“Nope. Not a clue,” I reply, half-truthfully. I definitely have an idea of what happened to him, but that’s definitely not something I want to give voice to just yet.
“Good. I hope that fucker is six feet under,” Harper says, twisting the lid of her now-empty coffee cup.
A moment of silence passes.
“Is it wrong that I’m more scared of Elias than I am Kirk?” I whisper quietly, unsure if I even say it out loud.
“Oh, Kat, not at all,” she replies, her hand coming to rest on my knee.
“Something about him screamsdanger. But I feel like my heart is running towards him anyway,” I say, my eyes fixed on the dirty, beige carpet.
“You can’t help how you feel, Kat,” she replies, giving my knee a light squeeze. “Keep your guard up, but don’t close yourself off from it. He could be the best sex of your life.”
My eyes dart up and grow wide. Harper laughs in response.
“I’m just jealous, girl. He is absolutely fine,” she says, licking her full lips on the last word.
“You’re feral,” I say, playfully shoving her across the couch before we collapse in laughter.
Harper pulls her phone out of her pocket and checks the screen. “Fuck, sorry, Kat, I gotta go. I have Pilates,” she says, standing up from the couch and throwing her coffee cup into the trash can. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”
“Yes, mom,” I drawl as I pull her into a tight hug. “Now go, you don’t want to be late.”
After I push her through the door, I fall onto the couch and stare at the ceiling for a moment, listening to the faint hum of the dying refrigerator.
It’s amazing how quickly the energy drains from a room once someone leaves it. A heavy and claustrophobic stillness rings out through the apartment. Picking up the doughnut fromearlier and taking a bite, I can’t help but think… do I really have anything to lose by letting go, even just for a little bit?
Seventeen
Kat
Coming Undone – Korn
Rain beats down hard, leaving a sharp sting on my skin. My white dress, now dirty and torn, drags behind me as I run. The soft light from the moon illuminates my path through the trees. My heart rattles against my ribs, my breathing ragged.
Just a little longer.
My bare feet, caked in mud and debris, struggle to keep me upright as I weave through the maze of fir and spruce, my bloody nails digging into the bark as I drag myself along. I can’t stop now. My legs grow heavier and heavier before stopping me completely as a cramp works its way through the soles of my feet to my calves.
Shit
Dropping to the ground, I tuck myself behind a tree. I pull my knees to my chest, my hands slipping with a mixture of blood and rain. The searing pain from the cramp clamps down around my muscles and I force my mouth to stay closed, despite how much I want to cry out from the sheer agony. I tuck my shoulders in, quickly glancing behind to make sure no part of me is showing.
And here I wait. I wait for what seems like forever. My heart shows no sign of slowing down. The pain in my legs has quelled, but pain everywhere now rises in its place. I don’t know how I’m going to survive tonight, but I have to.
The sound of a whistle shoots through me like electricity.
“Princess. Come out, come out, wherever you are.” The crooning tone of his voice makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
I pull my knees tighter, the pressure against my belly growing painful with the force, but I can’t ease up or he’ll find me.
“Oh, princess…”
I tuck my head between my knees. I can’t place where the voice is coming from. It sounds like it’s coming from all angles, engulfing me. My heartbeat is painful in my chest as the tears fall freely down my face, but I force myself to stay silent. The rain is heavier now, mixing with the blood and dirt on my knees. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut.
The sound of branches snapping makes my breath catch.
He’s everywhere.
