Chapter Nine
Damon
FUCK. I blew it.
After eight years away, of constantly wondering what it would have been like if we had been together, I finally had my chance with Violet and I fucked it up.
She’s always been the one for me; I’ve known that since the day I met her.
I’ve been with other women, but none who I ever connected with like I did with Violet.
I shouldn’t have kept the mask on. I should have told her it was me right away. She looked terrified when she realized.
And what the fuck did she mean she’s not supposed to see me? Says who?
I slip back into the operating room—locking the entrance so no one else enters the house before it’s open. I need to take care of the raging hard-on Violet left me with. Not that it would have been her responsibility even if she stayed, but it’s certainly caused by her. By what we just did.
I pull up the video feed of the asylum room, rewinding to when the lights turn off.
The night vision on the camera makes the image glow green, but Violet still looks beautiful.
Hands braced on the counter, head thrown back and blonde waves cascading behind her.
I take a screenshot of the moment before I pull out my cock, wrapping Violet’s panties I stole earlier around it, and hit play.
I give myself a few long, slow strokes as I watch the video of me getting down on my knees to worship Violet.
Fuck, I can still taste her sweet pussy on my lips.
My strokes get faster as her moans echo through the speakers, the sweetest music I’ve ever heard.
My orgasm builds from deep inside, sending tingles of pleasure through my body.
Between the image of Violet in pure ecstasy and how turned on I’ve been since she walked into the house, I’m coming within minutes, releasing into the black lace fabric.
· · ·
An hour later, I meet up with Alyssa for lunch before the fair opens this afternoon.
It’s odd seeing her in person after all this time.
Alyssa and I were always close growing up, but me moving away for school made us drift apart a bit, even though we talk often.
I’ve seen photos throughout the years on social media and we video chat every now and then, but that couldn’t really prepare me for how mature she looks.
She’s definitely not the teenager she was when I left.
“It’s so good to see you, Damon.” She greets me with a hug as soon as I get to the table.
“It’s good to see you, too,” I say as I hug her back.
“I asked Violet if she wanted to come, but she said she had work to do,” Alyssa tells me as we sit.
“What is she up to these days?” I ask, hoping it comes across as casual and not like I haven’t stopped thinking about Violet and what she’s doing for a single second since she walked into my haunted house. Since before then, if I’m being honest with myself.
My sister doesn’t seem to think twice about it.
“She works for the local paper, covering arts and culture. Her current article is about the fair, I think. She wanted to go to school for psychology in California, but she never did. She claims she lost the passion for it, but I think her douchebag boyfriend convinced her not to.”
“Boyfriend, huh?” Is that who told her she couldn’t see me?
“Yeah, you remember that guy Aaron who took her to prom our junior year? They started dating our senior year and have been together ever since,” my sister tells me.
I tilt my head as I think back to high school. Aaron . . . did I know an Aaron back then? “Was he in your class?”
“No, he was between us. Played hockey. He and his friends always gave me the creeps, but Vi had a huge crush on him.” Alyssa rolls her eyes a little.
My fist clenches in my lap. Now I remember Aaron, and his friends. They were always bragging in the gym locker room about all the girls they “hooked up” with at parties. It’s not really hooking up if the girls are drugged out of their minds and can’t consent.
“Yeah, I remember those guys. Has he . . . changed since high school?”
“A bit. He doesn’t party as much as he did back then, and he takes care of Vi.
Buys her anything she needs, pays for their apartment and groceries.
” She pauses and bites her lips, like she’s thinking hard about something.
“But, I don’t know, I still get a weird feeling in my stomach whenever I’m around him, which isn’t often, at least, since he insists they stay home most of the time.
I mostly only see her when I’m able to drop by the newsroom or she’s free to grab coffee or a bite to eat together. ”
Something about this isn’t sitting right with me. Violet was always spending time with her friends, going out for coffee or hikes, meeting people at the library to study. She hated being at home, told me once she felt claustrophobic if she didn’t get outside at least once a day.
I want to ask Alyssa if he lets Violet hang out with other guys, but I don’t know how to bring that up without revealing that I saw her earlier.
“Well, tell her I said I wish her the best, just in case I don’t get the chance to see her again while I’m here.” Hopefully Alyssa doesn’t think too hard about what I mean by again.
“Oh, I’ll make sure you two see each other,” Alyssa says, a little conspiratorially.
We spend the rest of lunch catching up. She tells me about her job as a Child Protective Services agent, and I tell her about some of the more interesting places the fair has taken me.
I definitely don’t tell her about what I, and most of the other guys at the fair, actually do in those towns.
That’s a burden I have to carry on my own.
After we finish eating, I remind my sister to tell the folks working the ticket booth that she’s related to me so she gets the friends and family discount on tickets.
When we part ways, I still have a sick feeling in my gut about what’s going on with Violet and this boyfriend of hers. I hope I can see her again and get her to talk to me.
I try to get Violet off my mind as I head to the grocery store my target frequents.
While I know he’ll likely walk into the haunted house at some point while the fair is in town, I still want to keep an eye on him.
I’d never forgive myself if I found out a target had the chance to hurt someone else while I was in town just because I wasn’t being vigilant.