Page 29 of Always Watching

I wince at his words. It’s like a gut punch, him throwing that in my face. I know it’s illogical to have North in my home, but he’s not like the masked intruder. North saved me. He took me to get medical attention when I probably would have laid in a puddle of my blood for hours. He might be a stranger in the true senseof the word, but I know him. I know his heart. He would never hurt me.

“Shit, Ranen,” Olly says, his tone laced with remorse. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. Just… I’m worried about you. You’re my best friend. I don’t want anything to happen to you. The thought of him in your house gives me a bad feeling.”

“It’s okay,” I whisper, though my heart still hurts. “Thank you for caring about me.”

“Always. If you ever want to get away from there, I’ll keep you safe. I’ll always protect you. I love you, Ranen.”

I smile at his words. I know he does. I love him too.

Sliding closer to him, I lean my head on his shoulder and wrap my arms around his waist. “I know. Love you back. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.” Olly kisses my hair and returns my hug.

“Okay,” he proclaims in a loud voice. “No more sad shit. You’re here, so let’s watch a movie or something. When is North coming to pick you up?”

“I’m not sure. He said he had to take care of something with his dad. I think they work construction together, so it’s probably something to do with building shit.”

“Macho man,” Olly says, nudging me. “Maybe he can get around to fixing all the shit you usually call me over for.”

I bark a laugh and head to the kitchen to pop some popcorn. “Oh please, you like coming over to my apartment. Besides, you kept Mr. Barlowe away.”

Olly grunts, going to the fridge to grab us some Cokes. “God, your landlord is a creeper. There’s something not right about him.”

“Definitely. I think he might subscribe to my channel. He always looks at me like he’s seen me naked… Maybe he has.” The microwave beeps, so I take the popcorn out and dump it in abowl. I hand Olly the bag so he can pick out the last bit of kernels before he tosses it in the trash.

Once we’re settled on the couch, Olly turns on a movie and we get comfortable. Halfway through the new sci-fi movie I’ve been waiting to see, he says, “Maybe you can have someone there with you.”

“For Mr. Barlowe? He’s already met North. I think he scares him.”

“No,” Olly says, pausing the movie. “I was thinking about what you said. When you said you weren’t into the camming because of… that.” I appreciate him for being sensitive about the attack this time. “Why not have someone there with you to help? Maybe even on cam, like we used to do.”

That’s… actually not a bad idea. I was okay with having Olly around because we’re so close and it made us more money, but would North want to join me? Would he be into getting on cam, jerking his cock so I can be more comfortable in front of the camera?

Would he be into doing more? The thought of getting on my knees for North, worshipping his cock for the world to see, has my pants feeling suddenly tight, my erection throbbing. I push the thoughts from my mind before I explode in my underwear.

After I clear my throat several times, I say, “Maybe. I’ll think about it. Thanks for the suggestion.”

“No problem.” Olly leans forward and grabs the remote. He presses play and we finish watching the movie.

I needed today. A good cam session, a quick lunch date with North, and a movie night with my best friend. It was exactly what I needed to get me out of my head. Sure, I thought about what happened to me, just as I do every day since the attack, but other than Olly’s comments, I think I was able to handle it better than before. Maybe I’m becoming desensitized or maybe I’m healing. Whatever it is, I’m glad for it.

After the movie ends, I stretch, tossing the throw blanket I pulled from the back of the couch off my legs. “That was a good movie.” I set the empty popcorn bowl on the table.

“It was,” Olly agrees. “We need to do more movie nights. I miss you.”

I grin at him. “I miss you too. And we will. Next week, same time?”

“It’s a date.”

I pull my phone from my pocket to find a text from North.

North: Can Olly give you a ride home? Dad and I are still busy.

He sent that text thirty minutes ago. I wonder if he’s free now.

Me: Sure. Are you two still busy?

A few minutes later, a text comes through.

North: Yes. But we’ll be wrapping up in an hour or so. Maybe less. Do you want to wait there until I’m done?

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