washed over me. “Are you working tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Until eight again.”
He leaned forward to kiss me. It was one chaste kiss on my mouth.
“I’ve got practice all day tomorrow and a few other things to take care of. I’ll meet you when you get off. Sound okay?”
I nodded.
“See you at seven fifty-seven.”
I laughed, and he disappeared out my front door.
I locked it behind him, alone in my home with the myriad of emotions that he had caused exploding through my blood.
fifteen
A floorboard squeaked softly.
Footsteps.
Someone was in my condo.
I stilled in my bed.
The only person who had a key to my place was my dad, but he was in Seattle. Maybe. Somewhere in the upper Northwest, for sure.
I’d had copies of my keys made, but I’d never handed one out. Not to anyone. Not a single one.
I kept my breathing shallow, trying to be silent.
I heard the door to my bedroom open. I stilled in my bed. Fear pounded in my ears. I looked around me, desperate for a weapon. Anything. It was too goddamn dark. I couldn’t see an inch in front of my eyes.
Fucking drapes didn’t even let in the moonlight.
Terror crawled up my spine.
Someone was in my bedroom, and I didn’t know what to do.
I didn’t know if I should turn on the light, or if I should stay completely still.
I didn’t know if I should start screaming.
I didn’t know if someone was here to rob me, or to rape me, or to murder me.
All I knew was fear.
Adrenaline surged through me in a sudden moment of clarity. I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed the television remote as quietly as I could. If nothing else, I’d slam it against the intruder’s head.
I’d kick him in the balls.
I’d fucking kill him to protect myself.
A brief vision of Katie flashed before my eyes in the darkness of my room.
Katie, my best friend.
She hadn’t seen the danger until it was too late.
I wouldn’t be so unfortunate. I was awake now, and despite my fear, I was lucid enough to fight.
And I’d fight for my life even if it meant fighting to the death.
I reached over and turned on my light, temporarily blinded.
The intruder froze by the door, shocked by the brilliant light. He was wearing a dark sweatshirt and dark pants, and before anything else registered, I flung the remote with all of my might at him. It hit him in the stomach.
“Fuck!” he yelled, doubling over in pain as I looked at my nightstand for something, anything else to use as a weapon.
I always looked at the idiots in scary movies, wondering how they could be so fucking dumb. Anything in my room could be considered a weapon. I’d already used my remote. I was seconds away from leaping from the bed and crashing my forty-two inch flat screen over his head when he yelled out again.
“Stop!”
The voice was familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I was too groggy and the bright light was still temporarily blinding me.
“Damien?” I whispered.
It couldn’t be.
He was gone, and he wasn’t coming back.
I knew that, but a brief moment of nostalgia filtered into my veins.
I didn’t want it to be Damien.
I didn’t miss him anymore.
I didn’t want him in my life anymore.
I couldn’t miss him when he’d left me with indifference, and now that void was starting to be filled by a stranger.
“Jimi, stop! It’s Parker!” My eyes finally focused in the bright light after complete darkness.
The stranger.
“P—P—Parker?” I stuttered. “Jesus! You scared the fucking shit out of me!”
“I’m sorry.”
“What the fuck are you doing here? How did you get in?”
“You gave me your key earlier.”
“I did?” I glanced at the clock. It was after four in the morning.
He nodded. “You don’t remember?”
I shook my head. I thought I’d remembered the night in detail, but maybe I’d had more to drink than I had realized.
“I had some shit to take care of, but I told you I’d try to come back,” he said. “So you gave me a key.”
“I don’t even
I nodded. “Until eight again.”
He leaned forward to kiss me. It was one chaste kiss on my mouth.
“I’ve got practice all day tomorrow and a few other things to take care of. I’ll meet you when you get off. Sound okay?”
I nodded.
“See you at seven fifty-seven.”
I laughed, and he disappeared out my front door.
I locked it behind him, alone in my home with the myriad of emotions that he had caused exploding through my blood.
fifteen
A floorboard squeaked softly.
Footsteps.
Someone was in my condo.
I stilled in my bed.
The only person who had a key to my place was my dad, but he was in Seattle. Maybe. Somewhere in the upper Northwest, for sure.
I’d had copies of my keys made, but I’d never handed one out. Not to anyone. Not a single one.
I kept my breathing shallow, trying to be silent.
I heard the door to my bedroom open. I stilled in my bed. Fear pounded in my ears. I looked around me, desperate for a weapon. Anything. It was too goddamn dark. I couldn’t see an inch in front of my eyes.
Fucking drapes didn’t even let in the moonlight.
Terror crawled up my spine.
Someone was in my bedroom, and I didn’t know what to do.
I didn’t know if I should turn on the light, or if I should stay completely still.
I didn’t know if I should start screaming.
I didn’t know if someone was here to rob me, or to rape me, or to murder me.
All I knew was fear.
Adrenaline surged through me in a sudden moment of clarity. I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed the television remote as quietly as I could. If nothing else, I’d slam it against the intruder’s head.
I’d kick him in the balls.
I’d fucking kill him to protect myself.
A brief vision of Katie flashed before my eyes in the darkness of my room.
Katie, my best friend.
She hadn’t seen the danger until it was too late.
I wouldn’t be so unfortunate. I was awake now, and despite my fear, I was lucid enough to fight.
And I’d fight for my life even if it meant fighting to the death.
I reached over and turned on my light, temporarily blinded.
The intruder froze by the door, shocked by the brilliant light. He was wearing a dark sweatshirt and dark pants, and before anything else registered, I flung the remote with all of my might at him. It hit him in the stomach.
“Fuck!” he yelled, doubling over in pain as I looked at my nightstand for something, anything else to use as a weapon.
I always looked at the idiots in scary movies, wondering how they could be so fucking dumb. Anything in my room could be considered a weapon. I’d already used my remote. I was seconds away from leaping from the bed and crashing my forty-two inch flat screen over his head when he yelled out again.
“Stop!”
The voice was familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I was too groggy and the bright light was still temporarily blinding me.
“Damien?” I whispered.
It couldn’t be.
He was gone, and he wasn’t coming back.
I knew that, but a brief moment of nostalgia filtered into my veins.
I didn’t want it to be Damien.
I didn’t miss him anymore.
I didn’t want him in my life anymore.
I couldn’t miss him when he’d left me with indifference, and now that void was starting to be filled by a stranger.
“Jimi, stop! It’s Parker!” My eyes finally focused in the bright light after complete darkness.
The stranger.
“P—P—Parker?” I stuttered. “Jesus! You scared the fucking shit out of me!”
“I’m sorry.”
“What the fuck are you doing here? How did you get in?”
“You gave me your key earlier.”
“I did?” I glanced at the clock. It was after four in the morning.
He nodded. “You don’t remember?”
I shook my head. I thought I’d remembered the night in detail, but maybe I’d had more to drink than I had realized.
“I had some shit to take care of, but I told you I’d try to come back,” he said. “So you gave me a key.”
“I don’t even
Similar Books
