Page 68 of Creep

We had gone on two dates. We hardly knew each other.

I texted him.

Me:I can’t do this anymore. It’s over. Please don’t contact me again.

I slammed the phone down on the bed, feeling so fucking angry I wanted to break something. I wanted to break apart.

It shouldn’t have hurt this much, but it did.

But the last thing I wanted was to pull him into my mess. Not until I got this sorted out first.

I was going to see Leo and tell him everything tonight after my shift.

It was something I should have told him that first night the fucker came to my apartment and slept with me in my bed. And I just feel so incredibly stupid for not doing so.

I got up from the bed and walked to the bathroom, getting ready for my shift. I ignored my phone when I heard it vibrate. There was only one person who would be calling me right now, and the last thing I wanted was to talk to Mael.

Surely, I’d break down.

* * *

I madeit through my shift somewhat intact.

I smiled at the right time, made small talk with other people, and acted like everything was fine and my world didn’t feel like it had just imploded, destroying me.

I felt silly for feeling so strongly about someone I’d just met, but I knew under the right circumstances, I would have fallen in love with him.

“Bye, Lia!” Emily called out from the front.

I waved at her, trying to finish up the rest of my cleaning duty. I was the last one to leave the coffee shop tonight. I looked around the empty place, hating the silence. It left me too much time to think. I hurried along, checking one last time that we had all the supplies in their place by the counter for the morning shift tomorrow.

The bell on the front door chimed.

“Sorry, we’re close…”

I trailed off when I turned around to see Mael standing there.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

He didn’t answer me. Just stood there and watched me with that intense look in his eyes that always managed to unnerve me.

I shifted on my feet nervously.

Then he closed the door behind him and moved over to me. I took a step back, not that it seemed to do me any good. He was like a bulldozer, moving about the space and not stopping for anything until he got to his target—me.

I shook my head. “You got my text. We can’t—fuck.”

He pushed me up against the wall, his body pressing in close to mine. He gathered my wrists in his hands and held them above my head. I looked from side to side, trying to find an escape. He firmed his grip on me, letting me know there was no escape.

“Mael,” I stuttered out when he dipped his head and ran the tip of his nose up and down the side of my face.

“Don’t you think I deserve an explanation as to why you’re ending it?” he asked, his voice gruff.

I bit the inside of my cheek, not knowing what to say. I couldn’t think of any excuse to use that would be good enough.

“I don’t… I don’t owe you anything,” I said, his closeness making it hard for me to think.

“No?” he asked, pulling back from me. His eyes were dark. I blinked, looking away from him.

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