CHAPTER NINETEEN
CODIE
Thinking about Stray’s next move was making me a nervous wreck. I hadn’t seen him since yesterday when I ran from him in the parking lot. That wouldn’t last long. Soon he would make an appearance.
I’d expected to see him on campus today. Either he hadn’t shown up or I’d done a good job at evading him. Storm told me that Rebel and Casper were able to split up the fight with Noah before it got out of hand. That made me feel a little better. I didn’t want to be the reason anyone got hurt.
When I arrived back at my apartment after classes ended for the day, I was both relieved and disappointed when Stray was nowhere to be seen.
So many times I’d found him hanging around in front of my building where he could see my apartment windows.
Now when he wasn’t there, I felt a sense of disappointment. That led to guilt.
I shouldn’t want to see him out there. Having him stalk my every move was screwed up. So why did I feel better when he was around?
After grabbing a quick shower, I searched the kitchen for a snack. Once Athena got home, we could figure out supper. Usually on weekdays we took turns cooking. I had no ideas for tonight. We needed to do another grocery run soon.
The girls had been talking about partying this weekend. I didn’t know if I was up for that. Maybe laying low at home for a while would be best.
I stood near the kitchen window, staring outside while munching on a chocolate chip cookie.
The text alert on my phone went off, startling me from my thoughts.
Grabbing the phone off the table, I found a message from Athena.
She would be out late tonight with Storm.
Most likely helping finalize the details of the wedding.
That left me to figure out supper for myself. After staring into the fridge and then the pantry, I decided to order delivery. This was a good excuse to order from my favorite salad and wrap place. Most of the options were relatively healthy, so I didn’t need to feel bad about eating junk food.
I lounged on the couch watching a true crime documentary on the crime channel while waiting for the food to arrive. Maybe a night home alone was exactly what I needed. No chitchat. No homework. Just me by myself relaxing.
My food arrived, and I dug into a delicious rice bowl filled with various veggies, drizzled in a delicious Greek vinaigrette dressing. So good. While eating I thought about the upcoming wedding. It was still a month away. Although I knew the time would pass quickly.
I wondered how awkward it would be with Stray there as well. Would he even speak to me? Would he ask me to dance? Did a guy like Stray even know how to dance?
My mind ran away with me as I played out several unlikely scenarios. I would definitely need to have a few drinks that night. Hopefully by then we’d have gone our separate ways. As long as I stayed away from him between now and then, he’d most likely move on. He’d find someone else.
I hated how that thought made me a little crazy. Like I didn’t want him to find anyone else, even though I didn’t want him for myself. That wasn’t fair to either of us.
The TV managed to hold my attention until I started yawning. It was past ten when I turned off the living room lights and the TV and headed to bed. Athena would probably be home soon. I doubted she would be out too late. We had classes tomorrow.
After tying my hair into a loose braid, I changed into a tank top, shedding my pants so I wore only underwear. I preferred not to wear a lot of clothing in bed. I hated the way it got wrapped around me when I tossed and turned.
Even though I knew I shouldn’t, I spent some time scrolling social media before turning off my light.
I may have checked out Stray’s socials. He didn’t post all that often.
Maybe once a week. His last Instagram post was from a few days ago.
A picture of himself fresh out of the shower. A thirst trap.
I rolled my eyes, even though I still paused to ogle his body.
The shot was from the waist up, putting his nicely defined physique on display.
He wasn’t heavily tattooed like Rebel or Casper.
He had only one tattoo that I could see.
A Chinese dragon on his side, covering his ribs from just below his armpit to his hip.
I stared at that tattoo for far too long before tearing my gaze away. I did not like the image or react to it at all. He would love that too much.
Giving my phone a dirty look, I placed it on the night table and turned off my lamp. Sleep didn’t come easily. My mind continued to race, ignoring my efforts to shut it down. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about him? Why did this have to be such a battle with myself?
It felt like hours before my mind calmed enough for sleep to take over. I was just slipping into slumber when I heard the apartment door open. Athena must be home.
A moment later my bedroom door opened. A figure stood in the threshold, illuminated by the street light coming through the window. Much taller and broader than Athena. And he was wearing a fucking mask. A demon’s grotesque face with horns and an eerie smile.
Absolute terror hit me hard, jerking me upright in bed. Before I could speak or move, the stranger was on me. Shoving me back down against the mattress, covering my mouth with a hand as I screamed. The sound was muffled, going nowhere.
That’s when I caught that familiar scent. Sandalwood and musk. Stray.
Some of my panic subsided when I realized who was on top of me. Not completely though. There was no calming down when being accosted in my own bed in the dark.
“Surprise, strawberry. Hold still like a good girl and I won’t have to hurt you much.” Stray’s voice was low and mysterious while also managing to sound a little psychotic.
The street lights beyond the window allowed me to see his silhouette as he pulled something from the pocket of the hoodie he wore. I quickly realized what that was when he began tying my wrists above my head.
“Have you completely lost your mind?” I hissed. “What the fuck are you doing in my apartment in the middle of the night? I didn’t agree to this.”
Stray secured the rope around my wrists so it was tight, binding me to the bedframe.
There was no escaping. Next he pulled a strip of duct tape from a roll.
“Actually, you did. You told me your dirty little fantasies, knowing I would make them come true. You wanted this.” Pressing the strip of tape over my mouth, Stray leaned in close so his mask touched my nose. “Do you trust me, Codie?”
I wasn’t sure what answer I was supposed to give. Did he want the truth? Needing to be brazen in the face of uncertainty, I shook my head. No, I didn’t trust him. How could I? For all I knew, he was here to cut out one of my kidneys.
“Good.” He chuckled, a sound that slid down my spine, leaving goosebumps in its wake. “This will be a lot more enjoyable that way.”
When he held up a knife that glinted in the window light, I knew my suspicions were correct. He really was going to cut out one of my organs. I should’ve known it would end this way.
He started by sliding the cold blade up under my tank top, running the flat side in between my breasts. Then he sliced my top down the middle in one swift motion. He continued to cut at my clothing until I wore nothing at all.
“It’s much too dark in here. I need a good look at you.” Stray leaned over to turn on the bedside lamp.
The sudden swell of light gave me the perfect view of him straddling me with a knife in one hand. Even though I knew it was him, the mask gave him a creepy vibe that frightened me more than it would have if he hadn’t been wearing it.
He stared down at me so long I began to grow uncomfortable. This was the first time he had seen me completely naked despite having been inside me already. Being on display for him created a vulnerability that heightened my fear. Exactly what he wanted.
“Fuck, you are beautiful. I knew you would be. You’re a real work of art. Not a single blemish or tattoo marking this perfect skin.” Holding up the knife, Stray held it like a horror movie killer. “Should we change that?”
Certain that he’d come to kill me and harvest my organs, panicked tears filled my eyes. I never should’ve spoken a word to him about my fantasies. They should’ve remained just that. Fantasies. Safe thoughts that couldn’t really hurt me.
A tear escaped my eye, sliding down the side of my face toward my pillow. Stray leaned down, lifting the bottom of the mask just enough so he could lick that tear from my face. Putting the mask back in place, he sat up and ran the tip of the knife around my nipple.
“Why are you crying, baby girl? Do you think I’m going to hurt you? You’re the one who’s been throwing all the knives so far.” A disturbing snicker followed his claim.
I whimpered, the only sound I was able to make with the tape over my mouth. Bracing myself, I waited for him to cut me. Instead, he ran the knife around my other nipple until it hardened before sliding it down to my bare pussy.
“You really don’t trust me, do you?” Stray sounded disappointed. “I guess that’s fair. You haven’t given me a chance to prove myself. You seem to have this idea of me already formed in your head. But you don’t really know me, Codie.”
Something about the way he spoke sounded so sinister. Like a dark promise. He lightly tapped my pussy with the flat side of the knife. Just enough to get my heart pounding. Tossing the knife aside, Stray tipped the mask up so he could suck my nipple into his mouth.
I still couldn’t see his face. The mask hid most of it from view.
The sudden warmth of his mouth on my skin chased some of the chill away.
He palmed my other breast, rolling my nipple between his finger and thumb.
There was an aggressiveness in his touch that thrilled me. My pussy throbbed with anticipation.