AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My boss, Ed, and all of his demands can go fuck himself. Again.
The fact of the matter is, I want to be consumed with her. And I want her to consume me in return. I know what it’s like to be alone and lost. I won’t let that happen to her. She’ll never have to be alone.
Pulling away takes every ounce of self-control I possess. But I do it. I do it and have every intention of leaving. Of letting her wake up on her own, but I take a single step, feet skidding against something. And then I see the floor.
“Holy shit, beautiful,” I whisper to her.
A stream of clothes litters the carpet. It’s such a mess, I have no idea how I didn’t put us both into some freak accident just by walking in this room.
The back of my neck prickles. Downright fucking itches. My fingers twitch.
It’s fine. It’s not a big deal.Ignore it,I growl internally.Don’t think about it!
My nostrils flare the longer and harder I stare at the mess on the floor. My gaze volleys back and forth between Atlas and the tangle of clothes on the carpet. What if she wakes up, gets out of bed, and trips over this? She could fall. Hit her head. Break her neck.
The image of her lying on the ground, skull cracked open, with no one to come help her sends a lance of pain down my spine. My fingers drum against the side of my leg.
No. I can’t let that fucking happen. She can’t die because of something so careless.
I won’t allow it.
If anyone is going to kill this maddening woman, it’s me and me alone.
Giving in to the impulse, I bend and gather the clothes into my arms and head straight to her laundry room. It’s a small nook in the corner hidden behind a door. I work quickly, shoving her dirty laundry into the machine, adding soap, and turning it on.
She’ll just have to dry them when she wakes up. I know it’s doubtful. She’ll wait, I’m sure. They’ll be left here for days before she remembers she needs clean clothes.
Satisfied, I turn to leave once again, but–
A small white cat sweeps in around my legs, a shrieking meow falling from its lips.
“Shhh,” I command.
It doesn’t give a fuck about my commands and makes the terrible noise again. My attention lands on its food bowl. Empty. Of course, it is.
I sift through the cabinets along her kitchenette until I find a bag that barely has any kibble left at the bottom. I empty the bag into the cat’s bowl, and it immediately starts purring as it eats.
Around the red collar on its neck is a golden tag that offers me his name.
“Dahmer,” I whisper to it as I stroke the cat’s soft ears and make a mental note to check in on what exactly Atlas has been feeding this cat with the fucked-up name.
I set the empty bag back in the cabinet and spot the catnip next to it. I shake a bit out on the rug by the sink, and the little white creature pounces on the spot immediately, its purrs shifting into overdrive as it rolls around on its back.
I smirk quietly, happy with my job well done. Everything’s in order here. She’ssafe.
But what about the bathroom? Why didn’t I check in there for the mountain of clothes that is surely waiting? What if she wakes up and goes to wash the grime off her body from the altercation in the alley and falls and bangs her head on the bathroom sink?
I close my eyes slowly. I crack my neck, breathe in through my nose. My hand shoves into my pocket, and I check on the lacy fabric to confirm it’s still there. Safe. Sound. Everything’s fine.
I’ll just peek. Just a single fucking peek to make sure everything in there is up to par and safe.
My fingers tighten into fists as I march into the bathroom and see the mess in there as well. No, no, no. Why is she like this? Why doesn’t she take care of herself?
I work at a rapid-fire pace, tidying everything, using the cleaning supplies to wipe along her counters, sink, and to clean the toilet from top to bottom. Jesus, who needs this many bobby pins? I ignore the scattered pile on the counter and quickly finish up the tasks. A cursory clean of the bath and shower, and I’m ready to leave until–
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
A tiny little 2 in 1 generic bottle glares at me from the corner of her bathtub. Is that the shampoo she uses?
