Chapter 14
fourteen
. . .
Felix
My body is still and calm despite the anger burning through my veins. Standing in the shadows of the buildings across the road, the snow falls all around me, my breath rising into the cold night as I stare at Kris and Kyle’s apartment.
I know Kris said something to make Pretty Thing kick me out. I saw her whispering to Eden and glancing at me while Kyle glared. These two are gunning for me, and they don’t have Eden’s best interest at heart.
They don’t understand that I protect her. We are meant to be.
I wait an hour after all the lights have gone off before I step out of my hiding place like a statue come to life. Hood up, black material bag in hand, I march across the street. The key is to look like you belong. You can get anywhere with a little confidence.
Pulling the door open, I keep my head down and walk to the stairwell dusting the snow off my shoulders.
This isn’t a fancy place. It’s close to the school they attend, but there is no security guard or door buzzer.
The only camera I’ve seen so far is at the front entrance.
Basic. Minimal. Easy to break in if you time it right.
I peek through the glass before exiting. As I suspected, there are no cameras in the hallway. A resident may have put one on their peephole, so I keep my hood in place to conceal my face.
It takes me all of two minutes to find their apartment and pick the lock. Once inside, I poke my head down the hall, confirming it’s a typical two-bedroom, one bath, with an open-concept living room-kitchen.
The bathroom door stands open, while one bedroom is closed up tight and the other is ajar.
It’s like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but doors.
I take the path of least resistance, keeping my movements subtle, and slip into the open bedroom.
The only light comes from a tiny nightlight in the corner.
Dark hair is splayed across the pillow, and the bare arm on top of the blankets tells me all I need to know… I’ve found Kris.
Her back is to me as she lies on her side, and my hand clenches into a tight fist. The urge to kill her, and the threat she poses, is so strong that my body trembles.
I make my way to her desk, carefully open the black shopping bag, and take out one of the dead rats.
I lay it on her laptop, knowing that by morning it will be thawed, bleeding, and starting to rot.
Walking out, I leave the door exactly how I found it and move on to Kyle’s room. I press my ear against the wood, and a soft snoring greets me. The handle turns easily…no lock to stop me.
Kyle’s arm is draped over his face, while his mouth hangs open, and the blankets only cover the lower half of his body. I stare down at the piece of shit who has already occupied too much of Eden’s time.
You think you can take my Pretty Thing from me?
My jaw flexes, teeth grinding together. No one takes what is mine.
Reaching into the bag again, I pull out the second rat.
I lift the blanket one tiny inch at a time.
Of course, the fucker sleeps naked. I smirk, really wanting to cut his dick off.
Fighting the desire, I remain in control of my wild rage.
I gently place the rat on the bed between his spread legs and cover him back up.
I move like a ghost as I back out of the room and close the door. In the living room, I give myself three minutes to learn all that I can about the twins.
I flip through a pile of mail, conveniently open and in a tray labeled Mail. All in one place, I come across bank account numbers, phone numbers, appointments, and the twins’ class schedules.
These two have clearly never had their identity stolen.
Reading over everything once, I commit the information to memory. I was born with hyperthymia, an extremely rare ability to recall vivid details like a mental recording of my life. The doctors called it a blessing. My father called me a freak and refused any further testing.
He punished me for my intelligence. So, I pretended to do poorly in classes, failing the odd one on purpose just so that I blended in with everyone else. Standing out in my home was never a good thing.
No matter what I do…I’ll never forget. Every punch, scream, and cruel word remains as sharp and emotional as the day they happened.
But for a moment like this, it’s extremely helpful.
After learning all I can in my time limit, I slip out of the apartment and walk to the stairwell.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I jog down and out the emergency exit door.
No alarm sounds as I skirt around the building, heading for my car, parked behind a convenience store three roads over.
Tonight is a warning, but if they continue to interfere with me and what is mine…
then I’ll need to take more drastic actions.
Twenty minutes later, I let myself into Eden’s house.
I take my jacket off and then quietly knock the snow out of the treads before pulling out my blue booties.
I never leave home without them. Tracking snow and dirt through Eden’s house when I’m here to clean is counterproductive.
My goal is to make her life easier, not messier.
Plates, cups, and napkins still litter the living room. Eden was probably too tired to do anything after I left. If Kris hadn’t put bad thoughts in her head about me, then I would’ve been able to do this for her earlier.
Grumbling, I sort through the food. Anything salvageable after being left out goes in the fridge. The rest goes in the garbage. I collect all the paper plates and plastic cups and throw them out.
Who goes to the house of someone grieving and leaves this kind of a mess behind? People are such pigs.
Once everything is back in order, I make my way up the stairs to Eden’s room, careful to avoid the creaky ones.
Eden is still in her dress, sound asleep on top of the blankets, shivering. Grabbing the throw off the end of her bed, I gently drape it over her and then move the piece of hair on her cheek away so I can see her properly.
Pulling out the small sketchbook inside my jacket, I begin to draw my perfect little muse. I don’t miss a single detail as my pencil scrapes softly over the paper. She is perfection. I ensure that not a single eyelash is out of place before returning the book to my jacket.
Kneeling by the bed, I tuck the blanket up under her chin. Eden murmurs in her sleep, making my blood pound.
“Don’t worry, Pretty Thing, they won’t come between us. You’re safe with me. You’re mine.”
“Felix,” she sighs.
“That’s right. It’s me.”
Every violent, starving part of me wants to crawl into that bed beside her and never leave. We could’ve had a beautiful moment tonight. She could’ve leaned on me, as I welcomed her into my arms and wiped away the sadness and pain. But now, it will have to wait.
I scribble a quick sticky note for her and put it on her nightstand.
Leaving her night light on, I go from room to room checking that all the windows and doors are locked before I let myself out.
Taking off the booties, I walk to my car, my heart heavy, my mind in chaos, and my cock hard. A volatile combination.
By the time I push through the door to my studio apartment, it feels like every part of me is on fire with rage. Want is dangerous when it has nowhere safe to go.
Leaving the lights off, I head into the kitchen to grab a beer before making my way to my home office.
Carefully hidden behind a locked door in my closet, one can never be too safe when it comes to protecting your most valuable possession.
Inside, I take a deep breath as I’m surrounded by everything Eden.
I pull out my sketchpad and rip out the newest addition to my collection, then pin it to the wall with all the others. I caress the sketch before I sit down and power up the computer. The screens glow as they come to life.
Eden is still fast asleep, taking up all three monitors for the moment. Even unconscious, she reaches for the other side of the bed like she expects me to be beside her. I should be beside her.
With a few clicks of the keys, a video of Eden in the shower from a few weeks ago takes center stage. I lean back slowly in my chair, beer hanging loose between my fingers. The footage is a little fogged over from the steam. It’s almost dreamlike.
Water beads on her smooth skin as she stands beneath the spray with her eyes closed. So trusting as she runs her hands over her hair, soaking it thoroughly. I shift in my seat and palm my cock through my jeans.
Jesus. So…beautiful.
This recording violates that trust. The thought comes and goes without weight or guilt. Because even now, staring at the screens, I know I’ll do it again and worse to make sure she is safe.
Eden grabs her body wash and pours some into her hands. The sudsy lather runs down her arms, and I picture something far more intimate than soap coating her skin.
Taking a sip of my beer, I set it aside and release the button on my jeans. I groan as my aching cock is given a bit more room.
Eden’s wet hair clings to her pale skin as she runs her hands all over her body. She looks up at the camera, eyes locking with mine like she knows I can see her. My heart pounds like a drum in my chest. The suds slip over her breasts, and her nipples draw into hard peaks.
Fuck, this room is too hot.
I scrub a hand down my face and exhale hard, but it does nothing to settle the pressure building beneath my ribs. Peeling off my hoodie, I toss it aside before getting comfortable again.
I can still remember exactly how she looked at me when she let me help her in the shower.
The longing in her eyes, laced with embarrassment.
She has nothing to be embarrassed about, but she still allowed me to take care of her.
That moment of surrender reaffirmed everything I believe. We belong together.
I lower the zipper on my jeans as her hand travels down her stomach. Does she even notice how soft her skin is?
My hand wraps around my shaft, my head falls back, and my eyes flutter closed for a moment. The thrill of being close to her is excruciating when I long to be buried between her thighs. I’ll claim my Pretty Thing and never let her go.
Soon, she will reach for me, trust me, and need me the way that I need her. Our connection grows stronger every second we’re together.
She bends over, washing her legs. When her hand slips between her thighs, I squeeze my cock harder. The bars of my ladder press almost painfully as the head turns red, throbbing around the silver ring of my Prince Albert. Releasing my grip, I sigh and rub my excitement all over the tip.
But tonight…tonight she asked for space. My jaw tightens instantly at the memory. Fucking Kris. Fucking Kyle. That asshole likes her. He wants her. I know he does. That’s why they drip poison into her ears about me, but I won’t let them ruin us.
They see Eden healing around me, and it scares them because those people will never understand our connection.
It’s special. They think attachment is unhealthy because they’ve never experienced something powerful enough to consume them whole.
They’re greedy and want her for themselves, but too fucking bad… Eden is mine.
The clip plays silently, but I can hear the water and smell her bubble-gum shampoo.
Eden turns, and I’m left staring at the perfect canvas of her back and lush ass. Heat rolls through me hot enough to burn me to ash, craving my Pretty Thing.
My hand moves faster now as I grip the edge of my chair, heart hammering behind my ribcage. There’s something deeply wrong with how badly I need her. Not just sexually. That would almost be easier.
No. I need to hear Eden’s voice, have her attention, and feel the touch of her skin. I yearn for the relaxed look in her eyes when she sees me. I demand to feel necessary to her. She must choose me. Because no matter how close I get, it is still not enough.
I groan loudly as my cock thickens with the thought. I’m so close.
I want what is mine, and if Kyle thinks he can take her from me, then he’ll be removed from the equation.
The footage is coming to an end. Eden reaches for a towel. Steam curls around her body while my hand pumps hard and fast.
“Oh fuck…fuck yes.”
She pats the beads of water from her skin and lifts her eyes to me once more, and that’s it.
“Ahh, fuck…yes. You’re mine,” I growl, the sound low and vicious.
I cover the tip of my cock with my shirt and unload, feeling the hot jets hit my stomach while imagining coming inside of her.
Slumping in the chair, I try to catch my breath. I let the carnal sensations flow over and through me. For a little while, the desire that burns like liquid fire in my veins will be quenched, but it never lasts.
Reaching out, I hit a key, and the screen returns to the live feed.
Eden is still sound asleep in the same position as when I left.
All my protective instincts twist together with my desire until I can barely separate one from the other.
It was well worth the effort to sneak into her house and plant cameras, just to watch her every night.
I shut my eyes briefly before I stand up and strip completely naked. I use my soiled T-shirt as a towel to wipe myself off, then I grab my beer and let the fan in the corner cool my skin.
Turning, I drag my fingers slowly over the newest sketch. Pencil lines of Eden sleeping peacefully. I move down the room, a timeline of my love and devotion. I stop to stare at the pictures I’ve taken and papered to the wall.
Beer finished, I move back to the monitors.
“You asked me for space,” I murmur to the empty room, “but you don’t understand. We are two halves of the same soul,” I say, smiling. “You’ll understand. Very soon…you will.”