Obsession Falls (The Haven Brothers #1)

“Gee, I don’t know, Audrey. Maybe breaking up with him?”

She fell back onto the pillow. “That was so long ago. And it’s not like he was that heartbroken. He married Lorelei right after.”

“That was probably his first act of revenge.”

“Why does it have to be my ex? Couldn’t it be one of your exes?”

“I don’t have any exes who hate me that passionately.”

“Colin doesn’t hate me that passionately either. He’s not necessarily the nicest guy but he’s not a criminal. I can’t imagine him sneaking over here in the middle of the night to spray paint my house. That’s insane.”

“Well someone did.”

“Maybe my mom is right and it’s someone who hates my dad. My dad’s not around anymore, so he’s harassing me instead.”

I hesitated, not sure if I should say what I really thought. “Look, I don’t know your mom, and I don’t want to talk shit about her, but it’s weird that she’s trying to make this about her.”

“She’s very good at that.”

“Then why are you listening to her?”

“I’m not, I’m just wondering. At the time, it seemed like everyone in town loved my dad, but he was a politician. He had to have made enemies. They all do, don’t they?”

“Seems like it. But I still don’t buy it.”

“Why are you so sure it’s Colin?”

“Because it fits. You break up with him, bruise his ego, so he runs off and marries someone else. Years go by and he doesn’t think about you because you’re not around. Suddenly you move back and he’s reminded of how you rejected him. Maybe you’re the only woman who ever has. He’s holding a grudge. At first he thinks he’ll just manipulate you into bed, take out his anger on you that way. But that doesn’t work and he can see it won’t. So he gets creative.”

“If it’s so obvious it’s Colin, why haven’t the cops arrested him?”

“They just don’t have enough evidence yet. Maybe he finally screwed up this time and his wife will admit he left the house in the middle of the night.”

She sat up again and tucked her hair behind her ears. “I guess.”

A jolt of anger made my back stiffen. “Why do you keep defending him?”

“I’m not.”

“Yeah, you really are. Every time he comes up, you have another excuse as to why he couldn’t have done it.”

“It just doesn’t seem like him.”

“How would you know?” My voice was rising and part of me knew I shouldn’t yell at her. But I was pissed and my self-control on the verge of snapping. “You don’t know what kind of person he is. Maybe when he was twenty-one, he wouldn’t have gone psycho on you, but he’s different now. Maybe he’s just that fucking angry at you.”

“It’s not like our breakup was traumatic. We only stayed together as long as we did because it was what everyone else expected of us.”

“So you’re saying when you told him it was over, he was totally fine with it.”

“No,” she said, as if reluctant to admit it.

“What did he do?”

Her eyes darted away and she didn’t answer.

“Audrey, what did he do?”

“He got mad.”