Chapter 3

Chapter Three

SLOAN

I slept like absolute shit, and I spent the strong majority of the night tossing and turning while I waited for Alex to come back, but he never did. This cabin isn’t insulated very well and I couldn’t figure out how to get the fire started without the risk of burning down the place, so I froze while I drifted in and out of sleep.

A friendly old man from a rideshare brought me to the cabin last night after the fight Alex and I had. I knew he’d need time and space to cool off. And to be honest, I needed that too. In hindsight, it’s possible that I let myself get too into my head over dinner, and that I may have directed too much of my anger at Alex when it was his parents I should have been frustrated with. I only have to see them a few times a year. If I want things to work with Alex, I have to accept the fact that it’s well within my best interest to be on good behavior and keep my lips sealed when I’m with them, even if they’re assholes.

Last night as I walked through the streets of Holly Grove, I quickly noticed people staring at me, whispering amongst themselves as I passed. It was a reminder that word travels fast in these small towns. At least one person had seen Alex hit me, and now that it’s the following morning, I’m sure the entire town knows.

Rolling over, I grab my phone, lighting up the screen as I tap it with my index finger. I groan, rolling my eyes when the first thing I see is a text from Alex’s mom.

I expect you and Alex will meet me for lunch to discuss the altercation which occurred in town last night. We need to get ahead of it before the town has more time to change the narrative. 12:00 pm sharp - Alex knows the restaurant.

Of course, Alex knows the restaurant. There are only a handful of places to eat in Holly Grove and Alex told me most of them wouldn’t pass a health inspection if the owners weren’t so closely knit with the one and only inspector.

The next ten or so minutes are spent scrolling through my various social media apps and responding to “Merry Christmas Eve” texts from friends and family. I’m already trying to mentally prepare myself for all of the engagement posts I’ll see later this evening. Alex and I are nowhere near ready for a commitment that large, but a small part of me dies inside every time I see someone else from high school posting their engagement or pregnancy announcement photos. I didn’t think I’d be approaching twenty eight with no engagement in sight. Most of the people I went to high school with are married with kids. I thought that would be me too, but it hasn’t been in the cards for me yet.

Throwing the blankets off my legs, I shiver as the cool air rushes in around me, stealing the body heat I desperately tried to keep all night long. But I need coffee, so I sigh as I pad across the icy floors, heading straight for the cozy kitchen. It takes me a minute to find everything, but I eventually have all I need to make coffee. After pouring the dark roast grounds into the filter, I close the coffee machine up and press the button to begin the brew cycle. Steam immediately rises from the top of the tank, spitting small beads of scalding water into the air. The hot coffee begins pouring down from the drip, making my eyes instinctually flutter closed with delight, and I let my shoulders drop while I inhale the rich scent.

I need this. There isn’t enough caffeine to get me through Christmas with Alex’s family, but I’ll still consume my weight in it.

A small black box placed in the center of the kitchen table catches my eye. Leaving the coffee machine, I approach it, looking around the room for Alex. I hadn’t heard him come in, but this box wasn’t here when I came in last night. I sat at the table for over an hour before I crawled into bed. I would have noticed it.

There’s a silky onyx ribbon wrapped neatly around the matte box, making it appear luxurious. Picking it up with one hand, I glance around the room one more time before deciding to open it. The ribbon unravels easily as I pull it. Opening the lid, I find a piece of paper that has been folded and tucked inside the box. I pluck it from the box, revealing a giant wad of cash and a brass key. My eyes widen as I realize just how thick the stack of cash is. There’s easily several thousand dollars here. Unfolding the note, I begin to read it.

Let me show you what it’s like to be cherished. I have a few things to take care of before I meet you this evening, so please take this cash and spend the day shopping. Buy yourself something nice while you wait for me.

I breathe in relief as I realize this means I won’t have to see Alex’s mom today after all. Part of me is also relieved that I get to blow off the steam of last night with all of this cash. I’ve always known he has a shit load of money, but this… this is insane. And he’s just telling me to go spend it like it’s nothing? This doesn’t make up for last night… but it helps.

When the sun goes down, our game begins. Race me to the church for midnight mass - 1043 Chestnut Avenue

The rules are simple:

1 If I catch you once, I get to eat you.

2 If I catch you twice, you have to suck me.

3 If I catch you three times, I get to fuck you.

4 If I catch you three times AND get to the church before you, nothing is off-limits.

Begin: Sundown

End: Midnight

Don’t get caught.

Best of luck, my sweet doe,

A

I’m grinning from ear to ear as I reread the note a second time, and then a third. Alex must really feel bad about last night if he’s setting up a sexy game for us to play and giving me thousands of dollars to spend on whatever I want. It sounds risky, especially considering all eyes will probably be on us today, so we’ll have to be sneaky. But I suppose that’s the thrill of it.What fun would it be if we didn’t have to sneak around?

Alex has never been one to be spontaneous like this, but this actually sounds like a good time. I already want him to catch me. It’s always been a fantasy of mine to play a feral game of cat and mouse, and he’s making my dream come true.

Maybe he isn’t such a mommy’s boy after all. Perhaps he’s got a darker, wild side I haven’t seen yet.

God, I hope he does.

Feeling suddenly energized, I forget all about my coffee as I run to the bathroom for a quick shower and to warm up before heading out for a full day of shopping and exploring the town. It takes me well over an hour to shower, fix my hair, and throw on a face of makeup. Deciding to dress the part, I slip into a red long sleeved dress, which ends at my upper thigh. Fur-lined black boots rise over my knees, exposing my translucent black tights, which I’m hoping Alex will rip open at some point this evening.

As I head out the heavy cabin door, I slide my arms through a black overcoat and secure red and white earmuffs over my ears before they have a chance to get cold. I look and feel hot as fuck. Alex’s mom will have a heart attack if she sees me like this, so I need to be extra careful.

Don’t get caught, the words written on the note, replay in my mind, effortlessly sending heat between my thighs.

Today is going to be a good fucking day.