Page 47 of For Fillies and Monsters

I storm from the small room, not giving him time to respond. I have zero interest in hearing what he has to say; I know it’s only going to piss me off more. I’m not jealous, as he has tried to imply. I don’t care who he fucks. But he will not do it in my house.

Heavy footfalls thud behind me, approaching alarmingly quickly. I speed up my steps, my heart rate spiking, and my breathing becomes more rapid. A large hand grips my hip, and I yelp, electricity shooting through my body, causing all the little hairs to stand up.

“What about your perfume?” he whispers, his lips feathering over my ear. I shiver, hating myself for showing weakness, and shiver again. My nipples pebble, and they strain against the fabric of my bra, aching. It’s too much sensation, too many mixed signals. But my stupid pussy can only think one thing, and I’m a weak woman, remember?

Before I can come up with a response, the front door clangs and Gus drops his hand from my waist. I’m still panting, my heart erratically pounding against my rib cage.

“Okay, bitch. Let’s see these fucking text messages. There better be some dick pictures with a massive twelve-inch cock in them to justify you acting like a dog in heat over a—” Dale rounds the corner, spotting Gus and me, a sheepish grin spreading across her face. “Oops.” But the bitch doesn’t look the least bit sorry.

Gus growls, stomping back down the small hallway, and slams the door to his room.

This is going to fucking suck.

NINETEEN

STETSON

April 13th, 2024

“Let me cook,”Gus grumbles as I return to the fridge for the third time. I’ll admit, I’m a little scatterbrained having had him in my space all day. And that conversation earlier still hangs between us like a thick fog.

It doesn’t help that I’m drunk.

I swat at his outstretched hand, my fingers barely brushing his, but a bolt of electricity shoots up my arm all the same.

“No, thanks.”

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he hisses, his scowl deepening.

Oh, please, if anyone is dying around here,it’s me.

“You look perfectly fine to me.” I run water over the broccoli, ice cold, trying to clean the plant and cool my nerves. It doesn’t fucking work.

“Demoted from nice and hot to fine?” he mocks, his scowl lessening a fraction, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

“Gah, you guys are adorable. I almost feel bad for being here. Actually, on that note, pretend I’m not. I’ve always wanted to attend a live-action porno.” Dale’s teasing voice cuts through the tension between Gus and me like a bucket of ice water.

“Do you ever filter what you say?” Gus snaps toward Dale, and I bristle. It might be the alcohol or best friend territorial-ness, but he is not allowed to snap at her.

“Don’t talk to her like that.”

“Or what?” His dark eyebrows raise near his hairline, challenging me. I gulp.

Or what, Stetson? What the fuck are you going to do?

“Or I will kick you out.”

He laughs, the sound dark and not the least bit entertained. Dale cackles with him, and I fight a grin of my own.

“This is better than sex. Well, not quite, but close. It will be when the porn action begins. I think I saw one just like this the other night while I was browsing,” Dale says, pointing the butt of her beer bottle between us. “I definitely got off.”

Gus and I groan in unison and then shoot each other dirty looks. We willnotbe those people that do shit at the same time.Too fucking cliche.

I am going to kill him before this is all over or be killed by him. Or the stalker is going to kill us both. Or Gus will kill the stalker then me.

I blow a raspberry, shutting my eyes.

Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…

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