Page 89 of The Invite
Him being my masked monster and I his little prey.
So where the hell is he? What sort of game is he in the mood for tonight?
I didn’t even bother locking the front door because what’s the use when it’s not doing its sole job and keeping predators away?
Twice I’ve gone around the house in every single room waiting for him to pop out of the dark corners and assert his power over me in primal ways.
Only to be strangely disappointed at coming up empty, not even his scent lingers. My house is void of his existence.
It should be peaceful, but it isn’t.
Now that I’ve accepted my fate, suddenly he doesn’t bother to show up. It has to be because of last night. After witnessing how flawed I am, he’s lost interest.
No fun in breaking a person who is already tattered in pieces.
So much for his promise that he won’t go easy on me.
By this hour, he would’ve been here with me on my way to a second or third orgasm. Instead, I’m all alone and antsy as hell. Worse, I’m thinking about him and whether he’s changed the bandage around his palm.
I shouldn’t care or worry at all.
He isn’t coming, Nessa.
Shouldn’t I be pleased and relieved that he didn’t come? If I knew I only had to show him my mental scars to get rid of him, I would’ve done it on the first day.
The cold truth in this world is that nobody wants a broken and damaged person. Even my monster felt disgusted. That should tell me something.
Blinding anger boils in my veins.
If he was done with me, then why did he send the car? Was it charity? Pity? An apology for bullying me into canceling the rides with Ace? Because Augustus doesn’t do anything without an ulterior motive. His abrupt departure from my life doesn’t make sense. Doesn’t match with his behavior.
Is it another one of his mind games to see how I’d react?
If he’s not here, is he watching from the cameras he put around my house? I tried to look for them as soon as I got home but didn’t see any. He’s hidden them really well.
At the moment, I do not feel watched.
But I am antsy and I can’t seem to shake it off.
Maybe I should accept and celebrate with joy that Augustus is done with me.
My days of hell are over.
I’m free.
Nevertheless, hollowness is all that encompasses me.
***
The next day, I woke up sluggish after not getting a wink of sleep last night. Augustus really didn’t visit. Immediately, I checked my phone and there were no taunting or possessive texts from him. When I left for work, there was no Maverick waiting on my doorstep either.
All of it made me believe the conclusion I came to last night.
Augustus has moved on from his vendetta against me and I need to do the same. The peaceful life I wanted to build here, I can focus on it without looking over my shoulder. However, there is one problem.
The damn car.
I have no idea how to return it to him. Shouldn’t he have asked for it back? Or does he have too many spare cars to pass around? I’m confused. Is he still after me? Is he amusing himself by toying with me?
