Lethal Obsession

31.

"It is not the bruises on the body that hurt. It is the wounds of the heart and the scars on the mind." ― Aisha Mirza

"I trusted you but now your words mean nothing to me, because your actions spoke the truth." ― Unknown author

"The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too." ― Ernest Hemingway

"I finally built up the strength to walk away
Don't regret it but I still live with the side effects"

- Mariah Carey – Side Effects

Chapter 31

I got a couple of intrigued looks when I came back and sat down at the table, but none of my friends did anything more. The strong smell of beef hit me as soon as I made myself comfortable on the chair and almost made me go back to where I came from right away. I didn't feel like eating at all, but I knew I had no choice because one of the six descendants of Satan around me would probably shove food into my esophagus if I refused. I made a grimace and reluctantly took a fork and a knife in my hands and started cutting the delicacy into small pieces.

"It's not poisonous, you know?" Sarah asked me since my slow movements drove her insane.

"And how can I know that? You could've put something in it," I shrugged and brought a piece of meat to my mouth.

At the same moment, Mateo, with a grim expression on his face, appeared from the same direction I did, looking me straight in the eye. I almost choked, but I managed to swallow the food without making a bigger scene.

"Why would I do that?" Sarah asked, bringing me back to reality.

Somehow I managed to recover without any of them noticing that my mind was somewhere else. I shifted my gaze to her again after making sure Mateo had sat in the place he had previously occupied, keeping an eye on me. It didn't surprise me, but it did make me feel uncomfortable. Knowing that he was watching my every step, even after what I had told him, aroused despair in me.

"Me being your rival and all," I somehow told her, my voice sounding surprisingly convincing.

"Ah yes, it makes sense, you're right."

"And when am I not?"

"Arrogance is not a virtue."

"I beg to differ."

"I get it, I really do, but how can you two flirt in front of my own eyes? You can't make a wife out of a hoe," Emma interrupted with a false disappointment in her voice.

"You girls have a weird definition of flirting," Victor commented, shaking his head.

"How come?" Emma asked him.

"How's having an argument flirting?" He threw his hands in the air, a little annoyed. Knowing Emma, he probably felt that on his skin, and something told me he didn't quite like it.

"That's the most sophisticated form of seduction. I don't understand how you don't understand," Emma replied, shrugging.

"Women," Victor concluded in slight despair.

-

"I'm full," Stephan said after he finished eating, leaning back in his chair, stretching. He almost hit Luke with his elbow, to which the blonde looked at him sideways but did not comment.

"I understand, I really do, but you've eaten three portions and half of Tara's! How?" Emma asked him with a bewildered look on her face.

"Sarah ate two and Lena's half!" Stephan defended himself.