The Game of Obsession
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Chantielu
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1,1M
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50
Prologue
DAMION
TWO YEARS EARLIER
I glanced at the monitors lining the wall of the frat houseâs basement. This was normally Dylanâs domain, but as the high-end tech was bought with my money, I figured Iâd earned the right to invade his space whenever I wanted.
Luckily, he wasnât there at the moment, so I didnât have to worry about him questioning why I was focused on the campusâs security feeds, as well as the feeds from some other strategically placed cameras that Iâd had installed.
A little money in the right hands had ensured that no one batted an eye as cameras were set up that campus security couldnât access.
Sometimes it was really great having a rich asshole for a father.
My eyes drifted across the screens and stopped at the monitor at the top left-hand corner.
It showed the path near the library.
I held my breath and waited. It was Tuesday afternoon, meaning her biology lab just ended, and she would walk past the library, turn left heading off campus, and spend the rest of the night holed up in her cottage.
I sat up straighter, inching closer to the monitor, scanning the faces of the other students, but knowing, just knowing, none of them were her.
And suddenly, there she was.
The girl Iâd met the week before classes started. The sexy freshman with the innocent vibe.
She had been cute and shy, tucking her hair behind her ear as she tilted her head to the side and quirked her lips in a crooked smile. I couldnât help but offer to show her around.
Sheâd talked the whole time, her hands moving gracefully as we walked along the paths that twisted around campus. She had been sweet, and smart, and unaware of how attractive she was. It was then that Iâd realized she was totally out of my league.
There had been something different about herâsomething I couldnât put my finger on.
It was almost scary.
Itâd unnerved me so much that Iâd bailed and hadnât talked to her since.
But I couldnât get her out of my mind.
She was a regular at the home football games. All I had to do was glance up, and I could find her in the crowd.
No matter where she was, I always spotted her.
Just her.
No one else.
Sometimes I could actually hear her cheering for me, her voice carrying through the stands and onto the field.
It made me want to play better. To be worthy of her cheers. I played my best when she was watching.
That was scarier than pissing off my dad.
Iâd made it my mission to know everything about her.
She came from a family of doctors and was enrolled in the premed program, which was interesting since I hated doctors. They always asked too many questions, wanting to know how I was feeling, why I thought the way I did.
It didnât matter how many psychologists my mother sent me to; I was the way I was. And I wasnât going to change. Not for her. Not for my father.
But despite all that, this girl had caught my attention.
I hated her for that.
She was trouble.
I frowned as she detoured from her usual route, heading toward the library instead of past it.
And then I saw him.
Dylan.
The same Dylan whose basement computer lab I was in right now. The same Dylan who Iâd paid to hack into campus securityâs camera feeds.
The same Dylan who was my teammate and supposedly my friend.
My heart sped up when she handed him something. It pounded even harder when she touched his arm.
Every second watching them talk made it harder for me to breathe.
A million questions raced through my mind.
How did they meet?
How long had they known each other?
Were they friends?
Maybe he was just helping her with computer stuff. Dylan was a tech genius, after all.
I replayed every memory I had of the two of them, trying to figure out when this couldâve happened.
To ensure Dylanâs loyalty, Iâd basically forced him to hang out with me all the time. He barely had time for his other friends.
So when did he have time for my freshman girl?
Their conversation ended, and she continued down the path leading off campus.
I switched my focus to the other monitors and followed Dylan, counting the minutes it took him to get to the frat houseâten, if you included the time he spent talking to one of our teammates outside.
He came in with two Gatorades and a notebook. He tossed the book on the couch and handed me a Gatorade.
âI figured youâd be down here,â he said, flopping down in the chair next to me.
I took a sip. âThat girlâEmilyâhow do you know her?â I pointed at the monitors before he could say anything.
He grinned. âYou know Emily? We met at the library. I helped her with an assignment, then I was late for practice and forgot my notebook. She was just being nice, returning it.â
I studied his face, looking for any sign he was lying.
Nothing.
I leaned in. âDonât ask her out. Sheâs off limits.â
His grin got even bigger. âYou like her. Cool.â
I wasnât so sure about that. She kind of freaked me out.
âShe seems into you too,â Dylan continued. âEven if I did ask her out, sheâd say no.â
That made me feel better. âThereâs something about her,â I admitted reluctantly. âI donât know what it is yet, but until I figure it out, I donât want anyone messing with her.â
Dylan laughed. âOkay, man. You donât have to worry about me.â
No, but there were other guys on campus I had to worry about.
I couldnât let myself get involved with her. That would be way too risky, but that didnât mean I wanted anyone else to touch her, either.
I needed to figure out why she made me feel the way she did. Until then, no one had any business getting close to her.
I stood up, trying to look casual.
Dylan glanced up at me. âWhere are you going?â
I finished my drink in one big gulp. âIâm going to talk to the team. They need to know to stay away from her.â
Dylan snorted. âDo your thing, but you know the seniors are assholes, right?â
Yeah, I knew. But I wasnât my fatherâs son for nothing.
I smirked. âI can handle them.â
I made my way to the lounge, scanning the room for Lance and Jeremy, the teamâs captain and cocaptain.
If I could get them on my side, the rest of the team would fall in line.
They were playing video games in the back. I walked over, trying to look like I belonged.
âI want you to set a rule for the team,â I said, not bothering to sugarcoat it.
Jeremy raised an eyebrow, looking amused.
Lance just laughed, still focused on the game. âHello to you too, Richardson.â
I forced a smile even though my nerves were buzzing.
Lance beat Jeremy, and âGame Overâ flashed on the screen. Jeremy cursed and tossed his controller down.
Finally, Lance looked up at me. âWhat rule?â
âThereâs this freshman named Emily.â I glanced at the camera hidden on the shelf to the right of the TV. âDylan, can you pull up a picture of her?â
The TV screen switched from the game to a photo of Emily.
âHuh,â Jeremy said, sounding interested. He and Lance exchanged a look.
âI want you to let the guys know sheâs off limits,â I said, trying to sound casual.
Before Lance could answer, Jeremy jumped in. âAnd what do we get out of this? Sheâs hot, man. Too hot to ignore, freshman or not.â
I had to swallow down the urge to punch him.
âRight,â I said, staring him down. âYou could go after her, or I could hook you and the whole team up with a trip to Miami for spring break. My dadâs got a house right on the beach. He wouldnât care if we crashed there.â
Jeremy leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face. Lance scanned the room, like he was weighing his options.
âSo, whatâs it gonna be?â I asked, tapping my foot impatiently.
Lance looked back at me. âItâs a nice offer, kid, butââ
âWhat?â Jeremy cut him off, frowning. He shot Lance a glare. âCan we have a minute, Rich?â
I knew my instincts were right. Jeremy would always pick perks over a girl.
Girls flocked to him on the regular. Missing out on one freshman wouldnât keep him up at night.
I nodded and stepped aside. Jeremy and Lance started whispering.
After a few minutes, the two of them stood and walked toward me.
âLook, I get what youâre doing,â Lance said. âYou want to protect your girlfriend. Thatâs sweet. But next time, at least pretend youâre asking. Iâm doing this because youâre a good kidâannoying and cocky as fuck, but good.â He patted my back and walked away.
I did ask him. Jeremy was the one who wanted something in return.
âHeâs full of shit,â Jeremy said with a laugh. âHe was always going to say yes, no matter how you asked. Just a tipâLance hates being controlled. Remember that. He might seem nice, but thereâs a viper in there. He likes you more than the others, though. Donât fuck it up.â
He wandered off, and I let out a breath I didnât know I was holding. Mission accomplished.
âListen up.â Lance clapped, getting everyoneâs attention. âRichardson here is offering us a trip over spring break.â Everyone looked at me. âBut there are a few terms. Like this Emily girl.â He pointed at her picture on the TV.
âStay away from her. If I see anyone near her or talking to her, youâll regret it. And Iâm sure the rich kid will make you regret it even more. Got it?â
A few guys said yes. Some just nodded.
âGood.â Lance grinned. âSpread the word.â
Relief washed over me.
Emily was mine. I just didnât know what I wanted to do about it yet.
