Page 6 of Insatiable

“Airbnb,” Maya answered with a forced laugh, trying too hard to sound excited. “It’s supposed to be fun! You know, spooky, thrilling. We all needed a break, right?"

Katie rolled her eyes at me, and I gave her a small nod. This weekend was already shaping up to be a disaster, and we hadn’t even been here an hour.

Sophie’s eyes finally landed on me. “Oh, Rose, you’re here. I didn’t think you’d actually come.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” I forced a smile, trying to sound casual. But her gaze lingered, that knowing look flashing in her eyes. She knew. Maybe she knew everything Maya had done, or maybe it was just a hunch. Either way, I wasn’t ready to deal with it.

I glanced around, searching for an escape. “We should get the bags upstairs,” I muttered, eager to get away from Brian, Sophie and Maya. Katie and Alex nodded, and we headed for the stairs.

The hallway upstairs was narrow and dim, unsettling in a way that made my skin crawl.

Katie bumped her shoulder against mine. “You alright?” she whispered.

I forced a smile. “Yeah, I’m good. Totally fine!”

“This place.. It’s got this weird vibe,” she muttered, her eyes flicking to the dark corners. “You sure we want to stay here all weekend? It’s creepy AF.”

I shrugged. “Come on, it’s just an old house, nothing more,” I said, trying to sound casual. But it didn’t feel that way at all. Something about this place crawled under my skin, made the air feel too close, like it was watching. Breathing. I didn’t want to say any of that to Katie though. She already looked uneasy, and I wasn’t about to add to it.

We wandered down the hall, opening doors to see which rooms had luggage. A few were already claimed, probably by Brian, Maya, or Sophie. There were so many rooms, all dark and musty. After a few tries, we each found an empty one.

At the end of the hall, I pushed open a heavy wooden door, the creak echoing down the corridor. My room was big and cold, dominated by an old bed with a dusty quilt thrown on top. Thick curtains blocked what little light there was, making the space feel even darker.

I tossed my bag near the bed, my fingers skimming the edge of a crooked dresser. The mirror above it hung at an angle, like everything else in this place—off, abandoned, like I was intruding on something long forgotten.

Katie peeked in and wrinkled her nose. “Smells like a tomb in here.”

I forced a laugh, though it sounded hollow. “Yeah, not exactly five-star. But hey, it’s only a couple of days, right?"

“Right,” she mumbled, not quite meeting my eyes as she stepped into her room next door.

I locked the door behind me. The pressure in my chest was almost too much to handle. My breasts ached, swollen, and every step made it worse. It had been over twelve hours since I last pumped, and my body reminded me with every throb.

I quickly took off my clothes, hoping it might help. But the discomfort stayed. I searched through my bag and realized—I had left the pump on the kitchen counter. I cursed under my breath. How could I forget something so important?

Still naked, I went into the bathroom, trying to hand express some milk to ease the pressure. I stood by the sink, doing my best, but it barely helped. As I continued, I felt like something was watching me. I glanced at the window, heart pounding. I heard wings and saw a shadow—it was just a crow. I shook it off and kept expressing, but the relief was minimal. The ache persisted, almost too painful to continue.

Frustrated, I stopped. I grabbed a fresh bra from my bag, put in the nursing pads, and got dressed in my loose green co-ords. I draped a scarf loosely around my neck, hoping it would hide the damp spots.

With a sigh, I headed downstairs, still uncomfortable as Katie and Alex followed behind me.

Downstairs, Brian was pouring wine, his smug grin even more irritating with traces of cocaine dusting his nose. The table had several lines still laid out, and Maya sat next to him, her eyes a little too wide, her forced laughter echoing through the room. She’d clearly joined in. Sophie, on the other hand, looked bored, scrolling through her phone, annoyed by the lack of Wi-Fi.

Brian glanced up as we walked in, his eyes sweeping over me and lingering a bit too long. That smug grin of his spread wider, like he was about to say something slick. “Well, don’t you just look ravishing in this color,” he sneered, his gaze dropping to my chest, barely hidden under the scarf. “Why cover your assets, Rose?”

I scowled, not hiding my disgust. “Shut up, Brian,” I snapped, my fingers tightening around the scarf. His grin only widened, feeding off my anger, but I wasn’t about to give him more.

Katie shot him a glare but didn’t waste a word. I dropped onto the couch, feeling the old cushions give way beneath me, sinking like they had no fight left.

Maya appeared beside me, holding out a glass of wine, that same fake, forced smile plastered on her face. Her eyes were wide, jittery, her energy manic from the cocaine. She acted like everything was fine, like she hadn’t slept with my husband, like we were still friends.

“Let’s relax,” she quipped, pushing the wine into my hand. “We’re here to have fun, remember?”

I glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s 3 p.m.,” I muttered, shaking my head. “No thanks.” I set the glass on the side table.

Maya gave a tight smile, pretending not to notice how little I cared. She pulled out her phone and tapped a few buttons, and music soon filled the room. Without missing a beat, she started swaying her hips, overly dramatic, like she needed all eyes on her. Brian was quick to join. His hands slid onto her waist, fingers lingering too long. Her movements became more exaggerated, more suggestive, like she was performing for us.

It wasn’t subtle. Not even close. It was like watching a bad striptease, and the sight of them together churned my stomach.

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