Page 185 of Psycho

I couldn’t have him leaving me, even for a brief while, after fucking carving his name on my skin.

Not when I was feeling so vulnerable already.

But it was Monday morning, and I was sitting in his truck, waiting for Micah to come out and drive me to school.

I didn’t want to go back to school.

I didn’t want to see anyone, but I knew I had to.

I was just so close to graduating, I could taste it.

And then…

Well, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, and living with Micah should have felt even more restrictive than it did when I was living in that trailer with Dad. But instead…

It felt like there was a world of possibility at my feet, and all I had to do was decide what I really wanted to do.

I watched him through the front window of his truck, talking on the phone with Dominic.

I had heard very little about the president of the King’s Men MC; only that he was a ruthless man that ruled the city with an iron fist.

I was sure he had been the man I saw next to Micah Thursday night at the cornfield, but I didn’t remember much about that night, nor did I want to.

IfJosh and his friends came to school today, I knew they would leave me alone.

I knew Micah wouldn’t have sent me back to school unless he was absolutely sure it was safe for me to go, but that didn’t mean I didn’t dread it.

Finally, Micah opened the door and climbed into his truck.

As usual, he didn’t look to be feeling anything, but there was something about him that made me think he was in a good mood.

“Did you receive good news?” I asked.

He turned to me, a strange look passing over his eyes. “Hmm… things are just going exactly as I need them to go.”

“Because you gave in to your sadistic nature and marked me?” I asked, shooting him a deadpan look.

He reached over and squeezed my breast for that comment.

“Hey!” I pulled away and glared at him, clutching my chest, the swift sting around my nipple throbbing.

“With you and with the club,” he answered.

I decided I didn’t want to know the details. “Are we gonna go?”

He shook his head. “Not yet. I want to know how you feel about going back to school.”

I didn’t look at him when I shrugged.

“You know it’s okay if you’re not ready to go back. We’ll figure it out. One way or another, I’ll make sure you graduate.”

I wondered just how easy it was for him to read me, for him to realize graduating from high school was important to me.

My mom barely graduated, and my dad dropped out when he was sixteen.

I didn’t want to be like my parents.

And I was on track to not only graduate but to graduate with honors.

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