Page 9 of Vows From Hell

By this time, I knew its contents by heart.

Well, it wasn’t like there was much written anyway. Regardless, his words were like a prayer. It was constantly on my mind. Each night, I’d recall his handwriting, the way my heart pounded the first time I read it.

But now, given how much time had passed, I couldn’t write off the dread that slowly sneaked its way into my soul.

What if all of this was just a sick, twisted game that excited him? What if I’d been waiting for a man who’d been lurking in the shadows, joyfully watching as I tore myself apart? What if he had no intention of ever returning to me?

And the thoughts made me furious.

How dare he?

Who the fuck gave him the right?

I wasn’t going to sit still and allow him to toy with me like a puppeteer. I didn’t care what it took, but that man was going to return to me, willingly or not. I couldn't stand the thought of him freely spending his time without me.

He got me high on the immense dose of pleasure, and the withdrawal nearly killed me.

“Storm?’’ Natalie’s voice broke my train of thoughts. “Should we go?”

A sharp pain spread through my chest – disappointment. With a sigh, I nodded. While she was at the counter, paying for our drinks, I took my sweet time packing all the things I brought with me. Despite bringing my laptop with me, I was unable to write. The words just wouldn’t come out, no matter how much I wanted them to.

We were in a busy coffee shop that was located near her apartment. It wasn’t big, but it was well decorated. It gave a sense of warmth and home, so it was no wonder it was packed with people. The only empty table was far in the corner where the lights were dimmed.

Since my phone was always on silent, only when I picked it up to check the time did I notice a missed call from Sierra. However, I couldn’t call her back.

My brow creased once I noticed that I had no cell phone service.

In the middle of New York.

“What the…’’

My sentence got cut short.

Abruptly, all the lights went out. Voices of the people inside of the coffee shop gradually became louder as everyone was confused. It wasn’t just the coffee shop – it was at least half of the city.

Not a single thing could be seen on the outside. Since it was already late and dark out, the lack of light made everything feel eerie.

Apprehension tugged at my skin. A knot formed in my throat and I was unable to swallow it. Somewhere, in the distance in this crowded, tiny space, I heard Natalie’s voice, yet it couldn’t quite reach me.

It was useless to try to find her, despite multiple flashlights turning on at the same time.

I froze in spot as the smallest hairs on my neck stood up.

Blinking, I tried to force my body to move, to turn around. It didn’t listen, and I remained paralyzed. People pushed past me, nearly knocking me to the floor, and I still couldn’t make my body move.

I smelled him before I saw him.

He was behind me, and the fear of this being nothing but a dream had me locked in place.

My heart picked up the pace, shallow breaths slipping from my mouth as a lone tear slid down my cheek. I could practically feel the outline of my heart against my flesh, threatening to leap straight out.

I fisted my hands to my sides, my nails digging into my skin. It was painful, and I drew blood, but it was the only thing I could think of doing to distract me.

This was a dangerous situation.

Natalie was right there.

And Micah was behind me.

---