Page 14 of Masked
All it took was a little nudge in the right direction. Me proving that I meant what I said with actions rather than words.
“I hope you don’t think this changes anything,” she says, giggling elated as she slips out of the booth.
“Sure it does,” I shout after her, loving the view of her swaying hips as she walks. “Means you’ll be seeing me mighty soon, Baby Doll.”
She leaves, and I follow close behind.
Her porcelain and my bandana, left on the table.
Facing the future together, unmasked, and fearless.
6
TAYLOR
All of that happened . . . right?
This question has been running through my head on repeat since I left the nightclub. I was there, I lived it, and yet it still feels fake.
I spent my taxi ride home trying to piece everything together. How the night started and where it ended. It wasn’t a few hours ago that we stood in the restaurant I’m staring at now. Right there, between two chairs, I fought the monster off of my dad.
He posed his threat and left.Next week.That’s when he said he’d be back.
Now, I’m supposed to believe that it’s all gone away? That he won’t come back for his blood money and my dad’s safe . . .
Rickon gave me no reason to not believe him. He said what he said and let me walk out of the club without expecting a hug goodbye. Though, by that point I think both of us were beyond hugging. The way our mouths moved and bodies interacted should be a sin.
Knowing I can’t do anything about it until Rickon makes a move, I head upstairs. Some fucked up part of me still thrumming with electric heat and want for more of what we started in the bar.
I do a double take on the stairs, considering the thought. Maybefucked upisn’t the right way to think about it. From start, to finish, Rickon was the perfect gentleman. He didn’t push for anything, took his time and gave me control of the situation.
Hell, I’m the one who started stroking his cock, long before his hands found their way down my body. And if his promise of dad’s debt being cleared is true, without any stipulations or expectations from me, then there’s nothing to get hung up about.
We were two consenting adults, enjoying the evenings grandeur and spectacle. Even if he did follow me there. There’s no other way he’d have known where I was.
I hate to admit how thrilling it is. To have caught his attention so strongly, that he dropped everything to get a chance with me.
Oh goodness, tired as I am, I doubt I’ll be sleeping anytime soon. There was a hell of a lot of built-up tension that never got released, and I guess that’s what the rest of my night has in store.
I enter the apartment quietly, tiptoeing down the hall to not wake my parents. My sneaking comes to an abrupt halt when I notice the TV’s pale blue light shining in an otherwise dark living room.
Dad’s sitting in his single faux-leather recliner, finishing off a can of beer with his football game. Even shrouded in shadows, I can see his face. A couple of bumps and bruising over his nose and eye, but he’s mostly unharmed.
“Hey, Pop,” I wave from the doorway. “How are you feeling?”
“Tay,” he smiles, “Better than ever.”
Grunting and groaning, Dad gets out of his chair to say hello. We hug, and he sits back down with the same dad-noises that brought him to his feet.
“I’m happy to hear it. How’s mom?”
Dad sighs, shrugs and shakes his head. “She’s fine. Needs time, but fine.”
I want to tell him what happened at the club, clear his mind of the threats and worries that have him up so late. But I can’t find the words.
I’m on my own rollercoaster ride of emotions from how things ended with Rickon. His debt’s settled, but I can’t face the look in his eyes when I tell him why.
“Anyway,” Dad says before I can speak, “I should be off to bed. Can’t keep burning the midnight oil.”
