “Cole!”

  “What did he say?” Brandon lifts himself off the door.

  “Nothing. Nothing at all. Look, I’m saying goodbye now.” Taking my conversation back to the one with Cole, I say, “I need to sleep. It’s late, and I’m heading to Mum’s tomorrow.”

  “It’s ok, Sweetheart. Sweet dreams and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”

  “Night, love you too,” and the phones disconnect. Placing mine back on the side table, I notice Brandon’s hands are clenched fists. “Why are your fists clenched?”

  Eyeing them, he unclenches them, clenches them again and unclenches them, keeping them open. He comes over to me. With his hand on my shoulder, he leans down and kisses the top of my head, “I love you, baby.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Cole

  “Hey, Mum... Dad,” I say as I walk into the house. They are having their traditional ten o’clock cup of tea. Sitting down at the table, I take in the old house. It was built before my time, but has been renovated numerous times by the family. We boys got conned into helping with the renovations last time. Although the house has been re-one, it still has that old feeling to it; the walls are still original. From where I sit, I can see the kitchen. It has been re-done more than once. It’s Mum’s requirement. Every time Dad feels the need to re-do the house, Mum gets a new kitchen. The one thing that never changes when the kitchen is re-done, is the door frame that divides the kitchen from the dining room; it has the marks of our heights and ages indented in it.

  “Hey, Cole. You’re here early.”

  “Hmmm, thought that you might need help with something before everyone else arrives.”

  Dad places his cup down, eyeing me. “What did you do?” I take my eyes away from the door frame and focus them in on Dad. We definitely take after him more than Mum. I know that Mum wanted a daughter, but having three boys proved enough, until Erin. When Erin came along, Mum finally got the daughter she wanted, and she took full advantage of it.

  “I have no idea to what you’re referring too.”

  “You don’t, huh? You’re never here before everyone else, let alone, offering your help.”

  “Judgmental much? Cant a son offer to help his parents out?” They both eye me, and it’s scary.

  “What are you up to?” Mum asks.

  “Nothing.” Everything, really. I finally had the conversation with Erin last night, and she didn’t shut me down. She sounded like, given the option, she would go out with me, and let me love her the proper way; the way I want to, the way she deserves. “Erin just graduated, and now she needs to find her feet away from Brandon and having the stability of school to fall back on.”

  “Don’t start anything. Don’t make trouble,” Dad warns.

  The thought occurred to me last night, after Brandon interrupted what was perhaps one of the most important conversations of my life. Brandon won’t be with her every second of the day anymore. He won’t be able to constantly call her, or text her, and he won’t be able to just turn up where ever she is.

  “I’m not looking to make trouble.”

  They think about that for a moment. “We heard what happened last night. I hope Erin was ok afterwards.”

  I start to pick at the table cloth. “She was angry at him, and they had an argument. She seemed ok when we talked later that night.” I shrug. “Are they staying the night?” I love having Erin around, but when they stay over here, they share a bed. I hate it. My parents are eyeing me again. “What?” I ask, offended that they would think that I’m up to something. Alas, my parents know me too well.

  “Probably. I don’t know for sure. Will you be staying?”

  I shrug again, “Maybe. Depends how many I get into me before the night ends. Oh!” Here comes my plan, “What do you guys say about inviting everyone over, the whole shebang, and celebrate Erin being a graduate.”

  “That’s a good idea. Where would we put everyone?”

  “In tents. We could camp out.” Again with the eyeing, and Dad shakes his head.

  “Fair warning, Cole... I will not be pulling Brandon off of you. You’ll be on your own.”

  “You have nothing to worry about, old man.”

  ***

  Erin looks beyond gorgeous, sitting on the ground with the light from the fire flickering across her skin; so happy and just so beautiful. We got everyone around, the tents pitched, a fire blazing, the BBQ cooking, and Erin. It isn’t just family here. There are friends and acquaintances, too. This thing ended up being bigger than I had expected, but the bigger, the better. Brandon has been eyeing me all afternoon and night. He hasn’t said anything to me, but I know that he’s trying to figure out my game. Except it’s not my game, it’s my life. He’s had her for four years, and it’s my turn to cherish her and be with her. He’s off with some girl, and I watch him, making sure that he can’t see what I’m about to do.

  People have been congratulating and talking to her all night. We are all very proud of her. Erin gets up and walks away from the fire and toward the house. I watch her and keep an eye on Brandon. His attention is on the red head in his arms, so I take my opportunity and head toward the house after her. It’s quiet. Everyone is outside. I look around downstairs, taking in the lounge room and all of its high tech; a large television mounted onto the wall, the large corner brown couch, the various photos and memorabilia that have been collected over the years; but no Erin. She must be upstairs. I head up the steps, walking past more photos. Damn Mum and her photos; this place is like a shrine. Once at the top, I lean against the wall opposite Brandon’s room, that’s where she’ll be up here alone, and wait for her in the hallway. She comes out of Brandon’s room, sees me, and stops. “Colby cheese, is everything ok?”

  “Yeah, honey, can I talk to you for a moment?” I know that it won’t take long for Brandon to realise that Erin is missing, and that I am too. I need to make this as quickly as possible.

 
“Of course.” Her smile is huge, so mine stretches to that size too. I point to my bedroom door.

  “In private” I say quietly. I walk into my room, Erin follows, and I close the door behind her. I turn to see her sitting on my single bed, ignoring the posters of the half naked girls and the baseball bat and glove sitting on the empty desk. I approach her and sit beside her, getting a tight hold on her hands, her hands sitting perfectly in mine. “Erin.” I’m nervous, yeah, but time is of the essence here, so I have to work past it.

  “What’s up?” she asks, those big brown eyes looking at me.

  “I love you,” I say to her, wanting her to get that she is the love of my life, that there is more behind those words that I tell her every day.

  She smiles, “I love you, too.”

  I smile. She doesn’t get it yet, but she will. “I’ve been practicing this all day, so bear with me. You know how you’re always telling me that one day my girl will come along, and I’ll want to settle down and get married and have a family?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Erin? Oh, there you are. Brandon is looking for you. He’s getting a bit frantic out there.” Amy, a cousin, announces after barging into my room and interrupting the most important conversation of my life.

  “I’ll be down soon. Tell him to calm his farm,” Erin says. Amy nods and closes the door behind her. “Are you telling me that you found your girl, Colby cheese?” She turns her attention back to me and our conversation.

  “Yes, I am. I found her a long time ago.” She’s so happy for me. She doesn’t get it, though.

  “Do I know her? Who is she?” she asks, truly excited at the prospect of me having found someone.

  Words aren’t getting through to her. I take a deep breath in preparation. I’ve dreamt and day dreamed about doing this since the day I met her. I slowly lean down, eyeing her lips, when she is pulled away and is no longer sitting next to me.