OBSESSED

71

LEAH

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

My nose twitched and a dry, sterile taste filled my mouth. Groaning, I forced my heavy eyelids open and sucked in a breath.

I looked around the white room in confusion, wondering where I was.

This looked like a hospital room. Why am I in a hospital?

That one question triggered every memory in my brain containing Jarrod Muller. I remembered him, in my house, holding me, trying to kiss me.

And then—restraining me, fighting my struggle, and sticking me with a fucking needle.

Before I could panic, the door swung open. Instinct made me tense. I half-expected Jarrod to walk through that door in his scrubs.

Instead, my mother's short and curly blonde bob came into view. Her eyes swung my way and froze on me. She shrieked, rushing toward me.

"My baby!" she cried. She trapped me in an awkward hug over the bed rails. "Oh, thank God! You're awake!"

I tried to squeeze her back but my arms felt like boiled noodles.

"Hi, Mom," I croaked. "Why am I here?"

"Oh, don't worry about that right now," she said a bit quickly.

Picking my hand up, she kissed the back of it.

"But where's—"

"There's my little girl," tutted a deep voice.

My mother stepped aside just in time for me to see my father's lanky figure stride into the room.

"Dad?" I couldn't believe he was here.

"Hi, hun." He joined us at the bed and leaned down to peck my forehead. "How are you feeling?"

I swallowed hard.

If my dad was here, something terrible had happened. He was a busy man and I had long been used to him missing important parts of my life—a sad but true fact.

So what the hell was going on?

"I'm, uh, okay. I guess I'm just confused?" I said.

He nodded and glanced at my mom. They exchanged a knowing look.

The knot in my stomach twister tighter.

"How long have I been here?" I asked when neither of them said anything.

"Today is Wednesday," said my mom.

Frowning, I tried to think about the relevance of days. My brain was in such a fog that it was hard to properly think.

Then I remembered: "But my birthday was Monday?"

My dad nodded again and cleared his throat. "Jarrod injected you with enough sleep drugs to kill a horse."

Jarrod.