Obsession (18+)

Chapter 15

The remaining sips of scotch in my glass was knocked back, dripping and burning the back of my throat. My back leaned into the black leather chair at my desk and a calloused hand ran down my face in frustration. One must've thought that I was an alcoholic by the amount that I consumed on a daily basis.

Today was the night of Jesse and Carissa's senior year prom. The night to be filled with expensive tuxes and dresses that were no doubt purchased from their parents' credit cards, glimmering diamond jewelry, and hair styled without a single stray strand out of place.

Music would be wavering through the speakers as they all danced together with cups clutched in their hands with punch that had undoubtedly been spiked. Did they even still spike drinks at prom? Was that still possible? I wouldn't know. The last time I went was with Loren and Carissa was merely a baby at the time. I remember dropping her off with Loren's parents, hesitant to let them watch my baby girl for a couple of hours. Loren's parents were always nice and gentle around me, something that I couldn't say the same for mine.

Marcos was also side by side with Ariena and an infant version of Jesse was with his parents. I recall seeing the swaddled little girl in their prom pictures that they took before leaving. Now it was our daughters that are in our shoes with the absence of a baby, of course. I often found it weird to think about what it would be like if they took after their parents and had kids at this age as well, but I could never truly imagine it for they seemed far too oblivious to the world after being spoiled for so long.

Jesse would be going with Justin tonight. This time I would be the one on the receiving end. Having to be forced to see the pictures of the two of them together while I sat in the office of my home drowning myself in glasses of alcohol and paperwork like a sorrowful, old idiot that couldn't get his shit together. Them dancing, laughing, smiling was enough to make me wish I was a senior once again as much as I had loathed high school.

I wasn't sure as to why her going to prom bothered me even more than it had in the past. Perhaps it was the sickening feeling in my gut that I was closer to her than ever, yet she kept slipping right through my fingers each time. 

So it angered me when a few days ago I had heard that not only did Justin Grey ask Jesse De Rose to prom, but gave her a promise ring as well. For what? What was the reasoning behind giving her such a thing when it had little to no significance behind it? There could be many reasons as to why. To remain faithful, to establish the intentions of wanting to marry each other, to keep any promise, to promise to love your significant other no matter what.

God, how infuriated I was getting at the name itself. It appears that we were playing an odd game of "anything you could do I could do better." 

Maybe it was only I who was playing it and he wasn't aware. Yet, he still continued to be a victim of the game. A pawn that easily knocked down from being too unstable. And the prize? Well it just so happened to be a girl by the name of Jesse De Rose. Except he wasn't necessarily acquainted with the fact he was gamboling, so it was more of a game between my mind and my conscious. 

And tonight he would be victorious because I could do nothing but sit while they basked in the moment of being young and free. 

I turned my head upon hearing the stomps of Carissa's feet hitting the hardwood floors in the midst of my cynical pondering. The pen in my hand was thrown back down onto the pile of papers in boredom. She looked a tad bit discomposed with her light hair thrown up in a tight bun and shimmery golden prom dress slung over her arm. The door to the office was already open, so she just leaned against the frame after tapping it once, "Hey dad?" 

Raising an eyebrow at her in question, I took note of the frustrated look on her face and the pout formed on her lips. "Yes?" I answered back.

Looking up at her through the stubbiness of my dark lashes, Carissa licked her lips and messed with the bun on her head. She glanced up at the ceiling, pondering what to say, before dropping her head and tilting it to the side. "So the group and I decided to meet up at Jesse's where the limo is picking us up."