Still Obsessed

By Megan Sena

When the lines of love and obsession become blurred you must find your heart somewhere between the truth and lies.

Picking up right where American Obsession left off, Liv and Jay are working to move beyond their turbulent pasts and focus on the path that lies ahead of them.

As the bands success picks up and they record their first album with Anthem Records, Liv and the American Obsession boys go on the road on their first U.S. tour with two other bands, Blue Day, and My Metal Romance. It's quickly evident that while on the road, a fascination over Liv takes no back seat for fellow tour mate Zack.

To complicate things more, Jay's new assistant at the studio, Jillian, is turning out to be anything other than what Jay expected her to be. As Jillian and Jay spend more time together, a twisted web of lies drives a spike deep into Liv's heart.

Will Liv end up walking away from the man she has come to love so much? Will their relationship get pushed over the edge or will it stand?

Told from the perspectives of Liv and Jay, you get a deeper look into the struggle to keep each other close as time, distance, and adversaries do their best to pull them apart.

In the end, the truth exposes who is Still Obsessed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Feb 25, 2024
• ISBN: 9781665757263

Megan Sena

Megan Sena was born and raised in the Midwest, and currently resides in Spicer, Minnesota. She loves spending time with her husband Craig and daughter Abigail. She is an avid reader, loves to travel, cook, and be outdoors. She has written two novels and is working on a third. She looks forward to spending more time with you through the written word and hopes you enjoy her second novel "Still Obsessed".

Book preview

PROLOGUE

LIV

JOHN DEMARCUS HAS GONE TO trial. It happened not long after I was found in his possession. My lawyer, Michael, helped me through the process, and I am grateful that Jay’s dad, Warren, recommended him to help me through everything. I realize now I wouldn’t have known what to do on my own. Not even a little.

Luckily the case moved through court quickly, and a jury unanimously found him guilty on all charges. Kind of hard to not see him as guilty when the key witness was sitting ten feet away recanting all the horrifying details of what he did. I felt so many emotions when I was telling the story on the stand in court.

First, I was horrified that I had to tell a whole room of people about what he did to me while I was in his possession. Then of course the media outlets had gotten a hold of the details and spread it around as they pleased, making me relive all the awful memories that I wanted so badly to forget: how he had me shackled to a bed; how he put lingerie on me every day like I was his babydoll and slept in bed with me; how he would undress me and sit with me in the bathtub, rubbing his disgusting hands all over me; how he threatened to drown me if I didn’t act exactly how he wanted; how he cut me and made some really fucked-up art out of our blood. The only positive: I wasn’t raped. It felt awful that the topic had to be discussed in front of a sea of strangers, people who didn’t know me, who looked at me like I was nothing more than a story. I felt ashamed. Not because I had done anything wrong, but because I so badly never wanted any of it to happen in the first place. I never wanted that feeling of utter hopelessness, and then I had to share all my emotions with the rest of the world. It felt unfair, to say the least.

Second, I was alarmed to see the sneer on John’s face as he sat across from me in the court room. I could see his evil mind travel back to that time while I was speaking about the lingerie, lying with me at night, bathing with him – it was certifiably disturbing. It was obvious he enjoyed listening to me talk about those days, and it brought him right back to where he desired to be, even if it was short-lived.

The canvas that was plastered with our blood was on display with the rest of the evidence brought forward against John. Every time I had to look at it, I felt sick to my stomach. A small part of me is thankful that my parents weren’t there to hear and see all the details of what he did to me. I can’t imagine what they would have thought, how they would have felt. I guess them not having to bear that was the only silver lining of it all.

I will never forget the mixed emotions running through me as the jury read their verdict and the judge gave John DeMarcus his sentencing. I felt raw, like I had been cut open, my hatred for him running out of me like a deep-seeded poison. I wanted to scream at him, but I had to keep myself in check. I also felt relief at the sound of the jury finding him guilty. My face was in my hands as the judge sentenced him to twenty years in prison.

I hid my face – not because I was crying, but because I was hiding my smile. I couldn’t help it, I was grateful. Grateful my next twenty years could be lived without having to look over my shoulder, not wondering or fearing if he will come back for me. At least he won’t have that chance any time soon.

PART 1

CHAPTER 1

LIV

IT’S BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE I’ve had a Christmas with my parents. When I try to remember what it felt like, my chest starts to ache and tears well up in my eyes, so I push the old memories away, and I wait until a day comes when I can better handle them. Thankfully this year will be different, a welcome distraction to the usual selfish pity party and borderline meltdown I tend to have during the holidays. Jay has invited me to his family Christmas at Warren and Lisa’s house, along with Brandon and Amanda.

It’s Christmas Day, and Jay should be at my house any minute to pick me up. I’ve asked him multiple times what I should wear, and like a typical guy he keeps saying, Whatever you want. Like that helps me out at all. So, I bypassed him and went to Amanda for help. She said she’s wearing jeans and a sweater, so I’m doing the same. I have on some wedge boots with light wash skinny jeans, and a long open-front sweater with pockets and a tank top underneath it.

After Amanda and I met at Jay’s parents’ house back in October, I got her number from Jay and texted her. She had immediately replied to me; it was like she was sitting by her phone waiting for my text it was such a fast response. It made me happy that she wanted to talk to me, instead of being a new person in her life that she doesn’t care to talk to. We text back and forth often now, and in the last month or so have been out together a couple times for drinks in Pine Lake.

Her normal demeanor is very mellow, but once she gets a couple cocktails in her she perks up and she has so much to talk about. It just comes bursting out of her like she keeps it bottled up – it’s really entertaining. The nights we had been out together I would tell Jay about how much she would talk, and he’d laugh and say how that is so unlike Amanda. I think he’s happy we get along so well.

I have Brandon’s number now, too, but mostly he just sends me funny memes. I get the impression he’s not sure what to say to me, so for now our mostly-meme conversation is perfect for us. It’s entertaining in our own weird way.

Thanksgiving this year with his family was great, but it was all still so new to me to be in a family setting. At first it was hard to relax. I felt a little out of place spending a holiday with someone else’s family. Family events just haven’t been on my radar in a long time. I need to get used to them again, and I have to say that is something I’m looking forward to.

I don’t usually do anything exciting for Thanksgiving. If any of American Obsession has no plans, we will get together, usually in the practice shed at Joe’s house. We heat up frozen TV dinners, sometimes the ones with turkey and mashed potatoes if we can get lucky and find them, and binge watch random garbage on TV and have drinks until we fall asleep or get bored and go home.

Thanksgiving Day Brandon and Amanda spent the day at her parents’ place, so Jay and I had dinner with his parents at their house. Lisa had invited us, and I know she was thrilled that someone was still able to make it for the holiday. I don’t blame her; I would feel the same if I were in her shoes.

The day went by quickly, eating a late lunch/early dinner, and then all of us fell asleep scattered around on the living room couches. I never even got a chance to try and kick Warren’s ass at Scrabble; none of us had an ounce of energy after our big meal. It was great, though, and the meal Lisa prepared was a million times better than the normal TV dinner I usually get stuck eating with the guys.

Now it’s Christmas Day. I’m comfortable with my outfit, have the presents picked out for Jay’s family, and have been put in charge of bringing desserts. I volunteered to bring wine too, of course, not like that surprised anyone.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve will be my last holidays before starting the work for our first album, and I want to make the most of the short time. The AO boys and I will leave January 2nd for Los Angeles to record our album in the record labels studio. We will be there for a month, living in a rental house together that the record label has set up for us. We are all hoping to have the album done in a months’ time, so we don’t have to stay out there longer than we need to. We were given the material and have been practicing it daily for a few weeks now. I really don’t want to leave Jay behind, but I guess this is what we signed up for, and it’s time to face reality and take the leap.

I hear my doorbell app make its notification that someone is at the front door. I’m guessing it’s Jay. I slip my shoes on and give myself one last look in the floor length mirror in my walk-in closet.

There’s a part of me that gets nervous, wondering if there is a chance that I could end up with another stalker - maybe someone acting as a copycat now that it seems the whole world knows about the whole ugly ordeal. I feel like it’s highly unlikely, but it’s also a hard notion to let go, and I feel like I don’t trust people the same as I used to.

I’ve tried so hard not to dwell on everything that happened with John, but the onslaught of uneasiness that I’m being watched or followed still haunts me daily. I do my best to let the thoughts go and just live my life.

This is the first week I’m not taking sleeping medication, which is great; it was making my brain foggy and that is not a feeling I enjoy. The night terrors were getting so bad it was intolerable, and I really needed the medication for a while. Before I started taking it, I was keeping Jay up as well, and I felt awful. Apparently when I dream about John and what happened, I tend to kick in my sleep. He understood but wasn’t exactly a fan, another good reason for the sleeping medication.

I’ve been a frequent at my therapist’s office, too. It has made a huge difference for me. I’ve been able to combine the post-traumatic stress of being held by John with the emotions I still struggle with over losing my parents. It feels good to get it all out on the table with someone who can help. I’m not ashamed of the baggage I carry around, it’s part of me, and hopefully in the end I’ll be a stronger person because of it all.

Hey baby, Jay says as I come out of the closet, and he leans his tall, muscular frame in my bedroom doorway. He has a sexy grin on his face and eyes me up and down. I just can’t get enough of the sight of him. He looks hot as hell in jeans, a cream-colored sweater, and a light gray wool jacket. It seems like he can just roll out of bed every morning with no effort and look like perfection.

Hey, you. You look nice, I say, crossing the room and wrapping my arms around his neck, giving him a kiss.

You know how I know I love you? He gives me a sneaky look.

How?

Because I saw you when I left at 6:00 this morning to go to the gym. That was nine hours ago, but it feels like a week ago. I thought about you all day, like usual. He gives me his sexy grin and wraps his arms tighter around my waist, pulling me up closer into him, kissing my neck. It kind of tickles and it makes me giggle.

A minute later I come back to my senses. Is my outfit okay for this? I motion at my sweater and jeans.

Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?

Well, I just don’t want to be under or overdressed; I just want to fit in. But I texted Amanda and found out what she’s wearing, so I’m doing what she’s doing.

It’s just Christmas, not the Met Gala. Everyone will just be happy you are there, and you already fit right in. I’m pretty sure they like you more than me anyway now, so thanks for that, he says with a laugh and fake punches me in the arm. I just roll my eyes at him in response.

Did you get your flowers to your mom and dad? He asks me with a little hesitation, although I hope he realizes the topic doesn’t bother me. I told him yesterday that I always put out flowers for them at their gravesites for Christmas, usually poinsettias.

I did. God, I miss them. This time of the year is so hard for me. But I’m glad I have you to spend Christmas with, I tell him with a smile. He grabs my hand and gives it a kiss.

Let’s load up the desserts and presents, and then we should get going, I say, changing the subject, as I shut off the bedroom light and walk into the hallway with him.

Jay came over yesterday and we made brownies, sugar cookies, and caramel bars together. I was surprised he was willing to bake with me…until the clothes came off and there was flour, sugar, and chocolate in delightfully unexpected places. Then I realized why he was so willing to help. We just may have to make that a Christmas tradition.

CHAPTER 2

LIV

WARREN AND LISA’S HOUSE IS decorated beautifully with icicle lights on the elegant front entry. It’s a chilly December day, with a couple of inches of fluffy white snow covering the ground, and a light breeze in the air – enough to make the icicle lights wiggle in the wind.

Brandon and Amanda are already here and parked their Jeep in front of the garage. Jay and I pull up next to it, and before I can fully pull on the trucks door handle, his heavy, muscular arm extends across the front of my chest.

"You know the drill. That’s my job," he says with a sweet grin, and I smile at him in return. He slides his arm off my chest and grabs my left hand, giving it a kiss.

Merry Christmas, babe. I love you, and I love that you are here with me. He kisses my hand again, and my heart absolutely melts. He is everything I could ever want. I sincerely hope this charming side of him never dies; it makes me weak in the knees every time.

I love you too, Jay. There is nowhere else I’d rather be than here with you.

He gets out and walks around the front of the truck and opens my door, and I shake my head in amusement. We both fill our arms with as much as we can carry, including the box of presents, the wine, and the desserts we made, and head up to the front door.

Before we make it to the door it opens wide, and Lisa’s bright smile fills the entryway. Merry Christmas! I’m so glad you’re here! Her smile is infectious, and all my nervousness melts away. I feel like my parents would be appreciative of them and the way they have graciously welcomed me into their family.

We go inside and the house smells amazing, like cranberry and cinnamon. Warren greets us cheerily from the living room and is working on getting the tree plugged in and lit up. Brandon and Amanda are perched on barstools at the kitchen island. They turn to us as we enter, and Amanda squeals with delight and gives me a hug.

Merry Christmas, I tell her with a warm smile, hugging her back.

Merry Christmas, Liv, I’m so glad you’re here! Brandon gives me a nod and he and Jay strike up a conversation about something on the other end of the long marble island.

I look around the large, bright kitchen and take in my surroundings. There are pans of food, candy, and drinks spread around on all the surfaces. Lisa really goes all out for the holidays. There is zero chance that we will leave here hungry.

You guys help yourselves to whatever you want, and if you can’t find something just ask. She is so thoughtful and kind. Her hosting skills are on an expert level. Both the boys grab handfuls of snacks and walk into the other room where Warren is working on the tree.

Have you and Jay exchanged presents yet? Amanda asks me. I can see Lisa peek back around her shoulder and look at me with interest.

Not yet. After we leave here, we will meet up with the AO boys - we always do Christmas together, even if it’s just for a little bit - then we will go to my house and exchange gifts with each other.

Hopefully he was smart and got you an engagement ring for Christmas…. Amanda trails off and gives me a mischievous grin, raising her eyebrows in my direction. Lisa is facing us with a huge grin on her face, a wooden spoon suspended in her hand mid-air, and I can feel the heat rise to my cheeks.

Yeah, I doubt that Amanda, I tell her with an embarrassed smile and a nervous