Page 16 of Lost to the Woods

And maybe I did.

I dragged my hand down, palming myself through the denim. Just enough pressure to feel it. I rocked into it—once, twice—my breath catching as I imagined how tight she’d feel around me.

I could’ve done it right there. Stroked myself beside her until I spilled across my stomach, filthy and silent. She wouldn’t have known. Not a sound. Not a stir.

I could’ve used her hand… her mouth even.

But I stopped and stared at her—flushed, softly breathing, lashes fluttering in sleep. Her body molded perfectly against mine like she’d always belonged there.

I wrapped my arm tighter around her waist and buried my face in her hair. She sighed contentedly in her sleep, and I smiled to myself while my fingers were still sticky with all the proof I needed.

I already owned her.

Tonight, it was enough just to hold her.

To know I could’ve taken whatever I wanted… and chose to wait.

For now.

How fucking foolish of me.

This was the last time I held back.

The next time Bunny crawled into my bed, I wouldn’t stop.

6. Bunny

Trying to pretend I have my crap together, I finally step out from the ladies room and head back to the table.

Out of nowhere, I get ambushed.

“Oh no way! You’re Paranormal Bunny!”

A guy, early twenties, handsome face, shaggy dirty blond hair, wearing a vintage horror movie t-shirt, is looking at me like he just ran into the literal royalty or something—if they talked ghosts, danced in cosplay, and ate ramen on camera for money.

I blink, caught off guard. “Um, yeah. Hey, hi!” I say, automatically slipping into cheerful influencer mode.

“Damn, I love you,” he blurts with starry eyes. Then, realizing how that sounds, he backtracks, “I mean, your videos! I’m a huge fan! I stalk your TikTok like multiple times a day—wait, not stalk-stalk! Shit. Sorry, that sounded creepy. I just never would’ve expected to see youhere.” He laughs awkwardly, holding out a hand. “I’m Mark, by the way.” His southern drawl is just thick enough to melt butter.

I giggle. He probably has a knife collection but cries during dog movies. He’s harmless—just nervous, that’s all.

“Nice to meet you, Mark. Me and a few of my friends are working on a new project.”

“About Appalachians?” His face lights up. “Do I have stories to tell you!”

His eyes go wide suddenly, looking above my head. I don’t even have to turn around to know Ghost is standing right there,menacingly, towering over both of us and everyone else in the diner.

“That’s just this very small YouTuber,” I joke, waving him off. Ghost has thirteen million subscribers—that’s more than I and the rest of our group combined. And if Mark is truly a horror fan, he most likely is Ghost’s fan, too.

“So, Mark—” I start, but Ghost immediately cuts in.

“You’re gone five seconds, and you’ve already got a dude hitting on you?”

I roll my eyes. “He was just saying he has stories to share.”

“We don’t need them,” he replies definitively, his voice ice-cold.

“Anything can be useful,” I argue, though honestly, I don’t care. It’s just way too fun watching Ghost get this crazy-jealous over nothing… and he deserves that after flirting with Kendra.

---