Page 60 of Collateral Damage

“Where did she come from? Where does she go when she’s not here?”

“I haven't got a clue. I'm not usually home a lot so her food bowl and water are usually outside. She rarely comes inside.” She claims she doesn't care about anything. But someone like that wouldn't show acts of kindness towards an animal that's not even hers. She puts up this front but deep down I'm realising her heart is far bigger than I thought.

“She must really like you.” There is envy in her gaze as Whiskas sits beside me on the couch, yearning for attention.

C H A P T E R 35

TWISTED DREAMS

Puppet

Play - ‘Nervous - The Neighbourhood’

“Good girl Puppet. Spread your petals for me.” Her warmth invades my skin, wet lips smothering my stomach with hunger worse than a starved man, knocking down my foundations until I am a pile of rubble and concrete. She lowers her hand between my thighs until my hips buckle, choking on my dignity, clutching to my sliver of sanity as the Monster feeds, sucking out the piece of me until there is no ME left -

My eyes burst open, glaring at the ceiling in complete disgust, rubbing my thighs together feeling slick heat between my lips.

“What were you dreaming about?” My upper body shoots up, sitting on my elbows in panic as she’s slumped back in the chair, fingers tracing her mouth and I gulp on instinct, imagining how soft they were against my skin.

“Jesus Hayden! You scared me!” I chase my heartbeat, handling my chest like it’s injured.

“Don’t avoid the question,Puppet.” My bottom lip disappears as I pull it into my mouth, desperately trying to push those images out of my mind.

“I wasn’t…”

“Liar.”

“I can’t remember.” It's like she’s purposely trying to tease my imagination, sitting in a tight tank top that accentuates her defined muscles beneath that I can’t seem to stop glaring at. Her trousers hang low on her waist in the seat exposing the V line that travels up underneath the indented fabric of her top.

“Don’t lie to me,Innocence.”She knows.Please don’t tell me I was making noises in my sleep.

“Why were you watching me sleep?” I want to move. Cover myself from her dirty glare that’s stripping me of all myInnocence,feeling entirely too vulnerable in my little white shorts and crop top that feel entirely too tight around my body but it’s because they are stuck to my skin and I’m sure my nipples are pinching the fabric right now.

“It’s fascinating. Listening to your soft whimpers.” I beg for the floor to swallow me whole, tucking my hair behind my ear as I look out the window so she can’t see the deceit in my face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I can't see her, but she stands slowly in my peripheral vision, stalking towards me as my blood runs cold. I’m trying to focus on anything but her looming in my direction, my cheeks betraying me as they sting with blush.

“Yes. You do.” The mattress moves, subtly lowering my feet as she mounts the bed. “It’s ok. You can tell me,” her body encapsulates my legs beneath her, crawling up the bed towards me and all my oxygen fleas from my lungs in fear, terrified to turn my head.

“Why the sudden loss of words,Little Dreamer?” My flower is pulsating, aching to be watered.This pain is crippling me.“Tell me…”

She whispers to me, leaning into my ear, trapping me against the bed frame as she removes the duvet from underneath us,letting a gust of cold wind to pass through before sliding her knee between my thighs agonisingly slowly. My mouth betrays me, letting a timid sigh of arousal bless her ear, fighting this whirlwind inside of me to break the silence.

…

“You...” Her searing lips engrave my skin, rubbing them gently underneath my earlobe and I realise we haven't been this close since she revealed her devastatingly handsome face to me.

“I whatPrincess? Use your words.” Everyday I’m finding it harder to fight her, to resist her. She makes me want to commit the worst kind of sin.

Fornication.

“Touched me…” I choke out quietly, feeling almost ashamed. I have never touched myself. I’ve never understood it or felt a need to explore it.Fornication. Sex. It's always been a myth to me. Something people indulge in out of boredom, but as she sits between my legs, I realise it’s much more than that. It’sintimacy. Lust. Submission. The way I submitted to her in the woods. That same feeling is throbbing againstherknee.

“Where. Show me.” I shudder against her mouth as she entices me with faint kisses around my throat. Building up the courage to move my hand, I trail the tips of my fingers between my centre line until I'm hovering over my pelvis, too scared to take that next step.

“What did I touch you with?” Her whispers are sending me crazy. I’m holding onto my dignity, afraid to let her hear me but my hand finds hers, craving to feel what my dream opened up to me.

“You’ve never touched yourself. Have you.”I'm nineteen and I'm embarrassed to say I've never been intimate with myself, let alone someone else. But something most likely naive inside of me is telling me I can trust her. I shake my head, rubbing against her cheekbone. She knew I was lying about my body count. Shecan read me better than I can read myself. Ripping out my pages to keep as souvenirs. “That ache you feel? It means you need to touch it. To relieve it. Can you do that for me?”

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