10. Chapter Ten

The second I pried my eyes open, I knew something was off.

Not only had the shadow figure haunted my dreams, his hands exploring every inch of my body as I tried to run away, but I was naked. Or, mostly naked. At some point during the night, I'd ditched my shorts on the floor.

Heat scorched my cheeks, and I looked around, embarrassed. Had I really masturbated in my sleep to the thought of the hooded figure? Why else would I have ditched only my pajama bottoms? Had he watched me in the night, staring at my naked ass as I slept?

My thigh hit something cold and damp on the bed when I tried to move, and my stomach dropped. I flinched, alarmed at the sensation, before realization had me blushing even more.

Holy hell.I'd masturbated plenty of times, but I'd never soaked my sheets. I moved, heart racing as my eyes landed on the wet spot I'd created, and I stared in disbelief. That must have been a really, really good dream.

Had the shadow watched the whole thing?

I grabbed the blanket, pulling it up to my chin. It didn't matter much, I guessed. If he'd seen me naked once, he'd probably seen me naked a hundred times, but the sudden revelation had me feeling immodest, ashamed.

With a groan, I reached for my phone. It was already mid-morning, but I was grateful I got to sleep in. It wasn't often that my school and work schedules aligned to give me an entire off day, but I usually spent them catching up on laundry and rest. Today, I doubted I'd get to relax much with thoughts of the shadow haunting me and my tattoo appointment later, but I'd give it a shot anyway.

After hurriedly pulling on a pair of sweatpants, I headed to the kitchen for breakfast, my stomach grumbling in protest. I hadn't eaten much of anything yesterday because anxiety had ruined my appetite, and I was starving. Unfortunately, our pantry was nearly bare because neither of us had gone shopping in a couple of weeks.

Damn it, I thought as I opened one of the cabinets and saw the limited options. Maybe I could swing by the store and grab a few things before my tattoo appointment with Marcus. I didn't have much left in my bank account, especially after buying drinks yesterday, but it was only a few days until payday. We didn't need a lot to last until then.

I settled on poptarts and an apple that had started to go soft. Then, I poured myself the last drops of orange juice, tossing the empty jug in the trash before heading for the couch. I dragged the coffee table over and grabbed the remote before getting comfortable, flipping through the channels on the small flat screen as I nibbled on my breakfast.

For a moment, things felt normal.

There was no sign of the shadow, nor the invisible weight on my shoulders that told me he was nearby. There was no tightness in my chest, and for the first time in several days, I felt like I could breathe. I wasn"t sure if it was the magic of a dream-induced orgasm or the nostalgia of the game show on the television that lulled me into a sense of comfort, but I would take it while it lasted, even if it was short-lived.

I hadn"t spoken to Lennon since our fight, and I didn"t have any missed calls or texts which told me she wasn"t eager to talk. That was fine. We each deserved a little time to ourselves. After all, we"d seen each other every single day for the last twenty-two years. It was okay to have our own space, right?

Besides, she would have probably preferred me to talk to a school counselor than listen to more ramblings about a shadow man. I sulked at the thought, recalling our conversation from the night before, with a mix of disbelief and disappointment.

She basically said I was crazy without saying it.

After wasting hours lounging on the couch, and even squeezing in a nap, I cleaned up my dishes and decided to shower and get dressed. Laundry could wait for another day, even though I was running out of my favorite clothes to wear. I normally opted for comfort over anything else, but all my leggings and T-shirts were dirty. I had enough obscure pieces to get me through the next couple of days, and that was good enough. They might just be a little more eccentric than normal, but I didn"t care.

It wasn"t like I had anyone to impress.

I was towel drying my hair and browsing the clothes hanging in my closet when my phone pinged with a notification.

Boss man: Marcus is running behind on appointments. Can you come in at 8?

I rolled my eyes. Of course, he was running late. Since when did he stick to a schedule? Definitely not since I"d known him, and the shop closed at eight on weeknights, which meant we would be stuck there after hours.

Wonderful.

Tapping out a quick reply, I assured him that eight o"clock would do, and tossed the phone onto my bed.

With more time to kill than I cared for, I took my time picking out an outfit—ripped fishnets, a skirt, and a cut-off shirt. Opting for more jewelry than I typically wore, and because I had ample time to play around with the shiny things I"d neglected for months, I draped silver chain necklaces around my neck and added one around my waist. I even put on makeup, lining my eyes with thick black liner as I waited for the shadow figure to join me in the reflection, but there was still no sign of him.

That"s good, at least, unless he was lurking nearby invisibly. I shoved that thought from my mind. If I dwelled on his constant presence when I couldn"t see him, I"d drive myself insane sooner than later, so I just had to pretend he wasn"t there. I"d been doing the same thing for the past three years. This wasn"t any different.

I donned my combat boots, my own personal staple at this point considering how often I wore them, and walked the few blocks to the closest grocery store. It wasn"t the cheapest place to stock up, but it beat wasting gas and driving across town to the discount warehouse. I didn"t get much, just a few things that wouldn"t tire me out on the walk home, but it drained almost every cent in my measly bank account. Payday couldn"t come fast enough...

Lennon had work that night, so I didn"t see her before I left for the tattoo shop. I thought about texting her and letting her know I wouldn"t be home, just in case she beat me back and started to worry, but I quickly changed my mind. If she could go on dates without so much as a head's up, I could get a tattoo without telling her anything.

It was petty, but I didn"t care.

I slung a tiny cross-body over my shoulder and headed for the door, checking over my shoulder a final time for any sign of the shadow. Still, he wasn"t there. I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe my luck was finally looking up. Maybe he"d leave me in peace for a day, or more.

If that happened, the first thing I planned to do was buy a lottery ticket, because he hadn"t left me alone that long since the first time he appeared. Three whole years, and he hadn"t missed a single day. He might have been malicious, but he was more loyal than any man I"d ever met.

I froze, scolding myself. Jovie, you"re losing your fucking mind.

A rumble of thunder outside made me flinch, and my heart sank. Of course, it was going to rain again. This time of year in Davenport was always wet and dreary, and it would be this way for at least another month. I wasn't looking forward to four more weeks of humid air, soaked clothes, and murky treks to school.

I grumbled, grabbing my umbrella from the wall hook by the door, and made my way to Getting Stabby.

Despite the late hour, I"d hoped a few of the tattoo artists would still be hanging around the way they normally did when the shop closed. However, as I stepped through the front door and the little bell jingled above my head, the only people I saw were Marcus and his current canvas at one of the stations. He was tattooing an anchor on the back of the guy"s calf, headphones in, and didn"t even look up as I hung back by the receptionist desk.

I wasn"t sure how I felt about being stuck alone with Marcus in the shop. It"s not that I didn"t trust him, but he didn"t give me good vibes the way Luke did. He was loud, a little full of himself, and not typically someone I"d talk to or spend time with.

Thankfully, it was just a small flash tattoo, and I"d be out the door before very long. A few minutes, that"s all I"d have to deal with him.

I can do this.

I shifted closer to the receptionist desk, waiting for either of them to spot me. Just as I was about to give up and go let him know I"d arrived, a figure shifted at the other end of the shop. I sucked in a sharp breath, bracing myself to see the shadow looming between the piercing rooms at the back, but it was just Luke.

I relaxed, a nervous chuckle escaping.

Thank God. I wouldn"t be stuck alone with Marcus after all. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"That"s funny," Luke said with a half-laugh as he approached. "I didn"t know you owned anything other than sweats." He was clearly in a good mood if he was already talking to me. Normally, it took him a bit to warm up.

I laughed mockingly. "Surprise. I own real clothes."

He stopped a few feet away, his arms crossed over his massive chest. "You know what you"re going to get yet?"

"Nope." I shrugged. "I figured I"d make a rash, last minute decision that I"ll regret for the next six months until I bribe someone to fix it."

He laughed, relieving the rest of my anxiety, and shook his head. "Is that someone me?"

"Of course." I rolled my eyes playfully. "You know Kiefer would tell me to live with the consequences of my actions. Who else is going to fix it?"

"Funny, kid," he said, chuckling again. "Well, you"re in decent hands. Hopefully, you won"t regret it too much. You"ll have to show it to me tomorrow."

I froze, arching a brow at him. "Wh... you"re leaving?"

"Yeah, I"m headed to the comedy club."

"Who the hell goes to the comedy club this late in the middle of the week?" I gaped at him, confused.

"No one. That's the point." He smiled, obviously proud of himself, and checked the time on his watch. "They were giving away tickets, so a buddy of mine grabbed them. Probably gonna be trash, but it beats sitting at home."

My eyes flicked to Marcus, who was now bobbing his head to the unheard music playing in his ears while his client squirmed on the table, then back to the shop owner beside me. I didn"t want him to go, didn"t want him to leave me alone with the tattoo apprentice, but there was nothing I could say. It was a silly argument, one I wouldn"t win, and I would have felt guilty for asking him to miss out on a night with his friends to stay and babysit me.

I was screwed. So much for my brief streak of luck.

"You"ll have to tell me how it is," I said, mustering all the enthusiasm I could manage, which wasn"t much. I even added a forced smile for pizzazz, and he bought it, clapping a hand on my shoulder before heading toward the front door.

"See ya."

Before I could even mutter a goodbye, he was gone, turning down the sidewalk and heading off into the night. I tried not to be disappointed, but I couldn't ignore the unease settling in my gut. I didn't like this at all, and I was regretting my decision to get a tattoo.

Was it too late to back out?

I shifted uncomfortably, my eyes lingering on Marcus while he worked, praying silently to any gods listening that the unease in my gut was just nerves and not something more sinister.