OBSESSED

55

JARROD

After three days of patiently waiting, I was finally able to sit down Wednesday night and see what Leah was up to. I was haggard from working long shifts at the hospital and then the clinic.

Leah had been riding in the back of my mind the entire time, but I at last had the opportunity to check in on her. I felt dead inside from working so much without any kind of reprieve.

If I had it my way, Leah would be nestled in my apartment, ready to tend my needs so that I could care for her.

Of course, she'd been proving to me over and over that her feelings did not reach the extent of mine—and if they did, she was just too afraid to act on them.

Checking the camera feed from her porch, I skimmed through the last few hours. I'd relocated the bird nest to the roof of her porch.

There was a natural nest on the opposite beam, so I assumed she wouldn't take notice. This view gave me a better angle of her entire porch anyway.

In the recorded feed, I saw Isabelle arrive and then step out a few hours later. There was some interaction between she and Leah on the porch, so I activated the sound.

"—going to be great," Isabelle was telling Leah from the porch step. "You've been through a lot in the last few weeks. Go have fun tonight, okay?"

"I will. Thank you for coming over," spoke Leah's voice. She wasn't in the camera's visual, so I assumed she was bidding her friend farewell from inside.

"Anytime. Love you!" Isabelle waved and then headed out to her car.

The sound of the door closing let me know that my little love was back inside. I watched the feed for another half hour but the porch remained empty. I checked my watch. It was a little after six o'clock. Who was she going out with if not Isabelle?

I thought about that speed dating event from this past weekend. Was she going on a date? Had she picked someone up from that? My stomach dropped. What if it was Danny? Their hug had been friendly enough . . . but what if he'd worked his charms over her and ensnared her again? He'd wrecked her self-esteem the first time around. What kind of damage would be cause a second time?

The thought of her with any other man, much less that sleazebag, made my blood hot. Wherever she was going tonight, I was too. I had to bring an end to all this trouble. In the time after me, she'd already gotten herself sick on alcohol, gone to a speed dating event, and now possibly on a date with someone. I'd had enough. She was going to send me into cardiac arrest if I had to endure this for much longer.

Leaving the live feed up on my laptop, I carried it to the kitchen to grab something to eat. I decided on leftover pizza from earlier in the week. Pizza was my go-to meal lately if I was low on time. Not to mention that ordering it reminded me of Leah. Once my baby girl was restored to my care, I would make sure we were both eating well-balanced meals. While I scarfed down the slices, I continued to watch an unchanging screen. My mood seemed to darken with each passing minute of suspense.

Ten til seven, the door squeaked open and Leah stepped out. She locked the door behind her and passed right by the camera on her way to her car. I actually choked up the pizza crust I'd been nibbling on. What the fuck? She was dressed in black jeans and a matching blouse that cut low between her supple breasts. I paused the feed as she got in her car and rewinded to the moment she turned around. Then I paused it again. I'd never seen her in that shirt. It was clearly designed for sex appeal with the low cut neckline.

She was definitely going on a date. I felt like I'd been gutted with a dull, rusty switchblade. Heat pooled into my face and poured down my neck, into my chest and through my arms. I'd been betrayed by my angel. The pain was surreal. Even if I could dismiss the dating event and her casual comfort with her ex, this was her choice. She had not only ignored me but now she was deliberately betraying me.