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CHAPTER 34 - ELENA

Author: J.O
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-30 00:42:35
By the time Saturday arrived, I had mastered the art of pretending.

Cameron picked me up in his car, dressed casually in a fitted black T-shirt and sunglasses, his usual effortless charm on full display. Tiffany was already in the passenger seat, grinning as she scrolled through her phone.

“You took forever,” she whined as I slid into the backseat.

I forced a smile. “Had to make sure I packed everything.”

Truthfully, I had spent most of the morning staring at my reflection in the mirror, wondering if I was making the biggest mistake of my life by going on this trip.

Cameron reached back, squeezing my knee lightly. “This will be good for you,” he murmured. “For us.”

I didn’t respond.

I could feel his eyes on me through the rearview mirror, watching, assessing.

A part of me wanted to say no—to tell him that nothing would fix the growing chasm between us.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I sat back and let him drive.

The drive to the lake house was silent, except for Tiffany’s occasional chatter ab
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  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 35 - ELENA

    The drive back was quiet after we dropped Tiffany off. Cameron didn’t say much, and I had nothing to say. My head was still a mess from everything—the lake trip, his words, and the way he kept watching me like I would run away soon.When we finally pulled up to my house, I reached for the door handle, but Cameron’s voice stopped me.“Elena.”I sighed, letting my hand drop before turning to face him. The way he looked at me made my chest tighten—like he was searching for something, some kind of reassurance that I wasn’t sure I could give.“What’s going on with you?” he asked, his fingers gripping the steering wheel. “You’ve been quiet.”“I’m just tired,” I said, the same excuse I’d been using for weeks.His jaw twitched. “You’re always tired.”I had nothing to say to that, so I just reached for the door again.“Elena.” His hand caught mine, gentle but firm. “Talk to me.”I forced a small smile. “We just had a long day. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”He didn’t look satisfied, but he nod

    Last Updated : 2025-03-30
  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 36 - NOAH

    I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white. The walls of our cramped apartment felt like they were closing in on me, suffocating me with the weight of my father’s presence.“You think you’re too good for your own blood now?” His voice was slurred, thick with the cheap whiskey he had been drinking since morning. “You’re just like your mother. Always looking for an escape.”I swallowed the fury burning in my chest and exhaled slowly. “I told you—I’m done giving you money.” My voice was calm, but my pulse thundered in my ears.His lip curled. “You think I need your damn charity?” He let out a dry, humorless laugh. “You owe me, boy. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be here.”If it weren’t for him, my mother would still be alive.I didn’t say it out loud. There was no point.Instead, I grabbed my bag and shoved past him. “I won’t be here much longer,” I muttered under my breath.I stepped outside before he could respond, sucking in the cool night air like I had been drowning. M

    Last Updated : 2025-03-30
  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 37 - ELENA

    I wasn’t supposed to care.Noah had made it clear—painfully clear—that he wanted nothing to do with me. And yet, I found myself watching him the next day at school, my eyes drawn to him no matter how hard I tried to focus on something else.He looked different. Exhausted. Frustrated. Like the weight of the world was pressing down on him, and he had no one to share the burden with. His shoulders were tense, his movements sharp and restrained, like he was barely holding himself together.I shouldn’t care.But I did.I didn’t know why. But I felt for him; he looked so tired and I just wanted to take a little bit of the burden off his shoulders.I wanted to help.But I didn’t know how.And for once, I didn’t know how to feel about that.The day dragged on, but my mind remained stuck on Noah. Even when I was surrounded by my friends, laughing at jokes I barely heard, my attention kept drifting back to him.He moved through the halls like a ghost, detached from everything around him. He did

    Last Updated : 2025-03-30
  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 38 - ELENA

    The rest of the day passed by in a blur. I barely heard anything my teachers said or noticed the stares I got from some of my classmates. My mind was stuck on two people—Noah, who walked away, and Cameron, who left me with a warning.By the time the final bell rang, I was drained, but instead of heading straight home, I found myself lingering in the hallway. Noah was nowhere in sight. I hadn’t seen him in any of my classes after lunch.I chewed the inside of my cheek, debating whether to go looking for him. Again.Why do you care?I didn’t have a clear answer. Maybe it was because I’d seen that flicker of something in his eyes before he turned his back on me—like he wanted to say something but didn’t. Maybe it was the exhaustion on his face, the way his shoulders sagged when he thought no one was watching.Or maybe I was just being stupid.I sighed, gripping the strap of my bag tighter before turning toward the exit. I didn’t make it two steps before someone grabbed my wrist.“Elena.”

    Last Updated : 2025-03-30
  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 39 - ELENA

    Lying in bed that night, I stared at my phone, my fingers hovering over the screen. I shouldn’t have been doing this. I didn’t even know why I cared.But the image of Noah’s exhaustion lingered in my mind—the quiet weight in his eyes, the tension in his shoulders, the way he barely reacted when I handed him that coffee earlier.Before I could second-guess myself, I typed out the message.Are you okay?I hit send and immediately regretted it.Seconds passed. Then minutes.Nothing.I exhaled sharply, tossing my phone onto the bed beside me. Maybe he wouldn’t reply. Maybe he was asleep. Or maybe he just didn’t care.I rolled onto my side, trying to push the thought of him away, but my mind refused to settle.And then, just as my eyes were drifting shut—Buzz.My breath caught as I grabbed my phone, my heart pounding for reasons I refused to acknowledge.I hadn’t expected a response.But he answered.Noah: No.A simple word. Just two letters. Yet, something about it made my chest tighten.

    Last Updated : 2025-03-30
  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 40 - NOAH

    Elena walked away, and suddenly, the cafeteria noise surged back into my ears—a chaotic blend of chatter, laughter, and clattering trays. I hadn’t even noticed it had faded when she was here.My gaze followed her across the room. Cameron’s arm was already slung over her shoulders like he owned her. Asshole. He shot me a look—possessive, smug, a silent warning.I took a sip of the drink she’d brought me, the sweetness sticking to my tongue, but it didn’t cut through the bitterness in my mouth. Stupid move, Elena.Bringing me a drink in front of the whole school? In front of her boyfriend?A mistake. A reckless, impulsive mistake.And yet, my fingers tingled where hers had brushed mine.I’d imagined that touch too many times. Too damn many. I missed the softness of her skin, the heat of her body pressed against mine. I missed the way she shivered under my hands, the way her lips parted when I—Stop."Idiot," I muttered under my breath."Talking to yourself again, Noah?"Liam dropped int

    Last Updated : 2025-03-31
  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 41 - NOAH

    My brain was still short-circuiting from her lips, from the way she was way too close, from the fact that she smelled like vanilla and something dangerously addictive.I cleared my throat, trying to regain some sort of sanity."Elena," I started, but my voice cracked like a damn idiot. Great. Real smooth.She grinned like she knew exactly what she was doing to me. Spoiler: she did."What?" she asked innocently, tilting her head, her fingers still playing with the hair at the nape of my neck.I narrowed my eyes. "You can’t just… ambush me in the library and—" I gestured between us, still trying to breathe normally.She smirked. "Why not?""Because—" I hesitated. Shit. Good question.Because I was supposed to be staying away. Because she was engaged. Because her boyfriend could literally end me.But instead of saying any of that, I just exhaled. "Because I wasn’t prepared for that."Her smirk softened into something smugger—if that was even possible. "Good."I blinked. "Good?"She stepp

    Last Updated : 2025-03-31
  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 42 - ELENA

    The fluorescent lights of Blackwood Academy buzzed with a frantic intensity, a jittery hum that matched the absolute chaos inside me.I kept my distance from Noah. It was deliberate, painful, and a complete failure because my eyes kept betraying me. Noah was a gravitational force, and I was some weak celestial object being yanked into his orbit, no matter how hard I fought it.Across the crowded cafeteria, beyond the endless chatter of teenagers and the questionable-looking pizza, I caught glimpses of him. His dark, unruly hair, the way he leaned back in his chair, laughing at something Liam said. His smile—ugh, his stupid, unfair, heart-wrecking smile. It wasn’t my fault I kept looking. My eyes had their own agenda.Kissing him yesterday after three painfully long weeks had been like taking a sip of forbidden nectar. No, scratch that—it was like rewarding myself with an entire chocolate cake after dieting for months. And then what had I done? Told him we couldn’t do it again. Idiot.

    Last Updated : 2025-04-01

Latest chapter

  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 46 - ELENA

    The tension in the room crackled like static, and I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears as I stepped even closer to Noah. His presence was overwhelming, but in the best way possible, like a magnet pulling me toward him. The air between us felt thick, heavy with anticipation, and for the first time in what felt like forever, the world outside that room ceased to exist.Noah’s hand reached out hesitantly, like he wasn’t sure if I would let him touch me. His fingers grazed my arm, sending a shiver down my spine.“Are you sure?” His voice was rough, barely above a whisper, but the sincerity in it made me freeze. He wasn’t just asking if I was sure about the kiss but about the entire mess we were tangled in. About Tiffany, about my feelings for him, and maybe even about his own feelings for me.I swallowed hard, every word that had been stuck in my throat for so long finally fighting to come out. I wanted to tell him that I was sure—that I wasn’t confused about how I felt anymore. But

  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 45 - ELENA

    One breath in. Two breaths out. Okay, Elena, time to compartmentalize. Because if I actually felt all the feels right now, I’d probably spontaneously combust.That was it. Done. Finito. End of the line. My relationship with Cameron was officially sunk, and I was standing at the edge of an emotional cliff, one misstep away from plunging into a full-on meltdown.So, obviously, I did what any reasonable person would do: I walked to class like everything was fine.My feet felt like lead as I trudged toward English, the brick behemoth of boredom and alliteration.But honestly, the thought of dissecting Shakespeare’s misery felt mildly better than dissecting the flaming wreckage of my almost-relationship with Cameron. I slid into my seat just as the late bell rang, the sound of it practically smacking me in the face.Mrs. Davison, bless her heart, didn’t even bother with the raised eyebrow. She was probably so used to me walking in late at this point.I sat down, zoning out as she rambled o

  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 44 - ELENA

    The Bentley rolled to a stop in front of my house, its glossy black finish practically shimmering in the late afternoon sun. I swear, Cameron could make even a car look like it was designed for royalty—if royalty was obsessed with appearances and deeply in love with his own reflection.I pasted on my best “I’m-so-happy-to-see-you” smile, the one I used when I had to pretend everything was fine. Walking toward the car, I made a big show of admiring the roses climbing up the stone pillars by our gate. I didn’t actually care about the roses, but they looked good for show. Like everything else in my life.Cameron was perched on the hood of the Bentley, looking like he was the king of the world. His dark eyes narrowed against the sun, and for a moment, I almost forgot how much I couldn’t stand how predictable he was. Perfect suit. Perfectly styled hair. The guy could probably make a paper bag look like high fashion. And me? Well, I was just stuck here with him, the guy I was supposed to m

  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 43 - ELENA

    The air between us was thick with something unspoken, something electric. My heart pounded as Noah took a step closer, his hand hesitating midair before brushing against my damp cheek. His touch was feather light, but it sent a jolt through me nonetheless.His dark eyes burned into mine, intense and searching.“Elena,” he whispered.And then, he kissed me.It started slow, hesitant, like he was testing the waters. His lips barely brushed against mine, soft and cautious. My brain screamed at me to stop—to think, to remember why this was a bad idea—but my body had other plans. Before I knew it, I was kissing him back, my fingers gripping the front of his shirt like it was the only thing keeping me tethered to reality.The kiss deepened, turning urgent. His hands slid to my waist, pulling me closer until there was nothing between us but heat and the scent of rain. The cold, the dampness, the fact that we were still standing outside the school—it all faded into irrelevance. There was only

  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 42 - ELENA

    The fluorescent lights of Blackwood Academy buzzed with a frantic intensity, a jittery hum that matched the absolute chaos inside me.I kept my distance from Noah. It was deliberate, painful, and a complete failure because my eyes kept betraying me. Noah was a gravitational force, and I was some weak celestial object being yanked into his orbit, no matter how hard I fought it.Across the crowded cafeteria, beyond the endless chatter of teenagers and the questionable-looking pizza, I caught glimpses of him. His dark, unruly hair, the way he leaned back in his chair, laughing at something Liam said. His smile—ugh, his stupid, unfair, heart-wrecking smile. It wasn’t my fault I kept looking. My eyes had their own agenda.Kissing him yesterday after three painfully long weeks had been like taking a sip of forbidden nectar. No, scratch that—it was like rewarding myself with an entire chocolate cake after dieting for months. And then what had I done? Told him we couldn’t do it again. Idiot.

  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 41 - NOAH

    My brain was still short-circuiting from her lips, from the way she was way too close, from the fact that she smelled like vanilla and something dangerously addictive.I cleared my throat, trying to regain some sort of sanity."Elena," I started, but my voice cracked like a damn idiot. Great. Real smooth.She grinned like she knew exactly what she was doing to me. Spoiler: she did."What?" she asked innocently, tilting her head, her fingers still playing with the hair at the nape of my neck.I narrowed my eyes. "You can’t just… ambush me in the library and—" I gestured between us, still trying to breathe normally.She smirked. "Why not?""Because—" I hesitated. Shit. Good question.Because I was supposed to be staying away. Because she was engaged. Because her boyfriend could literally end me.But instead of saying any of that, I just exhaled. "Because I wasn’t prepared for that."Her smirk softened into something smugger—if that was even possible. "Good."I blinked. "Good?"She stepp

  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 40 - NOAH

    Elena walked away, and suddenly, the cafeteria noise surged back into my ears—a chaotic blend of chatter, laughter, and clattering trays. I hadn’t even noticed it had faded when she was here.My gaze followed her across the room. Cameron’s arm was already slung over her shoulders like he owned her. Asshole. He shot me a look—possessive, smug, a silent warning.I took a sip of the drink she’d brought me, the sweetness sticking to my tongue, but it didn’t cut through the bitterness in my mouth. Stupid move, Elena.Bringing me a drink in front of the whole school? In front of her boyfriend?A mistake. A reckless, impulsive mistake.And yet, my fingers tingled where hers had brushed mine.I’d imagined that touch too many times. Too damn many. I missed the softness of her skin, the heat of her body pressed against mine. I missed the way she shivered under my hands, the way her lips parted when I—Stop."Idiot," I muttered under my breath."Talking to yourself again, Noah?"Liam dropped int

  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 39 - ELENA

    Lying in bed that night, I stared at my phone, my fingers hovering over the screen. I shouldn’t have been doing this. I didn’t even know why I cared.But the image of Noah’s exhaustion lingered in my mind—the quiet weight in his eyes, the tension in his shoulders, the way he barely reacted when I handed him that coffee earlier.Before I could second-guess myself, I typed out the message.Are you okay?I hit send and immediately regretted it.Seconds passed. Then minutes.Nothing.I exhaled sharply, tossing my phone onto the bed beside me. Maybe he wouldn’t reply. Maybe he was asleep. Or maybe he just didn’t care.I rolled onto my side, trying to push the thought of him away, but my mind refused to settle.And then, just as my eyes were drifting shut—Buzz.My breath caught as I grabbed my phone, my heart pounding for reasons I refused to acknowledge.I hadn’t expected a response.But he answered.Noah: No.A simple word. Just two letters. Yet, something about it made my chest tighten.

  • CRUEL OBSESSION   CHAPTER 38 - ELENA

    The rest of the day passed by in a blur. I barely heard anything my teachers said or noticed the stares I got from some of my classmates. My mind was stuck on two people—Noah, who walked away, and Cameron, who left me with a warning.By the time the final bell rang, I was drained, but instead of heading straight home, I found myself lingering in the hallway. Noah was nowhere in sight. I hadn’t seen him in any of my classes after lunch.I chewed the inside of my cheek, debating whether to go looking for him. Again.Why do you care?I didn’t have a clear answer. Maybe it was because I’d seen that flicker of something in his eyes before he turned his back on me—like he wanted to say something but didn’t. Maybe it was the exhaustion on his face, the way his shoulders sagged when he thought no one was watching.Or maybe I was just being stupid.I sighed, gripping the strap of my bag tighter before turning toward the exit. I didn’t make it two steps before someone grabbed my wrist.“Elena.”

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