Page 65 of Safe
For a moment, Landon paused, drying his hands on his pants. He turned his head more, his eyes reading me from top to bottom in a slow appraisal, ending with a stark grin spreading across his face. He turned fully to face me, locking eyes and pulling me tight against him with one arm.
Our bodies were pressed together, and as I struggled to contain my fear, I still couldn't tell if he believed my act. Landon's right hand seized a handful of hair at the back of my head, his grip tightening, tugging my head back.
My thoughts went back to when Cody did the same, and I found myself analyzing how one simple act could feel like love with one person and so vile with another.
My heart raced—this could be the end. His eyes saw the fear in mine. Without warning, he guided my face toward his, kissing me with a firm hold on my hair. Momentary relief overpowered my disgust; whether or not my act had convinced him, for now, it was working.
Before I had a chance to react, both of Landon’s hands had my waist locked in his grip as he yanked me up onto one of the barstools at the counter.
I closed my eyes and let my mind wander as his irreverent hands ran all over my body. As he pulled the top of mydress down my arms, exposing myself to him, it took every bit of strength I could muster to keep from crying.
Landon’s lips took their time making their way from my mouth, then to my neck, before making their way to my chest.
“I knew eventually you’d see things my way,” Landon took his mouth off me long enough to remind me that I was giving in to a monster.
I closed my eyes and tried to think of Cody—his hands, his voice, the way he looked at me like I was something precious. But the memory kept fading, like trying to hold water in my hands.
Cody didn’t belong here. He was gentle.
I could feel his love in every touch. This wasn’t that. This was control.
Possession.
I wasn’t in my body. Not really.
I watched from somewhere else—high up, far away—as Landon unbuckled his belt with a sick sort of eagerness, muttering something about what used to be his. The sound had my chest collapsing in fear.
He lifted my skirt and yanked me toward him, pulling me to the edge of the counter like I was nothing. Each thrust was blunt and punishing, erasing me from the inside out. I stared past him, into nothing, watching the flecks of dust float down to the ground, where it was quiet.
Safe.
I couldn’t even fake it. Couldn’t force a sound, a response, anything.
It was like my skin didn’t fit right.
Every slow, agonizing minute that passed felt like cheating. I just needed to get through this, to survive it a little longer.
It was over, but the screaming inside my head remained. I stayed frozen in place, hoping the weight of what just happened would crush me. My body felt hollow and used as shame clung to my skin like sweat. I didn’t even have the energy to cry. I didn’t feel brave. I didn’t feel strong.
I felt gone. Like pieces of me had been left behind every time he touched me, and now there was nothing left to hold together.
I wasn’t ready to think. I just needed to breathe—to prove I still could.
I had been with Landon long enough to know that once he was done, he would take a shower immediately after. I used to hate that he would do it, but now, if I had any chance of getting his phone, it had to be in those few minutes.
I fixed my dress as Landon went upstairs to take a shower. Now was my chance. Once he walked up the stairs, I checked his jacket. No phone.
Shit, he has it with him.
I panicked as I tried to formulate a new plan, but I knew I wouldn’t have any chances after this. I was losing my hope faster than Landon was losing his grasp on reality. There was only one thing I could do—I had to risk everything to sneak into the bathroom while he was showering.
I tiptoed up the stairs, begging the floorboards to stay silent under me. The shower, aged and noisy, aided in masking my approach with its clattering pipes and the screech of water. Every step had to be swift and soft; anything less would shatter the plan I had pieced together. I nudged the door open, careful to avoid any creaking. Landon's visibility was blocked by the thick, dark shower curtain, granting me the few precious seconds I needed.
I spotted his pants crumpled on the floor by the sink, and with deliberate caution, crouched down and reached into the front pocket.
Found it.
I opened the messages, typed in Alex's number as fast as my fingers could manage, and hit send. Seeing ‘sent’ at the bottom was almost enough to bring tears to my eyes, but there was no time for celebrating. I slid the phone back into his pocket with precision, trying to remain undetected as I ensured I had left everything exactly as I had found it.
