Page 18 of Cry For Mercy

He glanced at the dark house.

“You live alone?”

I unclipped my seatbelt. “Why? Wouldn’t that risk my safety to tell you that?” There I go again! He snorted, looking at me at last.

“If you live alone, I’m coming in. Just to check the place, before you lock yourself in there for the night.”

I reached for the door handle, and heard the locks click down.

“What the…?”

I looked back at him. “Look, I can’t let you just go into a dark house, late at night, alone, without needing to check it’s safe. Will you please just let me do that?”

I wanted to. So much.

“And what if this is just a ruse, to get inside my house, so you can do something awful to me.” Oh god, yes please.

He blinked, his jaw clenching again.

“What if I promise to do nothing awful?”

I looked over at the house. I used to share it with another girl. And then she got engaged and left. I was probably a month or two away from having to give up the lease, if I couldn’t find a room-mate to share the rent. It’s killing me.

“Do you promise not to take advantage of me, if I let you go in?”

He snorted, holding up a hand. “Hang on. I just promised I wouldn’t do anything awful. I never said anything about not taking advantage of you.”

I stared at him for a moment, my mouth dropping open, and then he grinned. And I knew in that moment that I’d take the risk. Because you only live once, and I really want him to do something to me. Anything.

I nodded, reaching for the door handle again, waiting for the locks to click back up.

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