Stevie
thirty-eight
SPENDING THE HOLIDAYS with my mom was so much fun.
On Christmas, we exchanged gifts, watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation three times (yes, three), baked cookies, and prepared the Christmas turkey together.
I gave her an amethyst lariat necklace I made with rose quartz accents, and she gave me a wool scarf and this perfume I’ve been wanting forever.
On New Year’s Eve, we stayed home, drinking champagne (I only had one glass) and watching the ball drop. It was nice and low-key, and exactly what I needed after so much happened this semester.
I didn’t tell my mom all the gritty details, of course, because she would faint from shock.
However, I did tell her more about Hunter, how kind he’s been to me, how much I like him, and how safe I feel with him.
She liked that very much. I showed her a picture of him and she definitely approved.
“He better treat you right,” she kept saying over and over like a broken record.
Naturally, that’s important to her, because my father treated her abominably.
We didn’t talk about my dad at all. We rarely do, but sometimes he calls on certain events like my birthday or the holidays. He didn’t call this year.
It still hurts to be so thoroughly abandoned by him. I know that “the phone works both ways,” but he’s the parent, not me. I think it’s up to him to do more of the work. Why would I call him when he clearly doesn’t want me in his life? And if he does, he does a very poor job of showing it.
So, yeah, I did spare him some thought over the week, but it wasn’t much, and it didn’t ruin my holiday spirit at all.
I even spent a few days with Elle, my high school best friend.
I told her that I met a great guy who makes me so happy, and unlike with my mom, I gave her all the dramatic details.
She said I was crazy for signing a sex contract, then asked if any other hot hockey players were offering one. We both laughed like hyenas at that.
But I’m happy to be back in Concord now.
Mom wasn’t too thrilled that I wanted to head back on New Year’s Day, but she relented eventually.
I drove back after dinner, even though I wanted to bolt as soon as I woke up.
There are still a few days of break left, and I’m excited to spend them with Hunter.
Becca is still in California visiting her family, so the apartment is empty. I’m heading over now to grab some more clothes and toiletries I’ll need while I stay at Hunter’s. He calls me on the phone as I’m heading up the stairs to my place.
“Hey, princess.”
“Hello, my prince.”
“When will you be here?”
“Hunter, I literally haven’t even stepped into the apartment yet. How are you so impatient?”
He laughs. “How can I not be? I need you here, completely naked, as soon as possible.”
“You’ll have to wait at least 30 minutes.”
“That’s an eternity.”
“Oh my god, you’re such a baby sometimes.” I stick my key into the lock and push the door open, hanging my handbag from the hook on the wall. As much as I love Hunter’s huge penthouse, I missed my humble little abode. It’s perfectly neat and clean, just like Becca and I left it.
“Try to make it back in 20 minutes at least. I’m horny as fuck.”
I roll my eyes, but his words make my stomach clench. “Maybe I’ll make you wait even longer, just so you can learn some patience.”
“Did you grab your stuff yet?”
Christ, he is incorrigible. “I’m walking into my bedroom now, goofball.”
“I don’t understand why you need to grab more clothes when I’m just going to take them off you. You might as well walk around my place fully nude.”
I shake my head and push my bedroom door open, flipping the light on. “I swear to god—”
When I see who’s sitting on my bed, I scream and drop my phone.
“What’s wrong?” Hunter’s voice is barely audible. “Stevie!”
I crouch down to pick up my phone, but Joe reaches me in two steps and grabs me, throwing me against the wall. For a few seconds, I can’t catch my breath. His hands grip my throat the second I start breathing again, and he squeezes, hard.
I clutch at his fingers, desperate to peel them off me, but it’s useless.
The strength slowly drains out of me, and my panic prevents me from thinking clearly. All I can see is his face twisted into a hideous rictus, with his hatred for me blazing from his eyes. The only sound is his harsh breathing.
But then another sound breaks through. It’s Hunter’s voice, tinny and weak, but still audible from my phone. “Stevie! Hold on! I’m on my way!”
My heart leaps, knowing he’s coming for me, but my mind knows he won’t make it in time.
If I want to live, I have to do something.
And I do want to live. I want to see my mom again and give her a big hug.
I want to laugh with Becca again. I want to tip my face up to the sun and feel its warmth.
I want to kiss Hunter again, over and over and over.
I stop trying to peel Joe’s hands off my throat.
Instead, I press my thumbs into his eyes. He yelps and lets go of me.
I choke and cough, immediately ducking down before Joe can lunge at me again. I crawl away on my hands and knees, reaching for my phone. Before I can grab it, Joe pulls me back by my ponytail.
He kicks me in the ribs and I scream, wrapping my arms around my middle.
“You fucking bitch,” he snarls. “Where’s your pretty boy boyfriend now, huh? I’ll have you dead and buried before he even gets here.” He grabs my ponytail and starts dragging me out of the bedroom.
“Fuck you, asshole,” I scream. Even if he succeeds in killing me, I won’t go down without a fight.
He laughs. “You know what? That’s not a bad idea.” He undoes his belt, and I cringe as I hear his zipper being pulled down. Just the sound makes me want to vomit. He has one hand gripping my ponytail and the other on his disgusting dick.
“I’m gonna make you choke on it,” he says, twisting his fingers into my hair and pushing my face toward his crotch. I go willingly, opening my mouth and biting down on his dick as hard as I can.
Joe howls, and it’s loud enough to wake the dead.
Yeah, I bet it’s not fun getting your dick almost bit off.
I grab his balls next, twisting them without mercy.
He falls to the ground, writhing in pain. Hysterical laughter bubbles up and bursts out of me as I stand up and stare down at him, feeling more powerful than I have in my entire life.
Holy shit, I can’t believe I did that.
I grab my phone off the floor. Hunter is still on the line. He never hung up.
“Hello? Hunter?”
“Baby, I’m almost there. Are you alright?”
“Um, I, yes, I’m fine. I think.” I gently probe my throat with my fingers.
“Stay on the line until I get there. Did you kick him in the balls? I heard him scream.”
“Um, sort of.”
“Kick him again.”
I suppress another burst of hysterical laughter. Joe is still writhing on the floor, his hands covering his crotch. Blood seeps out from between his fingers. I don’t know what it says about me that the sight fills me with glee.
“I’m here,” Hunter says into the phone, the sound of tires screeching in the background.
Seconds later, the apartment shakes as he slams the front door open and rushes into my bedroom.
He grabs me and hugs me tight, and his scent and warmth are a balm to my soul.
I want to melt into the safety of his arms forever.
“Baby,” I whisper into his neck, and then the tears finally come.
“Shh,” he says, rubbing circles on my back. “It’s over.”
“He was strangling me,” I blubber, shaking with the sobs racking through my body. “I thought I was going to die.”
“It’s over, baby. You’ll never see this piece of shit ever again.
” His voice is so calm. It relaxes me. The adrenaline slowly seeps out of me, my heart rate slowing down too.
Hunter kisses my temple, the top of my head.
One hand strokes my back while the other cups the back of my neck. I feel very tired all of a sudden.
I sag against him.
He seems to know exactly what I need, because he picks me up and takes me to the living room, setting me down on the couch. He unfolds the blanket we keep at the foot of the couch and covers me with it.
I grab his hand as he turns to leave. “Wait, where are you going?”
He crouches down so we’re eye-to-eye. “I’m not leaving you. Just need to make a phone call or two.”
“To who?”
“Don’t worry about that right now, okay?”
The dark, determined look in his eyes prevents me from questioning him any further. “Okay.”
“Good girl.” He gently pushes some hair off my forehead, a faraway look on his face, and I wish I knew what he was thinking. After a moment, he straightens and walks toward my bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes, not wanting to think about anything. Hunter will take care of everything somehow. And that’s the last thought I remember having.