Page 76 of Bound By Threads
I let out a half-giggle, half-whimper, my nails digging into his back. The pleasure builds with every movement, every touch until I feel like I’m teetering on the edge. “I’m close,” I gasp.
“Come for me, Lottie!” he demands, his voice rough and commanding.
And I do.
My body melts under him, arching, my toes curling as it all crashes over me, and he follows me over the edge, his body shuddering as he spills inside me.
We stay tangled together,our breaths slowly returning to normal. His arms are around me, holding me close, and I feel safe, loved in a way I haven’t in a long time.
“Stay with me tonight,” I whisper, my head resting on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
“I’m not going anywhere, Lottie. You’re stuck with me for life.”
Chapter35
Crew
My hands won’t stop shaking.
It’s day seven.
Seven goddamn days since I took anything. My head’s been splitting open since day three, and my skin feels like it doesn’t fit anymore. Like I could unzip myself and still not find any relief.
The cold sweats come in waves, and my stomach hasn’t kept anything down since Tuesday, but I’m still standing.
Barely.
I tell myself I deserve worse. I violated her, did something I swore I’d never do, and used one of her worst fears against her in my pathetic search for answers.
Roman’s trying to convince me to take something to help ease the withdrawals, but he doesn’t get it. He didn’t see the horror in her eyes as she felt the effects of the drugs take hold. Elijah’s as silent as ever, but I see the way he’s been watching me to make sure I don’t die in the process of punishing myself.
I’m in the campus library, curled over a table like it might anchor me to the floor, trying to focus on the buzz of the overhead lights and not the crawling itch under my skin. I’m supposed to be scouting for people I think will want to deal, looking for the ones who need that extra ‘help’ to finish that essay, or just get through the day, but I can’t bring myself to.
My phone buzzes, and I swear my heart almost gives out.
It’s Lottie. South wing. Janitors closet.
You have 15 minutes.
Lottie.
It’s her name that hits me the hardest, not the message. It’s the fact that she’s reaching out at all.
The words are short. Cold. But I don’t care.
I’m already on my feet before I finish reading it.
She wants to talk.
No part of me deserves her forgiveness, but if she’s willing to look me in the face, I’ll take it. Whatever she needs to say, whatever she wants me to feel… I’ll let her burn me to nothing but ash if that’s what she needs.
I barely notice the swear under my shirt as I push open the door to the corridor. The janitor’s closet is tucked between two maintenance doors, a small yellow sign posted on the wall that says ‘AUTHORIZED STAFF ONLY’,like it means anything to me when she’s going to be on the other side of the door.
The door creaks as I open it.
She’s already inside.
Scarlett… Lottie stands in the middle of the small, cluttered room, back straight, arms folded across her chest. The flickering light above her casts her in half-shadow, and for the first time in my life, I’m not sure if I should step forward or drop to my knees because she looks like an avenging angel.
