Chapter 19 Wren
Wren
I feel like a lamb being led to slaughter. Only I’m dumber than the lamb because at least the animal doesn’t know it’s being led to its death. I know Briggs intends to fuck me, and yet my legs are moving all the same.
Everything hurts today, and I just don’t have the energy to fight him. My arms are in pain from pulling this heavy-ass suitcase around, my shoulder aches from where the strap of the tote is digging into my skin, and don’t even get my started on my fucking uterus.
I have no idea how I’m supposed to survive sex with Briggs today.
We get to my room, and Briggs uses his own personal key to open the door. He pushes inside, and I follow him like a little puppy, dragging my suitcase behind me. Briggs throws my pillow on the twin-size bed before flopping down onto it to get comfortable.
I close the door behind me, shoving my luggage against the wall. “What now?”
“Do you have lotion in that magic suitcase of yours?”
“Yeah,” I answer before I can think anything of it.
“Fetch it for me, bird.”
I suppress an eye roll before getting on my knees next to the suitcase. I unzip it and find my toiletries, where I have my body lotion.
When I stand back up, Briggs is taking his shirt off. He discards the fabric onto the floor and turns around to lie on his stomach. I stare at him dumbfounded, wondering what the hell he’s expecting me to do now.
“I want you to give me a massage while we wait for my food to get here.” When I don’t move right away, he continues in a firm voice, “Now, bird!”
I guess he’s being serious.
Sliding my flip-flops off, I sit on the bed beside him.
“Just sit on top of me,” he orders, and I climb onto the bed to sit on his firm ass.
Opening the cap of the lotion, I pour a generous amount onto my palm before setting the bottle down next to me. I rub my hands together and lay them down on Briggs’s upper back. Slowly, I begin to massage the lotion into his muscular back and shoulders, digging my thumbs into his stiff flesh.
He groans in appreciation and all I can think about is how I’m the one who should be getting the massage right now. Just at the thought, my stomach cramps up, and I can’t help whimper a bit.
“Don’t worry, it will stop hurting soon…”
It takes me a moment to wrap my mind around what Briggs just said.
I continue massaging him while I ask, “What do you mean by that?”
“Your cramps, they will be gone soon.”
I freeze, my whole body going rigid. “Why would my cramps be gone?”
Briggs chuckles, and my blood runs cold. “What did you give me? What was in that brownie?” I demand to know.
“Calm down, little bird. There was just some weed in there, to relax you a bit. Now stop being such a killjoy and continue to massage me. Unless you want to put your hands to other use?”
If I have to choose between sex and this, I’d rather give the damn massage. I place my hands on his skin once more, sliding them up and down his spine and along the sides.
I try to stay calm and not think about what I just learned. I’ve never done weed, and I wasn’t planning on it either, but I also know it’s just a plant. I know you can’t overdose on it, so that’s a relief. Hopefully, this won’t be so bad.
Oh, who am I kidding? It’s Briggs. He will make any experience of mine bad. He probably has something terrible planned. Something deviant and dark.
And what am I doing to get away? Nothing.
Because I’m a fucking coward. I can tell myself all I want, that I’m doing this for my future.
I have to stay at Wicked Falls and finish my degree or I will have nothing.
But the truth is, I’m just scared I won’t make it on my own.
Or even worse, that I’ll end up like my mom, always depending on men to fix her life.
“Are you going to sleep?” Briggs’s voice drags me from my thoughts, and I realize my hands have slowed down and now barely move.
“Sorry,” I mumble, noticing how my body is feeling slightly heavier, a warmth I never felt before gathers in my chest. It’s a warm, fuzzy feeling I enjoy very much. Especially when I realize the cramping in my stomach is easing up.
Taking a calming breath, I let the good feeling engulf me. Instead of being afraid of it, I let it in with open arms.
I keep massaging Briggs, now being more aware of how soft and warm his skin feels under my palms. His muscles flex slightly when I move over them, but relax once I knead the tension out.
The longer I sit, the heavier my body feels. I notice how I’m slumped over slightly. I try to straighten up, but everything is so heavy. My limbs feel like they weigh a thousand pounds.
I look down to find my hands digging into Briggs’s back now because I’m leaning on them for support. “I think I need to lie down,” I say a second before I collapse onto Briggs.
Something shakes me, and it takes me a minute to realize that Briggs is laughing. “Oh, bird, I guess that was a big brownie for someone who hasn’t built up a tolerance like me.”
I want to tell him to shut up, and that he is an asshole, but my mouth is suddenly so dry. My cheek is pressed against Briggs’s bare back. His skin is silky soft and smells like lotion. I want to cuddle him, which I guess I’m already doing.
He must notice too, because next thing I know, he turns his body, so I tumble off him and onto the mattress.
“Food is here,” he announces, as he sits up, and my stomach growls at the mention. I sit up myself. Using the wall for support, I lean my back against the cool brick.
I watch Briggs get up and move toward the door just as a knocking sound fills the space. How did he know the food was here? It must have told him on his app, I decide, glancing at his phone on the mattress.
“Thanks.” Briggs’s deep voice comes from the door before he closes it again. He returns to the bed holding a large pizza box, two smaller boxes, and a two-liter Sprite bottle.
I cross my heavy legs and pull them toward me so he has room to put the boxes down. As soon as he does, the savory smell of pepperoni and cheese hits me. My stomach growls again. I wonder what the chances are he will actually share this with me. He ordered enough, that’s for sure.
“Mhhh, doesn’t that smell great, little bird?”
I glare at him in response. I almost expect my mouth to water but instead it remains dry as a bone. I don’t even care because Briggs was right. My cramps are gone now, thanks to the weed in my system. I didn’t even know it was good for pain like that.
Briggs opens the pizza box, and another wave of savory smell hits my nose. “Would you like a piece, bird?” he asks, while grabbing a piece for himself and taking a big bite. “Mhhh, it sure is tasty.”
“What do you want in return?” I question, knowing damn well nothing comes for free with him.
Briggs grins, and I know he already has something in mind. “Take off any clothing item on you. One item, one piece.”
I think about it for a second. He said any item.
I pull my arms out of my shirt like I’m about to pull it off, but instead I just reach back and unhook my bra to take it off.
Then I pull it down my arm and place it on the bedside table.
Then I pull my arms through my shirt again before looking at him, expecting my reward.
“Fair enough.” Briggs chuckles and hands me a piece of the pizza.
I take the warm piece from him and take a huge bite.
I chew slowly, and it’s like I’ve never had pepperoni pizza before.
At least nothing that tasted this good. It’s like a flavor explosion in my mouth.
I feel as if my taste buds are amplified.
I can taste everything all at once, and it’s absolutely delicious.
I savor every last bite. Even the crust tastes fantastic.
When I’m done, I lick my fingers.
“Another piece?” Briggs asks, while he starts his second slice.
“No, thanks.”
“Are you sure? You are still wearing a lot of items.” He glances down at my shorts and shirt. “I wouldn’t mind seeing you try to wiggle out of your underwear while wearing shorts.”
“I can guarantee you my underwear will remain on me today.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” His voice turns sinister, his eyes darkening.
I wait for the usual fear and dread to kick in when he looks at me like that, but somehow it never comes. Maybe that’s another side effect of the weed, one I’m not sure I like. There is nothing wrong with a healthy dose of fear, yet it evades me completely.
I choose to ignore his comment, and the lack of being frightened.
Briggs finishes his third slice while I watch him eat. He suddenly closes the box and grabs the soda bottle. He unscrews the top with a hissing sound before drinking a good amount of it. Then he hands me the bottle.
I don’t think. I just grab it before he changes his mind. I take a big sip myself, letting the crisp liquid wet my parched mouth. The Sprite also tastes better than normal, sweeter somehow. I screw the top back on and hand him the bottle.
“You owe me an item,” he declares.
“You didn’t say that!” I try to defend, but I already know it’s no use.
“It was implied.” His voice is menacing now, leaving no room for discussion. “Now lose something or I pick.”
“Fine,” I mumble before I carefully wiggle out of my shorts.
Now I’m sitting in nothing but my shirt and Cotton panties, while Briggs is shirtless. I don’t like where this is heading. I don’t like the feeling of him holding something over me, but right now, that feeling is numbed by the effects of that edible.
I know I should feel threatened and exposed and maybe I am, but it’s only background noise.
I mostly just feel happy though, gleeful and maybe even a little horny.
That feeling surprises me the most. The lack of my clothing makes my heart race in excitement, my body remembering the night at the party when he was inside of me, when I came while he was…