Obsessed [book: one] // Thiam

Chapter 15

I lay in my bed, staring at my ceiling as the time goes by. I roll onto my side and close my eyes, trying to force the black abyss to take over my body, but failing with each attempt. I roll onto my back again, placing my hand behind my back, sighing as I let the time go by.

I keep thinking back to today, at the cafe with Theo. The time we spent together was, something different. We were connecting and something was happening there, I know it was. He was starting to trust me, staring to open up to me. He was telling me about his home life, and I know that if he didn't get that text... I would have got the information I needed.

I run my hand through my hair, biting my bottom lip and I think about what to do. I sit up, a sudden feeling of nausea settling in my stomach. I get the imagine of Theo at school, the tears streaming down his face, past his bloody and bruised lip.

I grab my phone, ripping it off charge, not caring how aggressive I was being. I quickly go onto my messages, going to Masons' name and texting him.

Me: Hey man, do you happen to have Theo's address?

I start to pace around my room, biting my nails as I anxiously wait for him to respond. I check the time; 11:35 pm. A sudden relief rushes through my body, settling the nauseas feeling. Mason doesn't normally go to bed till at least 1, so I know that he'll text me back almost instantly.

My phone lights up minutes later with Mason's name. I smile and open the message.

Mason: A new cute boy moves to our school and you think I don't have his address? Who do you think I am, Liam? It's 23 Wallace way.

Me: Thanks :)

I stare down at the address, putting it into google maps, seeing that it's only 10 minutes away from my place. I sit back down on my bed, grabbing a sweat shirt and staring down at the address, debating whether or not I go there.

I know that it's late and it's probably going to seem like I'm stalking him, but I have a bad feeling about all this.  About that message he got and how his whole mood changed within a second. And I have a bad feeling in my gut, and I always listen to my gut instincts. They never let me down. I think back to the conversation, thinking about what he said about his new family.

He said that his step dad and step brother are now in the picture. I suddenly get that nauseas feeling again, thinking about his step brother and how he's had to deal with his father this whole time. I wonder if he's younger or older than me. Maybe I know him. I wonder if he goes to our school.

I quickly go onto Theo's Instagram, looking through all his photo's, trying to find one with him and his brother. I look down to the very bottom, disappointed when I didn't find anything. I turn my phone off and lay back down, tapping my fingers on my stomach. I stare over to my car keys, tempted to get in the car and drive by his place.

I groan in frustration, conflicted on what to do. I sit up and pile my pillows up so they can support me in sitting up. I chew on my nails, my anxiety becoming too much for me to handle. I stare at my phone, staring at it, waiting for a notification to come through or for some kind of sign to show itself. Something else takes over my attention suddenly.

Blood. I have the taste of blood in my mouth. I look down at my finger, blooding coming out of it. I wipe it, and put my fingers down by my side, keeping them away from my mouth. I cross my arms, tapping my foot on my bed, waiting for something to happen.

When enough suspension builds up inside me, I finally snap. I quickly jump and begin to pace around my room again, going onto my messages and look up Theo's name. I begin to type a text and then delete it straight away, doing this about 5 more times before finally sending something.

Me: "Hey, it's Liam. I just wanted to make sure you're okay, after what happened at the cafe.

I place my phone down, cracking my knuckles and sitting down on my bed, watching my phone intensely. I know it's late and I know Theo is probably asleep, but I can't sleep until he texts me back. So I guess in a way, it's up to him whether I sleep tonight or not.

After what feels like a lifetime, my phone finally dings and lights up. I quickly check the name, silently cheering as I see his name.

Theo: Yeah, I'm fine thanks for asking. Something just came up that I had to deal with. Thanks again though.

I re-read the text again and again, shaking my head each time. He's not fine and it isn't hard to tell. Something is going on with him and he still doesn't trust me, and that's okay. I just need to try again and give it time, but I also need to do something soon.

I can wait a little longer, but for Theo's sake, I can't wait forever. I can give him time, but I can't give him eternity. And that's only because I care about him and his wellbeing, and I don't want anything bad to happen to him.

I lay back down, taking my sweat shirt back off and getting under the covers. I click my phone to display the time; 12:27 am. I sigh and turn it back off, rolling onto my side, closing my eyes.

Something still isn't sitting right with me and I know that I need to do something, but what I want to do... I can't do it yet. Not until I have the full story and not until I gain Theo's trust.

Finally, sleep takes over and I have a dreamless, eerie sleep.