Page 69 of The Cult

“So, shall we?” He nodded toward the unkempt trail.

“What-fucking-ever.” I shook my head before marching on. Why did I crave his closeness? It was unlike me to be thinking about anyone the way I thought about Abel. Why the hell did he insist on following from behind? How could I protect him if I couldn’t see him?

We’d been walking for a few minutes in silence. He was too quiet. Maybe he was still cold, since the wind had picked up. I glanced behind me to check if he was all right and shook my head disapprovingly. I wished I could say I was surprised by what I saw, but I wasn’t. He was always up for shenanigans.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I whispered. He was staring at my ass, with one hand in his pocket, rubbing his dick. Was that all he fucking thought about? Oh fuck. Now my cock was coming alive because of this fucker, but someone had to be responsible. We needed to get going. “Abel, knock it off and get over here. Now.” I snapped my fingers, pointing next to me.

“Okay, geez. Calm down,” he said, closing the gap between us, chuckling. “I was just readjusting.”

“No more jerking off,” I warned.

“Like, literally or figuratively?” Abel asked. He waggled his eyebrows, perhaps to piss me off.

I looked up at the sky, closed my eyes, and exhaled. That was the best I could do to refrain from wiping the shit-eating grin from his face.

It started to rain. Drops of water dripped against my bare skin. My main concern was Abel. He could hardly stand the temperature and it wasn’t even that chilly.

“Shit,” he murmured next to me. “We’re gonna get soaked.”

The pitter-patter of heavy raindrops rustled the leaves around us. Lightning flashed and the sky rumbled with a deafening boom. “Let’s hurry before it starts to pour,” I said.

We ran in unison, and the rain became a relentless deluge. Each step sent splashes of mud flying as the wet ground absorbed the impact of our boots.

“Watch your step,” I said, glancing at Abel slipping on the slick terrain.

“No shit. It’s slippery as fuck out here.”

The air was thick with the scent of moss and pine, mingling with the earthy aroma of wet soil. A gust of wind sprayed droplets into our faces.

After a few minutes and half a mile of running, we emerged from the woods, drenched. A guard was standing outside the door we’d exited earlier. He had an umbrella in one hand and a cigarette in the other. I wiped the water dripping from my lashes and squinted, hoping to get a glimpse of the man. “Fuck!” I cursed. I’d hoped it was Sterling.

“How bad is it?” Abel asked, following my line of sight.

“We’ll be all right,” I assured him. “This way.” I led him in the direction opposite the entrance, near the trainees’ bunkroom. We dashed to the door toward the back of the building—the one closer to my room. I heard movements nearby, so I grabbed Abel’s arm. “Wait.” I pressed his back against the wall and stood in front of him, our wet bodies melding into one. Our warm breath fogged up the space between our faces. I was captivated by Abel’s beautiful blue eyes. For a moment, I was in a trance.

“Why did we stop again? I’m freezing,” he whined. My wet shirt clung to his body, outlining his impressive physique. He grinded his teeth, his jaw quivering from the wet cold.

“I heard something, but it was probably the wind.” I fought the urge to rip the fabric off his skin and wrap my arms around him to keep him warm. “Almost there.”

I opened the heavy metal door, peeking along the hallways to make sure no one was around. I turned my attention to Abel and pressed my finger to my lips. “Stay quiet,” I whispered.

Abel nodded, water dripping down his handsome face.

“My room is the first door to the left,” I explained before stepping gingerly along the corridor. I cringed when our wet shoes squeaked. I raised my hand, pausing, listening for sounds of any movement other than ours. “Clear.” I gave a thumbs-up and continued the short trek to my room.

“Is this your room?” Abel asked, his eyes darting to every corner of the tight space.

“Yup,” I answered and headed to the bathroom. I stripped my pants off, wrung the rainwater out, and hung them on one of the hooks. I wiped my body with a towel then reached for the shower knob and turned the dial to hot.

Abel’s eyes widened when I came out. He zeroed in on my crotch and soaked underwear. The passion in his eyes was undeniable.

“Take all your clothes off and get in the hot shower,” I ordered, ignoring how my body reacted to his ogling. I’d never been conscious of how I looked, but standing in front of Abel, without the cloak of darkness to hide in, I was aware of my flaws, the cuts and scars masked with cheap tattoos. I was a monster compared to him, in more ways than one. “Go on.”

He cleared his throat. “Okay.”

I watched Abel strip his way to the bathroom. His smooth skin glowed under the golden light. He was perfect. I’d never been attracted to men, but if I was, Abel would be my type. “You can leave them on the bathroom floor,” I said when he stopped, holding up my shirt and his tank top. “I can take care of them when I get back.”

“Get back?” Abel spun around to face me. “You’re not gonna leave me here, are you?”

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