AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Me: Not anymore you don’t.
I stuff my phone in my pocket and leave the student center, going straight for the main doors. If Riley doesn’t intend to tell me what those guys did, then I’ll have to force it out of her.
* * *
“This is new.” She howls into the chilly air as she walks up to the cabin. She’s pulled her hair up into a high ponytail since I saw her a half hour ago, and she’s wearing her black winter coat and a pair of thick-knitted mittens.
With my arms crossed over my chest, I stand tall on the small front porch of the cabin. The worn wooden planks creak beneath me as I take one step forward, the toe of my boot teetering on the edge. “Options are currently limited, and we need to have a little chat.”
Her eyes flicker from one part of the property to the next. When I purchased the warehouse, all the land, including this old cabin tucked in the corner of the fifteen acres, was part of it. It’s nothing special, just a small cabin with a kitchenette, a living room, and a bathroom. There’s a loft big enough to fit a queen-size mattress. I’ve only come here a couple times, so I don’t even have the electricity turned on. There is running well water, though. Against the back wall sits an aged wood stove, but its use would require wood. I’m many things, but a lumberjack isn’t one of them.
Riley comes toward me with slow steps, taking in the scenery. “I’ve passed by this place a couple times, but never really stopped to look. It’s…cute. And quaint.”
“Just a cabin. Nothing to get too excited about.” My lack of ability to see the beauty in the smallest things is something else I’m working on. So far, nada.
“Always such a downer,” she grumbles as she comes up the two steps and passes by me.
“And you’re always such a pain in the ass,” I retort. Although she has caught my eye at this moment and I’m finding it easy to look past the anger that has been bubbling in my stomach.
“Go on in.” My eyes roll. “Make yourself at home.” My voice is laced with sarcasm. Leave it to Riley to not await instructions. Sometimes I swear the girl lives in her own little world.
I follow behind her, leaving the door ajar to allow some daylight to seep in.
I watch intently as her eyes linger on the peeling paint, and the moss that has started to take over the chipped wooden frame. Bypassing the living area, she enters the door beside a floral imprinted, dusty couch facing a cracked box TV. I stay close as she continues to look around, curious what’s to be found in this place. I’ve owned it since my freshman year at BCU, but I’ve never inspected this cabin.
We enter a bathroom that looks like it hasn’t been used in years. A small porcelain sink sits under a ghosted mirror, and there's a stand-up shower in the corner with rusted-out tiles. The toilet lid is closed and I'd prefer to keep it that way. There's no saying what kind of filth is underneath that thing.
“I love this place,” Riley beams, and my neck cranes in confusion.
“You do?”
“It’s like a tiny house with everything you need.”
“That’s because it is. It’s a small cabin that’s run-down and weathered. Nothing to love about this dump.”
“Let me fix it up, Lev.” She spins around to face me with her fingertips pressed together in a pleading manner. “This is the perfect thing to get my mind off everything else going on.”
At first I think she’s joking, but when her lips pout into a frown, I’m pretty sure she’s serious.
“You wanna fix up this old cabin? For what?”
“I’ve always loved decorating, and I’ve got a good eye for it. It’ll be fun.”
I’d love more than anything to crush her spirits right now, but instead, I use it to my advantage. “Ya know. I brought you here because you lied to me, and all liars need to be punished.” I slide up to her, my hands running down the sleeve of her winter coat. Slowly, I unzip it, sliding it off her shoulders and push it to the floor along with her mittens. “But I’ll tell you what. You can do whatever the fuck you want to this place,” I skim my lips across her earlobe, “…as long as I get to do whatever I want, to you.”
Her voice shakes. “What do you want to do to me?”
My hands flex underneath her shirt, fingers stroking the warm, smooth skin of her stomach as I whisper, “So many dirty things.”
“No deal,” she quips, crushing my spirit. The pieces quickly reassemble when I remember that I’m the one with the power.
“I don’t like being told no, Trouble.” I slide my hands up farther, my fingers edging the cups of her bra.
Goosebumps break out under my touch, and she trembles. “Do I have a choice?”
“Nope.” I slip my hands up, pinching both of her nipples.
She whimpers, and I’m hopeful that she’ll put up more of a fight because I love it when she resists me.
