Lethal Obsession

34.

"Being addictive to a toxic person is purely suicidal." ― Unknown

"When he's the last thing you need, he'll drain you. He'll exhaust you. He'll destroy you. And you won't see it that way. In fact, you won't notice it at all. But everyone else will." ― Kirsten Corley

"Don't judge yourself by what others did to you." ― C. Kennedy

"I know what I did wasn't clever
But me and you were meant to be together
So let me in
Give me another chance
To really be a man"

- Whatcha say – Jason Derulo

Chapter 34

"Why don't we go to Dionis tonight?" Emma asked when everyone from our girl group had finished drinking.

We were sitting on the steps at the very entrance of the university, waiting for a ride home. Actually, my three best friends weren't waiting for anyone, but they offered to keep me company. It would probably have been much easier if I had told Mateo that our lecture had been canceled so that he could pick me up immediately. However, he had a tendency to come earlier than expected and I wanted to spend at least a few more moments with people who are able to give me a million different ways to divert my thoughts from what haunted me.

"Sure," Lena immediately replied, and Sarah looked at her sideways.

I would probably wonder why the sweet blonde just agreed to go out that easily if the reason wasn't already obvious. She would do anything to cheer me up and she thought that a night at the club could achieve that effect. I was almost touched by her action seeing as, under normal circumstances, that would definitely work. Unfortunately, I felt everything but normal.

"I can't," I said, looking away from them.

The sky was surreally blue. It was the perfect day for a walk. A gentle breeze ruffled long, thick hair, and the warm rays of the sun caressed the skin of every passerby. The streets were full of life. People laughed out loud, walking their pets and exchanging opinions about the latest episode of the Mexican telenovela that, in a short time, ménage to enchant the audience. Not far from the university building, a group of several students sat in the garden of a café drinking caffeinated beverages after exhausting lectures, taking selfies with wide smiles on their faces. People looked happy. The irony I was living was starting to get nauseating.

"What do you mean you can't? You? Tara that I know?" Emma asked, raising her voice in confusion.

"Mateo's birthday is tomorrow," and just like that, the bomb was dropped.

How all three managed to make completely different facial expressions in one second was beyond my comprehension. Sarah looked like she was going to vomit at any moment which definitely didn't help my nausea since all of a sudden I wanted the same thing. Emma, ​​on the other hand, had a big smile spread across her face and her eyes hid such mischief that I almost asked her to tell me how old she was. However, what made me nervous the most was Lena's gaze. Her face was void of every emotion. She was just looking into my eyes, her blue irises looking colder than ever. She was torturing me so hard with her gaze that I started squirming, wanting to escape as soon as possible.

"You guys got back together? I'm so happy for you!" Emma practically shouted. She clapped her hand and jumped to hug me. I almost fell back due to the force she used, but somehow I managed to prevent it and loosely wrapped my arms around her.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Sarah said clutching her stomach. She brought her hand to my head and began to hit me lightly on the scalp with her knuckles. "Knock-knock, is anything inside? Hey, brain, are you there?" The tone of her voice reminded me so much of Lucia from "Mermaid Melody", a cartoon I used to watch when I was a little girl, it seriously contributed to my already building irritation that threatened to stop being passive.