38. alessia

38

ALESSIA

"You slut."

Winters's statement throws me off, and I immediately feel like I'm screwed. My eyes bulge, and I start coughing on my own spit. We're having our horror movie marathon in my bedroom while Kane and Lopez stand outside.

It's the weekend, and there's not much to do. So, staying in and watching movies with my closest friend sounds like a great idea. When all I want to do is be in Daegan's arms. He didn't tell me anything. He switched shifts with Kane after our explosive night of giving in to each other, and then…that was it. He's been gone for almost three weeks now, not a text or a phone call.

Kane told me he was sent out on a mission…but it bothers me that I didn't hear it from him. I'm still very new to having a relationship that's solely based on sex, so maybe I have to get used to things like this. It's normal for this to happen, though.

I know when they are out doing missions, they can't talk, so I have to remind myself he's out there, doing God knows what, but saving people. All I can do is hope and pray he comes back alive. This is the part where I liked being with Jack. He was a civilian and unemployed for most of our relationship, but when he worked with his dad as a paralegal for him, I didn't have to worry about him being in the warzone.

I can't say I'm in love with my bodyguard, but I do care about him. I'm not sure how deep my feelings go, but…I can say he occupies my mind more than he should.

I sit up, and the soreness between my thighs screams back at me. Daegan tore me, stretched me, fucked me so hard I still feel his imprints like he promised…and I would do it again. It was the best sex and orgasm I've ever experienced. It was life-changing, to say the least. His piercings made it even more enjoyable.

I changed positions from laying on my stomach to sitting against the wall on my bed with a mouthful of microwaveable popcorn. I shrug, doing everything I can to play it cool. I do a quick double-take around my room, ensuring there's no sign of Daegan in here, while Winters stares at me suspiciously. She pops a single popcorn into her mouth and chews slowly.

"Why am I slut?" I ask casually, but on the inside, I'm a hot mess. I place the bowl of popcorn down, but because I'm stressing from the chaos happening on my tiny TV on my desk, the distractions of the screams of Neve Campbell, and a very wary Winters, the bowl falls off the edge of the bed.

"Oh, snap." I curse under my breath, and Winters squints at me like she's caught me in a lie. I pick it up and run to my closet to grab a mini broom and dustpan. She still doesn't say anything or get up from my small couch to help me. She watches me pour the remains into the trash can, and I sit back on the edge of the bed, hugging my pillow tight into my chest.

"I thought we were closer than this. How dare you hide this from me!" She scolds me and grabs more popcorn, talking down at me like I'm a schoolgirl.

I start nibbling on my nails and let out a high-pitched giggle, hoping it'll mask my nerves. "Hide what? I have no idea what you're talking about." I switch glances to the TV, unbothered, hoping my acting skills come through for this moment.

She can't know I slept with Daegan. Kane already knows, and that's enough people. I don't care how close I am with Winters. I can't say anything. We'll both get in a shit ton of trouble. Plus, this relationship of sex will never be anything more, so what's the point of talking about it?

"Care to explain that bite mark on your chest?"

Oh, fuck.

Oh, no.

I'm wearing a tank top, no bra, and my Navy sweatpants. I'm about to go to sleep soon, so I wanted to be comfortable…and now it's biting me in the ass. I can feel my cheeks turning as red as a tomato. The heat is evident, and suddenly, I need a cold bath.

"I—I," I stutter, looking at her, studying her reaction. She doesn't look mad or upset. In fact, she seems the opposite. More amused than anything.

"Who did that? Because if you did that to yourself, I'm pretty impressed."

"Let's just watch the movie, please." I turn away from her, pursing my lips after a small smile. I wave my hand toward the TV and hug the pillow tighter.

We sit in silence for the next five minutes. I'm grateful she isn't prying further, but it's short-lived.

"I'm your friend and want to see you happy after Jack. Nobody should ever feel betrayed by their partner, never mind by one of their close friends. By the way, I still can't believe Bailey did that to you. Side note, what a bitch, but anyways, before I get off track…I'm not going to ask. Maybe it isn't my business, but whoever it is, you can get in trouble for fooling around while you're here. It's not my place to bring it up with our boss…never mind your stepfather, so you can count on me. I won't do that to you. " My heart plummets to the ground at the mention of Ravenmore. I bite my nails and suck in a deep breath as she continues. "But it is my place to remind you of the consequences."

I can't look at her. I'm scared I'll break in half at her sharp tone. But I can feel her stare digging into the side of my face, and I want to run.

"I know," I whisper softly, letting my head fall, and I stare at the mark on my chest. Fire ignites, and yet, a fleeting wave of shame hits me.

"By the way, I don't really have an update for you. Whoever is texting you is good at hiding their tracks. I've gone to the best of the best when it comes to tracing the unknown, and there's no answers."

My brows arch and hope shatters at catching this person. I look at Winters to my left, and she yawns, placing her hand in front of her face as her eyes close. She sits back down and covers herself with a purple blanket, getting cozy.

"That's unfortunate." Very unfortunate is an understatement. "Thank you for trying," I reply, looking at a sleepy Winters. She unhooks her hair tie, causing her waves to fall over the pillow.

If they could find this unknown stalker of mine, Daegan and Kane could return to their team faster. And I could stop looking over my shoulder. The last thing I would ever want is to be kidnapped.

"Yeah, no problem. You know your mom texts me often to check up on you. It's cute that her little mini-me is following in her footsteps and wants to ensure you're doing okay under my guidance." She teases playfully.

I smile and lay down on my bed, but then guilt strikes my nerves. I lay my head on the pillow, tuck my hands underneath my cheek, and Daegan crosses my mind. Maybe I should call this off. I really don't want to, but the thought of getting caught and disappointing my mother…losing my job, or even tainting Daegans hard-earned reputation sinks into me, and I'm full of remorse.