Page 152 of Creep

I touched his side, the sheets cold.

It didn’t tell me anything, but I had a feeling he never even slept here last night.

Had it been anyone else but Mael, I would have been worried there might be someone else.

I suppose there were some perks to being with a man who was neurotically obsessed with you. He would never cheat on me. That was a fact I was as sure of as I was of my next breath.

But then, where did he go, and should I be worried?

I didn’t know, but I was worried, even though I shouldn’t be. I shook my head. It wasn’t like Mael was… innocent.

I was still reeling over all he had told me. There was no question as to whether I would accept the reality of it. It didn’t matter. I could accept it or not, but the end result was the same. Mael would never let me go.

So then, did it make me a bad person to decide to accept it, knowing it wouldn’t have made a difference, only that it would make my life easier?

I let out a small sigh.

Talk about having a fucking dilemma.

I was still contemplating how my life could have turned out like this when I heard the front door click open. I didn’t think. I threw the covers off my body and got out of bed in time to see Mael standing by the small foyer.

He was sitting on the small black bench by the front door, taking off his boots. His back was to me. I let my eyes take him in, checking for injuries. It wasn’t like I could see much, though.

He was in his usual black, long-sleeved thermal shirt and black pants. The only parts of his skin that showed were his hands, his neck, and his head.

His blond hair was a mess, as if he had spent a good portion of the night running his fingers through it.

He didn’t turn around, but I knew he was aware of me standing there. It was confirmed when he said, “What are you doing up?”

“What am I doing up? What areyoudoing up? Where did you go?”

Finally, he turned to face me. His blue eyes were their usual lightness, but there was something off about them, and I didn’t know why that was.

The lights were dimmed, so it wasn’t like I could see him clearly. I cautiously walked over to him, and his eyes never left me. No, their focus seemed to increase with intensity, and I suddenly felt like a helpless gazelle facing off with a lion.

I stopped when I was about a foot away from him, crossed my arms, and looked at him expectantly.

He smiled. “Fuck, but you’re cute.”

Before I could react, he reached over and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into his lap. I wiggled a bit, trying to get away. It was a mistake even walking up that close to him, and I wasn’t going to let him distract me.

“Let go.”

“Why?” he asked, pushing my legs apart and cupping my pussy over my sleep shorts. I froze.

He moved his hand a little, driving me crazy and taking most of the fight out of me.

“Mael,” I whispered softly.

“Yes, kitten?”

There were about a million things I could have said to him. A million and onescathingthings I could have said. Instead, all that came out was, “What are you doing to me?”

He chuckled darkly, as if he found my question amusing, and pulled his hand away from me. I felt instantly cold, not that I would ever tell him that. I pouted instead, and he playfully tapped my lips with his finger.

“Fuck, no matter how bad things get out in the world, you always manage to make me feel better.”

I cupped his cheek, taking in the rough feel of his stubble.

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