Page 143 of Darkest Obsession

Thomas: I bet I’ll find you on the streets of…?

I didn’t know where my mom would drive me from the Logan airport in Boston until I got here.

Me: Rhode Island. Newport, specifically.

Thomas: Hmm…

I wonder if he’s booking flights, but before I can come up with a flirty or sassy response, my mom takes a sharp right turn and my cellphone almost flies out of my hands.

“Sorry,” she says. “We’re almost there.”

Within a few seconds, she turns down a private drive and we approach an enormous beach house, way bigger than the place we had out in Los Angeles. Holy crap. This must have cost a pretty penny.

“Look at my new house! Come on, let’s go!”

I’m more excited about seeing Cee than seeing the house, but I give my mom as big of a Hollywood smile as I can muster, and follow her to the front door. She uses her thumbprint to unlock the door and then loudly calls my brother’s name.

Chaos-Shooter Robinson races down the stairs and when my brother sees me standing in the doorway, he screams excitedly and runs towards me. I’m frozen in place. He looks so different. He looks so grown up. All the time I spent away from him hits me hard and Cee nearly knocks the wind out of me as he wraps me in a big hug.

I wrap my arms around my brother and hold him close to me. He smells like Axe deodorant and teenage boy. I don’t want to stop holding him and seeing him again brings back so much hurt. Our family isn’t the same anymore and he’s been coping with it all alone…

“I missed you,” he says. “I missed you so much.”

“How’ve you been?”

“Crazy,” he whispers. “She’s driving me crazy.”

I giggle and swing my brother around a little. What’s new? Mom’s always driving us crazy. I set Cee down and he reaches for his phone.

“I don’t get the internet on here,” he says. “She won’t give me the password. Sorry I couldn’t text.”

“Stop your bitching,” my mom snaps. “I’m going to lie down upstairs. Chaos, show Clover her bedroom and y’all don’t stay up too late. I need my beauty sleep tonight. Clover? We have breakfast in the morning.”

“I’m going to the studio in the morning,” I tell her.

“What?”

“There has to be a dance studio around here somewhere. I’m going to find somewhere to stay in shape.”

My mom rolls her eyes. “Whatever. Skip breakfast. As long as you make it for the dinner video. You owe me five.”

I grit my teeth and try not to start an argument.

“Sure. Whatever.”

Chaos struggles with my luggage.

“I can show you upstairs, sis. C’mon.”

This is it. My new home for Christmas… I’m happy to see Chaos, but it just doesn’t feel like home. It doesn’t feel like it should. Thomas is right – I feel like we should be together. I miss him. It’s only a few weeks, right? We can make it that far… We promised.

Chapter Sixty-Five

Thomas

Mum is the only one home when I get there. I don't know where my brothers are, but I'm guessing they won't be home from prep school for another few days.

"Violet's coming tonight," she says. "But it's good to have you home, darling."