Page 169 of Ominous: Part 1
His finger trails over one of the rips in my leggings, and pinpricks of pleasure and nerves swirl beneath my skin. Slowly, he curls every finger of his hand around my thigh, sliding it up, and up, and up, until his smallest finger is between my legs, and I feel the cold ring of his middle finger on another tear in my pants.
“Show me.” He runs his mouth over the top of my ear, and I feel my nipples tighten, an ache between my thighs, his finger teasing me, barely touching me. “Show me how you hurt me when I can’t see.”
“He doesn’t have my number.” I grit the words out, my eyes still closed. “You fucking psycho,he doesn’t have my fucking number.”
Another round of silence. It’s a weapon, the way he wields it. But then he says, “I’m sorry. For what I did. I know you’re trying to punish me. But if you ever grind against Dominic like you did tonight in the library again,” my heart skips a beat and I’m craving my pills, in the front pouch of my backpack on the floorboard behind me. “I’m going to kill him, and you’ll help me bury his body, okay, Eden?”
My eyes snap open and I watch lightning heat the dark clouds overhead.
I twist around in my seat, grabbing his wrist, digging my nails into his skin as I face him, my eyes locking on his as he straightens.
“Next time you see him corner me in the dark,” I say, my words low, hopefully as cold as his were, “don’t just watch.Do something about it.”
I release him, shoving his hand off me as I try to catch my breath.
He smiles, and I’m not afraid, but my anger rises to the surface faster with the expression. “Take your own advice when it comes to any other girl talking to me, or touching me, or dryfuckingme,okay, baby girl?”He undoes his seatbelt, reaching for the door.
I have the urge to tell him to stop. To stay. To let me drive him home, at the least. But I keep all those words inside my mouth.
“I want you to want me all to yourself.” He opens the door, the sound of spattering rain a roar in my ears. “It’s exactly how I wantyou.”He still doesn’t get out, and cold rain flecks across my chest, bouncing inside from the open door. “I’m taking you out tomorrow night, so if you made plans with Dom, cancel them. Go straight home, and text me when you get there.” Without another word, he slips into the night like he belongs, closing my door gently as he does.
It’s only then I hang my head.
Only then I close my eyes, gasping in the quiet interior of my car as I try to fuckingbreathe.
Me:Home. In bed.
I text him when I’m buried in my covers at home, face washed, and teeth brushed. I hold my phone over my head, watching him type, giddiness leaping in my heart. Our relationship is strange, and the warning signs are screaming at me, but I like the way they sound. And when I’m around him, when I’m talking to him, no matter what he did, or what he’s going to do,I can’t get enough.
Some fucked-up part of me is glad he stalked me at the library. Grateful he followed Dominic. Pleased he slipped inside my car at Janelle’s. High off the nerves that had me shaking the entire drive home.
Some logical part of me knows it’s wrong.On so many levels.
But I glance at my black bracelets, and though I can’t see it in the night, I have the shape of the scars there memorized.
Him: Good girl.
My stomach clenches. He sends another text before I can reply.
Him: You’re going out with me tomorrow, okay?
Me: Beg me.I’m smiling as I send off the message. I’m ignoring every bad thing we could be. With distance between us, fear gone,I just don’t care.
He doesn’t take long to respond.Him: My Beautiful, Beautiful Nightmare Girl, please, fucking please, grace me with your presence tomorrow night. Let me take you on our first ever REAL date. I’ll open your door and hold your hand and pay for the movie and you’ll lie to your mom like a bad little girl and sleep in my bed, right beside me all night.
Something worse than butterflies knot in my stomach and I bite my lip to keep from laughing.
Me: Are you going to touch me in your bed?My heart hammers hard as I send off the text.
Him: I can never keep my hands off of you.
I feel my face heat, and I’m scared to think too much about what could happen tomorrow night.
Me: You can’t keep them off other girls either, apparently.I know I sent it as deflection, but… I’m still hurt. I’m not holding a grudge, I just don’t like how I can’t release the pain.
Him: I fucked up, Eden. I’m sorry. I know it hurt. I wish I could take it back.
I don’t think I believe him, not really. But it’s the best I’m going to get from him. So I just give him a little truth.Me: You make me a jealous person.I clutch my phone to my chest a second, unsure if I should have sent that or not.
