Page 39 of His Property

“Maybe one day.”

I smile and see Mae in my mind. I don’t know how she’ll react to seeing me, but if she plays her cards right, she’ll get that shower.

12

MAE

I’m pulled from a deep sleep when my scalp tickles. Still, I don’t move. I’m in that state between consciousness and unconsciousness, but I’m jolted from my slumber when a calloused hand brushes the hair back on my forehead.

I gasp as my eyes widen, and I jerk away.

Victor is sitting on the bed staring at me, and he sets his hand in his lap. “Did I scare you?” he asks, smirking.

My heart rate slows, and I sigh as I sit up. I rub the sleep from my eyes and pull my knees up to my chest. “What time is it?”

“A little after midnight.”

I put my hands on my knees and turn my head toward Victor, not knowing what to expect. He left in a rage that seemed to come from nowhere, but now he puts off a calm, carefree vibe like normal.

“Do you want me to let you sleep?” Victor asks, seemingly uninvested in whether I let him torture me or not. Is he serious? Do I have a choice?

I rest my forehead on my knees and yawn. My muscles are so sore, I don’t know if I can take anything else from him. He’s insatiable.

“Do I have a real choice?” I ask, my eyes closed.

“Of course.” Victor scoots closer to me and runs his hand up and down my back. I stay perfectly still, but I get the urge to lean into him.

“You sure?” I ask, not at all convinced. “You’re not going to freak out on me again?”

His hand on my back stills, and I bite my tongue, wishing I had bit it sooner.

Victor sighs, and I look at him as he runs his hand through his dark blond hair.

“Sorry about that,” he says, glancing at me. “I should’ve warned you. I have low blood sugar issues, and I get hangry as fuck.”

I narrow my eyes at him.

That is the worst lie I’ve ever been told. And I’m a high school English teacher. Do you know how many students have relatives who pass away right before a paper is due?

“Speaking of.” Victor reaches into his pocket and pulls out a granola bar that’s the same brand I buy. He hands it to me, and I immediately remove the wrapper.

“Thanks,” I say just before taking a bite. My stomach thanks me for the small bit of food, and my taste buds light up. I would like a hell of a lot more, but I’ll take what I can get. If I give Victor the satisfaction of knowing I’m hungry, I’m afraid he won’t give me anything. He’s a true sadist.

I force myself to chew the bite slowly, then swallow. “How’d you know I liked this kind?”

Victor leans off the bed and grabs a duffel bag that he hoists in front of me. “I made a trip to your house.”

I put the granola bar between my teeth and eagerly open the bag. I fell asleep within an hour of Victor storming off, but I know once I’m rested the boredom will return. I pull out my term papers, along with my laptop and get damn near giddy. I find my cell phone with a missed call from TJ and a long text message after it. There are a few texts from Liz and my dad also, but TJ’s message is the one my eyes lock onto. I unlock my phone and scan the message to see that he’s gone back to his house, and he wants me to call as soon as I get this.

I force myself to put the cell phone facing down on the bed and tell myself I’ll call him as soon as Victor leaves. It’ll be the awkward conversation of a lifetime, but it has to be done. He has to know I’m okay… or at least alive.

I peek inside the bag and find a black dress I bought specifically for a date last fall that went horribly. The guy was the type to make a production of sniffing and swirling his wine. Plus, he overpronounced the Latin menu items. Just no.

The rest of the bag is stuffed with bottles of water, and my box of granola bars is in the side pocket. So Victor isn’t going to starve me, after all.

I take another bite and lay the dress flat on the bed, along with a pair of wedges that don’t go with it. I turn to Victor with an inquisitive look and continue chewing.

He gestures toward it. “Pretty.”

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