Page 5 of Anathema Codex

This way she’ll think I’m staying home,I tell myself as confidently as I can, even though my body begins to tremble slightly. I feel crazy for what I’m about to do, and maybe even a little bold, but I want to know what’s so great about them individually that they’re almost always together without me.

I purse my lips as I begin to chew on the inside of my mouth nervously. Normally, I tell Willa when I’m leaving, even if she’s asleep, because I don’t want her to hear the front door opening and closing and think that someone broke in.

Not that it would ever scare her.

She’s been into some really dark shit lately and I think it has to do with being Aftyn’s friend.

I close my eyes for a moment and take a deep breath, willing myself to be confident and to follow through with my plan.

Be brave, Dex. It’s the only way to get things done.

I slip out of Willa’s front door and close it quietly behind me, turning the knob to make sure it’s locked before I run across her lawn, and the neighbor’s after that, to get to my place.

I push the door open, which I never lock, because I figure if someone comes in and kills me, it would probably be a better thing than the way I live.

Not anymore,I tell myself as I head into my bedroom and quickly pack a bag. I make my way into the bathroom after I’ve put as many clean underwear, jeans, and shirts as I could fit into the duffle bag, then grab my toothbrush and toothpaste, assuming that there will be stops for showers and sleeping and I can slip out during those times.

Wait.

I go back into my room and lift the mattress, slide my hand under, and pull out the envelope full of cash. I don’t trust banks, so I keep my money hidden in my home.

I don’t count how much I have because I know that it should be just enough for this trip, and there are more stashes hidden here and there for the mortgage and utilities.

But not for food; never for food.

I shove the envelope to the bottom of the bag, then zip it up, and walk into my living room. I’ve never been one for sleeping. Insomnia is my best friend next to Willa, so I know I’ll be able to stay up easily for as long as I need to in order to make sure I don’t miss her leaving.

And when the opportunity presents itself, I’ll figure out a way to go on their trip too.

FOUR

Alphas & Omegas

AFTYN

I took a shower about ten minutes ago and I’ve been laying on my bed naked, arms spread out to the sides, staring at the ceiling. I wonder if I really do look like him, if he even gives a fuck about knowing I exist, and how Willa’s mouth would feel around my dick.

Oops.

I grin and chuckle at my last thought. Somehow, that little bitch gets to me in ways no one else has but she likes playing hard to get even though I’m sure she’s finger fucked herself plenty of times thinking about me.

Focus.

I switch the thoughts of Willa off with a mental flick and go back to Lakyn. What kind of name is that, anyway? He’s supposed to be this irresistible and brilliant maniac according to the email, but so am I.

Ever since I got the fucking thing, I’ve constantly compared myself to the man that had a hand in my creation—the man I don’t even know.

And in the quiet moments that I find myself thinking about him, the more I wonder why meeting him is a ‘dare.’

Also, why now? Why not ten years ago when I was languishing under my mother’s tyrannical iron rule?

That bitch never gave a shit about me. She hated me from the day I was born and treated me like garbage. I took it for as long as I could, though. Then, when the opportunity presented itself, I managed to get removed from her care.

It wasn’t the last time I saw her though.

A smirk starts to cross my lips, but I decide that for now it’s best to keep her and Lakyn as separate thoughts in my mind. I want to meet him first to see what the big deal is and if her hating me over him was worth the years she spent inadvertently making me into the man I’ve become today.

I turn on my side and bend a leg as I slip an arm under my pillow and glance at the clock. Three in the fucking morning and I’m still not tired enough to go to sleep.

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