Page 77 of Catch Me When I Fall

Leo’s hands were at my wrists, holding my arms down above my head as the rest of his body remained on top of mine. My legs were spread wide, his hips filling the space. He smiled at me, his eyes glimmering in the moonlight. “Hi, sweetheart.”

“L-Leo, what’s going on?” I repeated, my voice shaking.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this—how patient I’ve been,” he whispered against my cheek, grinding his hips against me.

My body began to tremble as the fear truly kicked in. “Leo, please get off of me. I’m not ready for this,” I begged as my mind raced with a thousand questions.

Why did my head feel heavy?

Why was my vision blurred?

How did I get up here?

Why was he holding me down?

He sat up, ticking his head to the side, and for the first time, I saw the real Leo, the man underneath the sweet exterior. A cruel, wicked sneer formed on his handsome features, his eyes dropping to my chest. “You made me wait too long, sweetheart. A man can only take so much. You, your body, those fucking blue eyes…I waited patiently, Carrie. You understand that, right?”

He didn’t look back up to my face as he shifted, grabbing both my wrists in his hand and pressing them down into the mattress as I tried to wiggle and buck him off. He chuckled, pressing his hips further into mine as his free hand flicked open the buttons of my blouse.

My lip began to tremble as tears filled my already-blurred vision. “Leo, please. I want to take things slow.”

“Can’t do that, Carrie,” he said calmly, shifting his hips once more so I could feel his erection. Nausea took over me then, swirling in my gut, threatening to shoot up my throat. “Need you now.”

“I’m not ready for that,” I tried again, hoping to break through his alcohol-induced lust. I just needed to talk him down, and then I could grab my phone, lock myself in the bathroom, and call Michael.

Leo’s next words were chilling—haunting. “I’ll make sure you’re ready,” he promised as he looked back up to me. “Now, I brought some zip-ties, because—let’s face it—I’ve been dreaming of tying you down since the moment on saw you on the docks—”

“Leo—”

His free hand snapped up to my mouth as he leaned over me, eyes hard. “But I don’t want to gag you.”

I stared up at him in horror.

His green eyes softened, but that was the only thing I could see before my vision went hazy again. “I want to hear you cry out my name, Carrie. Okay? I’m going to make you feel so good.”

I shook my head, but he was too strong.

Something was wrong with me. I couldn’t fight. Suddenly, I was even more dizzy than before, and I let my head fall back. The room was spinning, and when I tried to speak, my tongue felt numb, weighing a thousand pounds.

“Leeooo,” I begged. I didn’t even know if his name sounded clear coming from my lips; the only thing I could register was my arms being lifted slightly and something hard wrapping tightly around my wrists. I tried crying out, but it was no use; my body was giving up. My thoughts became fuzzy as the room continued to spin.

“Just a sec, sweetheart,” the man I thought I knew said sweetly. He spent a few minutes working my wrists, tightening them and readjusting, like he had all the time in the world. I was starting to think he did. “You look good tied to your bed. I wish I could take a picture, but I have to get you ready before I can have my fun.”

I thought back to when I was in the rehab, laying in that twin bed, day after day, watching the world pass me by as I was held down by depression. Memories came to the forefront of my mind then: my flight to Oregon, buying my car, driving to Astoria, Michael’s kindness, the coziness of Rossy’s bookstore, Sarah’s warmth, my breath leaving me the first time I saw Blue Beauty, the way my heart skipped a beat when the bounty hunter held my chin gently between his fingers. What would he think? Did he even care?

Fight, Sunshine. Fight back.

The bounty hunter’s voice filled my head.

I needed to fight. I needed to push through.

As Leo whistled a soft tune from above me, I blinked over and over, trying to clear my vision.

Lifting my head again, I narrowed my eyes, doing my best to focus on Leo. His weight slipped off me, and I watched as his hand began working the button of my jeans, his fingers cold. He pulled them, along with my panties, down to my ankles, and I could see just the shape of him as he bent to take my socks off.

Fight back, Carrie.

With all the strength I could muster, I bent my legs back and shot both of them out, kicking him in the head. He cursed as he fell back onto the floor with a thud. Then, I started screaming, bucking against the mattress, yanking my arms down.

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