Page 77 of Total Obsession

I folded the paper and took another sip of my coffee. I leaned across the table and lifted Zoey's chin with my fingers. "Don't even give her another thought. If she's not going to put the effort into even responding to your messages, then she's not someone you'd want to call a friend."

Zoey's eyes filled with the slightest bit of moisture. "It seems like you're the only friend I have left in this world."

I let my fingers drop from her chin and sat back in my chair. "Yes, I know," I replied.

We sat in silence for a bit as I mulled over Zoey's statement. I wasn't quite sure how it made me feel. On the one hand, I should have felt quite accomplished for pulling off such a feat.

Zoey had been the girl that everyone wanted to get to know. She had the "it" factor as some people called it. Catapulting her into fame and stardom hadn't been nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. Stripping all of that away from her so that she was reliant on only me had been part of the plan from the beginning.

Yet, here I was, feeling guilty about the fact that she seemed lonely and abandoned.

Damn this conscience I was beginning the grow.

Damn that little Polaroid that she’d clutched to her chest when I’d finally given it back to her.

I gritted my teeth and proceeded forward. I wasn't going to let some muscle in my chest dictate my actions. If nothing else, I needed space from her to figure all of this out. I couldn’t think straight when her gentle laugh was constantly filling the room, her sweet perfume was always surrounding me, and her subtle smile was always making my heart clench.

"I'll be back on the road for work starting this week," I said to her in a flat tone.

"Oh," she said with surprise in her voice. "I guess everything from Miami has finally blown over enough?"

"Seems that way," I replied. "Either way, I can't stay in hiding forever."

"Right," she said, sadness coating her voice. "I could come with you," she said, a tinge of hopefulness in her voice.

"Impossible," I replied. "I'll be moving around too much. Plus, you have interviews to attend."

"Yeah," she sighed. "But not so many that I couldn't use a distraction. I'll just be here by myself in between."

"I'm sure you'll find something to occupy your time," I said.

She shrugged. "Maybe."

"Start a TikTok account," I said in a teasing tone. "I hear it's the perfect time waster."

She frowned at me. "Doesn't really help with always being lonely."

"I don't know what to tell you, Zoey," I replied, forcing myself to hold my flat tone and ignore the absolute screaming that my conscience was doing at the moment.. "But, I was always going to have to go back to work. You being upset about this isn't very realistic."

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I guess I just really loved having you here."

"Nothing lasts forever, pretty girl,” I said, mostly as a reminder to myself.

twenty-five

ZOEY

"Well, there you have it, everyone," the host said. "Zoey Campbell, star of the newest hit thriller 'Losing Her.' Make sure you're watching and we'll be right back!"

I waved to the camera, plastering a smile on my face until the buzzer rang, signaling that we were off the air. I made small talk with the crew as I made my way back to my dressing room, but the entire experience was painful. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to be alone.

I hadn't heard from Axe in two weeks. Calls and text messages had gone completely unanswered. The longer the time went on with me not hearing from him, the deeper into a depression I sank.

I wasn't sure when I'd become like this, but I hated it. Deep down I knew that I shouldn't be so worried or upset, but our last conversation before he'd left for work seemed strained. That, combined with not hearing from him, was putting me really on edge.

Not only was I on edge, but I was also incredibly lonely. Sure, I'd had a few socialites over to the apartment from time to time to keep up appearances, but it wasn't the same as being able to talk to someone you loved.

I closed the dressing room door and put my back to it.