Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 179812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 179812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
“There’s s-still… time. S-seven days…”
“Ah, that. My bad,” he murmurs, finally loosening his grip and letting me breathe. He also takes his thumb away from my hole, as if uncocking a loaded gun, before continuing, “But if you’re counting, there’s only three days left.”
Three days.
Where did the time go? How did I not realize how many days are left? Actually, I know how. It’s because he’s right. I am having too much fun. I’m having too much fun being watched. I’m having too much fun being the center of his attention. I love teasing him, making him lose his mind. I love that he shows up at the coffee shop first thing in the morning before going to practice. And I love that he stays until the end of my shift at the club and finishes his day with me.
I love it because I’ve never had that. I love it because I never will. There’s no future here. For more reasons than one.
In any case, that’s how I finish my day. His day lasts longer than that. Because after I leave the club to go home, he goes home with me.
I catch a ride with one of the girls and he follows me in his truck. And then I climb into my bed and he follows me in there too. Needless to say, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t close the window like he had asked me to that first day. Even though, he had an AC delivered to my apartment the very next day. Two ACs. One for me and one for Snow. Yes, he did. And not only that they wouldn’t leave without installing them. After a long argument, I caved in because Snow was home and she was so happy to see we wouldn’t be dying of heat and I couldn’t tell her the truth. So I pretended that I got a bonus and splurged on the ACs. I did have words with him but they didn’t make any difference.
Anyway, so maybe that’s another one of my crimes, not locking him out of my room. But I know why I didn’t. Because knowing he’s out there, that he’s watching me, that he could climb in if he wanted to, makes me feel safe.
It’s crazy. It’s insane. He snuck into my room while I was sleeping. He stole my unopened letters. Granted they were all overdue bills, but still. He’s blackmailing me. If I don’t quit my job in the next three days, he’s going to make sure I never work in this town again, and I know he’ll do it. He’s unhinged enough, toxic enough to do that. But then this whole thing is crazy and insane and toxic. Just like everything about him.
Just like the fact that when he’s in my room, he never touches me. Not once. I know because I’d feel it. Even though I try to wait for him to climb in but can’t because I pass out the second my head hits the pillow, I know if he did touch me, I’d wake right back up. First because my body wouldn’t let me sleep through it; I’ve been crazy about this man since I was twelve and my body wouldn’t betray me like that. Second, he wouldn’t want me sleeping either. He’d want me all squirmy and reluctant and fucking turned on out of my mind. Because I know he likes to scare me. I know he likes to push me to the razor’s edge of desire. His desire.
So he could touch me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he leaves his signs behind for me to find: creases on the throw pillow of my armchair telling me he sat there; my favorite heels that I usually just leave by the side of the bed, arranged neatly by my closet even though I know he has a love-hate relationship with them because I’ve run away from him in them; my little outfits that I leave in a heap in a hurry to go to sleep are in the laundry hamper. It's so strangely crazy and… adorable that I had to ask him about it one day.
Jupiter
You know, you should really stop following me home. It’s starting to look like stalking.
My Toxic Stepbrother
I am stalking you.
To make sure no one messes with you in your shitty neighborhood.
Jupiter
My neighborhood is fine.
My Toxic Stepbrother
Your neighborhood is a felony waiting to happen.
Jupiter
Oh, you mean like sneaking into someone’s room when they’re asleep?
Side note – I can clean up after myself.
My Toxic Stepbrother
Told you. You want me to stay out, you make sure to lock your window. I even got you the AC.
Side note – I know you can.
Jupiter
Thank you for the AC. Snow loves it. And me too.
So then why do you do it?
My Toxic Stepbrother
You work sixteen hours a day. You don’t have time to get around to it. Whatever time you do have, you should probably spend it sleeping.