The Twisted Obsession-Chapter 292: Numbness

Lily felt a strange numbness as she walked through the door of the apartment she shared with Cage. Her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—confusion, sadness, and anger all rolled into one. She replayed her mother’s words over and over in her head. The shock had yet to wear off. Her real father? How could that be true? And why now, of all times, did her mother decide to reveal it?

She hadn’t even realized she’d left the stove on, her thoughts so consumed by the encounter in the alley. The acrid smell of burning food filled the apartment, but Lily remained in a daze, staring at nothing in particular, her heart thudding heavily in her chest.

Cage arrived home from work, tired but glad to finally be home. The moment he opened the door, he was hit by the unmistakable scent of something burning. Panic surged through him as he rushed toward the kitchen. The sight of a pot on the stove, smoke billowing from it, made his heart race even faster.

"Lily!" he shouted, quickly turning off the stove and grabbing the pot, placing it in the sink. He turned around to see Lily sitting at the dining table, unmoving, staring at the wall with a vacant expression. His heart dropped.

"Lily, what the hell happened?" he demanded, his voice filled with concern and a touch of frustration. She didn’t respond, didn’t even blink. Cage’s frustration immediately melted into worry. He quickly crossed the room and knelt in front of her, gently taking her hands in his.

"Lily?" he called softly, trying to meet her gaze. Her eyes were glassy, unfocused. He’d never seen her like this, and it scared him. "Lily, talk to me. What’s going on?"

At the sound of his voice, something seemed to break within her. Lily’s lower lip trembled, and she blinked rapidly as tears began to pool in her eyes. "I’m sorry," she whispered, her voice shaky. "I’m so sorry."

Cage’s heart twisted at the sight of her tears. "Hey, hey, it’s okay," he said soothingly, pulling her into his arms. She collapsed against him, her body shaking with sobs that she couldn’t control. Cage held her tightly, stroking her hair, trying to comfort her as best he could. But inside, he was panicking. This was so unlike Lily. She was always so strong, so composed.

"Lily, please, tell me what’s wrong," he murmured, his voice laced with desperation. He needed to know what had happened, what had shattered her like this. But she only shook her head, burying her face deeper into his chest.

"I can’t," she cried. "I can’t, Cage. Please don’t ask me."

He swallowed hard, his mind racing with a thousand possibilities. But he didn’t push her. He couldn’t, not when she was like this. "Okay," he said softly, kissing the top of her head. "I won’t ask. I’m here, okay? Whatever it is, I’m here."

She continued to cry, and Cage felt utterly helpless. He wished he could take away her pain, whatever it was. He wished he could fix it, like he always did. But this...this was different. This was something that had cut her deeply, something she wasn’t ready to share.

After what felt like an eternity, her sobs began to quiet, her breathing evening out as she calmed down. But the weight of whatever was troubling her still lingered heavily in the air.

"I’m sorry," Lily said again, her voice hoarse from crying.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Cage replied, still holding her close. "You’re going through something, and I get that. I just want to help."

She pulled back slightly to look at him, her eyes red and puffy. There was a deep sadness there that made his chest ache. "I know," she whispered. "And I appreciate it, I do. But I...I just need some time to process everything."

"Take all the time you need," Cage assured her. "I’m not going anywhere."

She managed a small, shaky smile at that, and it was like a tiny ray of sunshine breaking through the dark clouds. "Thank you," she murmured.

Cage nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why don’t you go take a bath? Relax a little. I’ll handle dinner."

She hesitated, clearly still rattled, but eventually nodded. "Okay," she agreed softly.

He watched her as she got up and slowly made her way to the bathroom, her shoulders slumped, her steps heavy. It tore him apart to see her like this, to see the woman he loved so broken.

Once she was out of sight, Cage ran a hand through his hair, letting out a shaky breath. He glanced back at the kitchen, at the burnt food that had nearly started a fire. Whatever had happened to Lily, it had completely consumed her.

He cleaned up the mess, throwing out the burnt food and starting fresh. But his mind was elsewhere, fixated on Lily and what had caused her so much distress. He wanted to respect her need for space, but the protective part of him was screaming to do something, anything, to help her.

By the time Lily emerged from the bathroom, dressed in her pajamas with damp hair, Cage had dinner ready. He had made her favorite, hoping it would bring her some comfort.

"Smells good," she said softly as she joined him in the kitchen.

"Thanks," Cage replied, giving her a small smile. He pulled out a chair for her, and she sat down, looking a little more composed than before but still carrying that deep sadness in her eyes.

They ate in silence, the tension between them evident. Lily picked at her food, clearly not having much of an appetite, but Cage didn’t comment on it. He just kept an eye on her, hoping that whatever was weighing on her would ease with time.

After dinner, Cage led her to the couch, pulling her into his arms once more. They sat there in silence, the TV playing softly in the background, but neither of them paying it any attention. Lily rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed as she tried to find some semblance of peace in his embrace.

Cage held her close, his mind still racing with concern. He didn’t know what had happened to her today, what had caused this shift, but he knew one thing for sure: whatever it was, they would face it together. Even if it meant waiting until she was ready to talk, he would be there for her, no matter what.

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