Chapter 17
Seventeen
Riley
My stomach is tight, my heart feeling trapped in my throat as I follow Leo to the line for the beer keg. I brought two bottles of Grey Goose and wasn’t in the mood to drink them when we left them in the kitchen. I pull down my hat, messing with the yellow sunflower glasses.
“You okay?” Leo’s eyes dip.
“Yeah. I’ll feel better after having a drink.”
“We all will,” Glen says. I laughed as soon as I saw him in the passenger side with a Scream mask on. I don’t want to know how Leo talked him into it, but I have a good guess. Glen has one arm wrapped around his waist while his other fingers linger at the hem of his skirt.
I look around, not wanting to see where his hand will go next. The line moves and my friends let me go ahead of them. Not arguing, I lift the tap and fill my cup. Once Leo is stepping into my place, I take my first sip while trying not ruin my black lipstick.
“You look fantastic,” Gabe says from beside us. “You all do.”
“Thanks.” I lift my cup to him. “This costume called right to me.”
“It was the right choice.” He shifts his feet, looking between us all.
“And you are . . . let me guess.” I snap my fingers. “That one dude from Wicked.”
“Ding ding ding.”
“And what about your husband?” Leo asks, peering around me.
“He didn’t want to dress up and is actually at his best friend’s house tonight passing out candy.”
“That’s too bad,” I chime in. “I wanted to thank him for the yummy baked goods.”
“You’ll have other chances, I’m sure.” He looks behind him. “Oh, that’s my neighbor from across the street. I better go say hi. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
“Later,” I say, turning back to my friends. “You two want to hang out here or go inside.”
Leo’s eyes roam the yard. “If we stay out here, I want to get close to the fire. It’s freezing.”
Glen snaps his gaze to my best friend, shaking his head. Leo folds his hand over his mouth. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Ry-Ry. I bet the last thing you want to do right now is stand near open flames.”
“It’s fine. It is cold, and I wouldn’t call it open flames.”
Leo’s body relaxes. “Oh good. I was worried I’d said the wrong thing. I do that a lot.”
“You do,” Glen adds. “But you mean well, baby.”
“You do.” I squeeze Leo’s shoulder, smiling softly at him.
“Yeah, but still. I need to think before I say shit.”
“You’ll get there. None of us are perfect. I’m sure I do wrong shit all the time.” I sip from my cup again.
“Not really.” Leo’s eyes blink hard.
“Trust me. I’m far from perfect.”
“Sure, sure.” Glen winks and chuckles.
They really have no idea how imperfect I can be. It’s my fault three people are dead. Two mostly innocent and one who is really hard to mourn. Who knows how many more deaths I’ll be responsible for in the future.
“Who wants to go with me on a wine run?” Gabe shakes two empty bottles.
“I can,” Leo volunteers himself.
“And I’ll drive because this one is lightweight,” Glen offers as well.
“Great.” Gabe stares at me. “Sorry for taking them away.”
“Ah.” I slice my hand in the air. “It’s fine. I was thinking about finding a way to take a break from them.”
“Hardy har fucking har,” Leo says, walking between us, and Glen spits his drink.
“I’m kidding, geez. I know you two won’t be gone that long anyway.”
“No, the store’s just down the road,” Gabe sputters.
My friends wave me goodbye and I wander close to the fire, going still when I catch a man in a Jason mask watching me.
I cut through the crowd and enter the house again.
Looking back, I don’t see the Jason guy standing in the spot he was just in.
A shiver runs through me when I walk forward and he’s leaning against a wall only three feet away. Is he following me?
I look around me, and when my gaze falls back on him, he points a finger in my direction.
“Me?” I ask, pressing a hand to my chest.
He nods, slowly and unmistakably. Swallowing the anticipation building in my throat, I go back outside and suddenly the fresh air is too thick.
I suck in deeper breaths, releasing each one slower than the last. I sit in the first chair I see, and he isn’t anywhere I look at first. I drop my head to my phone and see a message waiting for me, and my heart does this stupid pitter-patter thing when I see the last message I got from Gareth.
Sexy Husband: If you need me there with you tonight, I’ll figure out a way.
I look up again and he’s in front of the fire, cocking his head and watching me. Reclining in the chair, I keep my gaze on his, and he crooks his fingers. He’s calling to me. Signaling me to come to him. I shake my head and cross my ankles, relaxing more where I am.
He points to the ground in front of him, stepping closer to me, and I turn my face away.
I check my phone again, hoping for more messages but none ever come.
Someone clears their throat from right next to me, and when I lift my face, nd adrenaline rush shoots right through me.
He’s only inches away now, waving at me with a gloved hand and cocking his head again.
I wait for him to say something. Anything. He doesn’t and only shuffles closer. His hand is hovering over my shoulder, and he squeezes the cup in his hand. It’s Gareth. My Gareth. I didn’t say bye to him because I wanted him to need it so badly he’d come to find me without me telling him to.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I say loud enough for him to hear over the music.
No response. Only the same hard stare and another shuffle of his body. He’s looming over me now.
“Gareth?”
He moves his head from side to side, stroking his chin.
He’s not ready for me to be certain it’s him yet, and I’m not sure I am either.
I slide my chair over, sidestepping with my feet, and he follows.
Jumping from my chair, I speed walk back inside and move through a group of dancing friends, looking to see if mine have returned yet.
They aren’t anywhere I look, and as I’m on my way to look for Leo’s car outside, the man in the Jason mask appears again. He’s blocking my way.
I back up, breaths sharp with each one I take, and I weave through more people, darting to the bathroom.
There’s luckily no line, and only one person needs to use it aside from me.
They sidestep around me as I switch places with them.
I lock the door behind me, my face heating, and I’m breaking a sweat all over.
Turning on the sink and avoiding my reflection, I splash water on my face.
My skin tightens on my bones when the shower-curtain rings scrape over the metal rod. My head slowly moves, eyes following where the heavy breathing is coming from.
More of his white mask is revealed as he pulls the curtain over further. He’s staring without talking again, breaths hitching, and his eyes rake over my body. They’re heavy with heat and they . . . they belong to the only man I ever want looking at me that way.
“Gareth,” I say again.
He shakes his head, stepping onto the floor and closing in on me. He pins me to the sink, looking down at me with his hand sliding down the center of my body.
“What are you doing?”
He spins my body around, slamming my front hard against the porcelain.
My eyes lock onto my reflection. My makeup is messy in some places, glasses slanted over my eyes.
He pulls open the back of my one piece, sliding his fingers down it to reveal more than my back.
Cool air hits my ass cheeks, and he tugs on the band on my jock strap.
“No. I don’t—wait.” He pulls a handkerchief from out of nowhere and wraps it over my mouth. I swing back at him and he holds my wrists down on the sink, rubbing his hard cock over my crack.
“Let me go.” He shakes his head and is he smiling under the mask? Arousal spills inside me and flames lick at my skin when he grips the back of my arms and lowers himself behind me. His hot breath trails over my crack and he spreads my cheeks, breaching my hole with the tip of his tongue.
I don’t realize I’m rocking back and forth until his nails are digging into my skin to keep me from moving too much.
He laps at my seam and sucks on my pucker, making slurping sounds.
His mouth and tongue make squelching, wet sounds.
They’re so hot, and I forget about the potential danger I could be in, smiling at myself as I press back on his darting tongue.
Adding a finger, he opens me wider to make room for his tongue to go deeper.
It’s flattening in me, wiggling. He alternates between licking, feasting, fucking, and nibbling on the outer skin.
My body loses grip on the earth and I briefly forget where I am, not caring as long as he’s coming with me.
I moan, and he makes sounds too that vibrate over my sensitive areas. I shake and writhe. “Gareth,” I gasp out. “I wanted you to be here with me tonight and I hope you know I did.”
“You can always count on me, pumpkin bear.” He dives back in between my cheeks, and I’m held hostage by every sensation bursting inside me.
I reach for my cock, and with two tugs I’m coming while my head crashes into the mirror.
That’s going to leave a big-ass bruise tomorrow, but I don’t care.
All I see right now is me and him as he’s yanking off his mask and lifting my head up to get to my neck.
There’s a bang at the door. “Ry-Ry, you in there?”
“Yeah,” I say, sounding only half human. “I got a little sick from too much beer. I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Want me to come in?” Leo’s voice tightens.
I look at the wet spots on the front of my outfit and shake my head. “No. I’m fine. Is my jacket in your car?”
“Yeah. Want me to get it? I have some Tums in there too.”
“No. I could use the fresh air.”
“Okay. I’m going to go dance with Glen. Or force him to dance . . . but only if you’re really okay.”
“Yeah.” I try to sound more convincing. “I’m sure. Go have fun.”
“Okay. Come find me when you’re back inside.”
“I will. Go. Dance until you drop.”