Lethal Obsession

39.

"Under the morning view I look at you and see the stranger, the complete danger of loving you." ― Shann Tajiah

"He was gorgeous, sexy, compelling. But he was lethal. Deadly. Frightening." ― Rie Warren

"You call it madness, but I call it love." ― Don Byas

„And you can see my heart, beating
You can see it through my chest
Said I'm terrified but I'm not leaving
I know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger"

- Russian roulette – Rihanna

Chapter 39

"What about this dress?" I asked Emma as soon as I got out of the changing room.

We were in our favorite boutique looking for the perfect dress. Mateo had told me a couple of days ago that he had been planning a surprise for that evening and that I should make myself look pretty. I was curious about what he had in mind, but he didn't want to reveal it. However, he did tell me to wear something elegant. I used that as an excuse to invite my friends to hang out, considering that we have been quite distant lately.

Emma was looking at me thoughtfully. The dress I chose was fiery red. Long and tight, with a deep cut on my left leg and spaghetti straps. It completely hugged my figure. The silk material was like heaven for my skin, and the open back made me look like a real seductress.

"Have you put on some weight?" She asked me after some time.

"Probably, I think so too. Do I look bad?" I turned to the big mirror and started to examine my body. It seemed like I had a little fat on my stomach that I hadn't paid much attention to before, however after Emma pointed it out, I was starting to become more and more aware of it. I stared at my body in displeasure. Suddenly, my mood made a one hundred and eighty degrees change. My face was sullen and it was only a matter of time before I burst down into tears.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Lena came up to me and gently touched my arm. I didn't respond.

"I think it's my fault," Emma murmured. "I pointed out that she had gained a few pounds."

"Emma!" Sarah shouted at her. "Can you sometimes think before you say something?"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry."

Emma kept on apologizing, but her voice sounded like an echo as if she was somewhere far away. I barely noticed when Lena pulled me by the elbow and took me outside. I was brought back to reality by a chilling breeze brushing past my bare arms. Confused, I looked at her and then around me, trying to understand what had happened in those brief moments when I was dissociating from reality.

There was no one around us, even Sarah and Emma stayed inside. There were almost no passers-by, which was unusual for this part of the city, which is otherwise very busy. The earlier sunlit area was now covered with dark clouds. The weather was gloomy. It looked like it was going to rain.

"T, don't you dare work yourself up over that," Lena practically threatened me, and I finally turned my gaze to her.

"Do you think I'm ugly?" I asked honestly, tears on the verge of storming down my face." I didn't understand why I had become so sensitive, but I could not control myself either.

"Of course not. You are hot and drop-dead gorgeous. Ignore Emma, you know she has no filter."

"The fact that someone doesn't have a filter usually means they're telling the truth," I muttered.

"Do you hear yourself? You are the first to tell women, no matter the body type, how beautiful they are. And you don't do that because it's the right thing to do, but because you really believe that any woman is perfect. Honestly, I've been wondering for a long time now how you didn't end up in prison considering how many times you stopped strangers in the street to tell them, and I quote, how fucking stunning they are."