Page 13 of Creed

Seth Creed once was my entire world. I tailored my entire existence around him and he’s back like a ghost from the past. A reminder that I was never good enough for him or anyone. He didn’t want me then. Why would he want me now?

Only once I’m in the privacy of my car do I allow the dam of emotions to break as tears stream down my face. I never thought of all people I’d bump into tonight that Seth would be one of them.

He’s back and every bit as tempting and dangerous as he ever was.

Driving away from the clubhouse, from Creed, the road is as dark and empty as my hollow heart. Regret washes over me. An overwhelming sadness for all the things I didn’t have the courage to say plague me. I grip the steering wheel so tightly my fingers ache as deeply as my soul.

After all this time, the chemistry between us is undeniable. My former stepbrother is everything I remember. A deadly combination of equal parts charming, handsome, and dangerous.

Lethal to my heart.

A man who makes me lose all control of my senses.

I keep seeing his devilish smirk throughout my drive.

Was he telling the truth about Becky?

Was he serious about missing me, or was he hoping to get laid?

Driving down my street, my apartment building coming into view is a comforting sight.

There’s nothing better than the safety of home. My apartment is my sanctuary. I splurged on my bed and am still paying off the expensive mattress I purchased with one of those in-store credit cards. I deserve it. I work hard and a girl has to treat herself sometimes.

I wipe away my tears and grab my bag from work that has my clothes in it and juggle my shoes and keys. A shiver passes through me and that creepy sensation like I’m being watched captures my attention. I dash toward the building, cursing myself for never putting that bear spray on my key ring. I forgot to leave my outdoor light on, but thankfully the low glow of orange radiating from my neighbor’s doorway across the hall is enough to illuminate my welcome mat.

Hurriedly, I unlock my door, dropping my work shoes in the process. Ugh. If I was in a horror movie, the killer would have captured me by now. I debate leaving my shoes where they lay, but knowing my luck, someone would steal them. My next investment should be one of those doorbell security cameras.

Once inside, I kick my shoes off and dump my belongings on one of the breakfast stools. I don’t bother to switchany lights on. My apartment is a small one bedroom, one bathroom unit with an open kitchen and living room. I pad down to the short hallway to my bedroom and shimmy out of Tonya’s dress. The smart choice would be to crawl into my bed and get some sleep, but with the way my thoughts are racing, I’ll never be able to get comfortable. I slip into my pajamas and return to the kitchen and one of my worst habits.

Eating my feelings in the form of cookies and drowning my sorrows with milk. With every bite and swallow, I attempt to chase away thoughts of how Seth’s hands felt on me and how his scent was all too familiar. Woodsy and smoky. The timber of his voice when he spoke my name. Deep and gravelly. Sexy. The way he looked at me like I was still his favorite girl. Like maybe he might love me still if he ever did.

I plop down in my oversized chair that takes up more than half of my living room and reach for the remote to my television. Since I’m not getting any sleep anytime soon, I may as well find something to watch to distract me from thinking about the past, but especially him. Flipping through the channels, I’m sensing a pattern. Romantic movies and shows seem to taunt me. A reality show titled A second Chance with my Ex. A Christmas commercial from a jewelry store when it’s not even Halloween, with the tagline ‘Every KissBegins with Kay.’

I roll my eyes and switch the tv off. Noise from the nearby freeway sounds particularly loud tonight. Even the sound of commercial trucks can’t drown out my thoughts. Chill bumps fan along my arms, and I get up to turn my ceiling fan off, only to notice that it’s not on.

I rub my arms, check the thermostat, then I look at my sliding glass door, noticing that it’s slightly ajar. That’s strange. I always keep it closed. I don’t always lock it because I’m on the seventh floor and only a crazy person would try to climb the rickety fire escape. The building I live in is old as dirt, but the units have some modern updates with newer flooring and midlevel appliances.

We don’t have security or anything like that, although this has always been a relatively safe place to live. I’m still creeped out by the idea of someone being here in my personal space, rifling through my things or worse. Waiting for me.

I close the door and lock it.

I know I’m being ridiculous, but I do a quick sweep of every room to make sure nothing is out of place. Surely if someone were in here with me, I’d spotted them when I changed clothes?

Nothing seems amiss in the kitchen outside of my milk and cookie mess on the counter, but the slithering sensation of unease bubbling in the pit of my stomach refuses to dissipate. My imagination is in overdrive. Morphingshadows into grotesque shapes on the walls and making every creak of the old building sound like a footstep.

I return to my room and go as far as checking under my bed and in my closet, growing increasingly irritated with my silly paranoia. This is why I don’t watch scary movies. I get scared by them way too easily.

The last place left to check is my bathroom. It would be my luck that some psycho is hiding behind my shower curtain waiting to jump out and grab me like in some slasher flick. My hand trembles as I reach for the curtain and muster an ounce of dignity by not peeing my pants as I yank it back.

Empty, save my body wash and shampoo.

I laugh to myself as the adrenaline coursing through my veins wains.

Satisfied that I’m alone and merely delusional, I go to my bedroom and pull my crumpled sheets and blanket back. I just need to forget this whole day ever happened.

But I especially need to forget all about Seth Creed.

His dark eyes.

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