Page 39 of Stray
I took several deep breaths before I started. “Stray was the one who tied me to the bed. We’ve been seeing one another. No, that’s not entirely true. Let me start at the beginning. It all started when Luna and I were at the Venom rave a few weeks ago.”
Athena listened attentively as I told her everything. How I’d put myself in danger at the rave, knowing that my drink was drugged. Stray had been there to stop the guy from taking me to another location. He forced me to tell him about my dangerous, adrenaline seeking behavior. The blackmail. The encounters that had followed. All of it.
She rubbed her hand over her face, shaking her head in disbelief. “Wow. I had a feeling something was going on with you two. I had no idea it was so messed up. Are you sure you don’t want to call the police? What if he takes things too far? He might hurt you.”
“No police. I got myself into this. Somehow, I’ll get myself out. Bringing the cops into it won’t help anything. That will only make things worse.” If the authorities went after Stray, my blackmail material would be exposed. The cops would see it. That was the last thing I wanted.
“Has he done anything to hurt you? Tell me the truth.” The concern in her green eyes made me feel like shit for not telling her sooner.
“No, he hasn’t hurt me. It’s not like that. I know it sounds crazy, but I don’t think he would do that.” I wasn’t sure why I was trying to make her feel better about Stray. Just hours ago I’d been certain he was going to harvest my organs.
Athena chewed her lip before asking, “Do you have feelings for him?”
I opened my mouth to emphatically tell her that I most certainly did not. The words would not come. How could I have feelings for someone who had been blackmailing me? At the same time I remembered the way he’d beat the shit out of the guy who drugged me. The way he always tried to flirt with me in front of our friends. His goofy grin when we bantered.
Finally, I said, “I don’t know. Sometimes I hate him more than anything. Sometimes I can’t get enough of him. It’s complicated.”
Athena patted my leg through the sheet. “Sounds to me like you’re head over heels in love with this guy and you can’t admit it to yourself. You’ve never given any guy a real chance, Codie. Maybe Stray isn’t worth one. Maybe he is. That’s for you to decide. I wish you would’ve told me sooner though.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kept this from you.” Now that the adrenaline had fully subsided, the crash that often followed hit me hard. I started yawning, my eyelids heavy.
“It’s super fucking late. I’m going to head to bed. Unless you want to talk some more.” Athena stifled a yawn of her own.
“You should get some sleep,” I said. “I’m going to do the same. I’m really sorry you had to find out this way. Thanks for being so understanding.”
Athena rose with a soft chuckle. “I’m not sure I do understand, but I’m here for you, girl.”
After she left the room, I flopped backwards on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I smelled Stray all over me. Fuck, he was working his way too deep inside me. Somehow I needed to purge him from my system before it was too late.
Anguish filled me. Some hard choices would have to be made. I knew what I had to do.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CODIE
I was so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open. Staying home and sleeping all day felt like the right thing to do. That’s not what I did though. Instead, I dragged my ass out of bed after only three hours of sleep and brewed the strongest coffee possible.
Athena decided to skip the day and stay home. I probably should’ve done the same. However, I knew that if I didn’t go to campus today, I would never make the move I needed to make. There was no putting this off. It had to be done.
This time I flipped the script. Instead of Stray following me, I followed him. I knew that he tailed me to school like he often did. Pretending not to notice, I slipped into the women’s restroom and waited.
When I was sure that he’d given up and headed to class, I followed him through the halls. He was several yards ahead of me. I managed to go unnoticed, blending in with fellow students. I watched him enter his first class of the day. Then I waited until the professor had closed the door.
I wasn’t sure how Stray had enough energy to be here. He’d probably gone home last night and promptly went to sleep while I laid awake for hours. Jackass.
Certain that he was in class for the next hour or more, I skipped out on my own class and searched the campus. Maybe this was a longshot but I had to try. I wandered past the cafeteria, pausing to scrutinize those inside before moving on. Knowing that who I sought was most likely outside, that was my next stop.
There were several areas outside the school where students hung out. I checked all of them. Right when I was about to give up, I found exactly what I’d been looking for. Or should I say who?
Noah Cunningham ambled along the sidewalk, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He was alone. He seemed to be coming from the parking lot, like he just arrived.
Doubt gripped me in its icy hands. Once I did this, there was no taking it back. I had to be sure. I didn’t feel so sure.
I forced myself to step into Noah’s path. He glanced up, eyes narrowing as he realized it was me.
“What’s up?” he greeted me with a barely there nod. “Any more trouble with Hurley?”
I swallowed hard around the lump that had formed in my throat. “Actually, I kind of wanted to talk to you about that. Do you have a minute?”
