The Incubus Under my Bed

Chapter 4

Aria played in the hair on the nap of Henri’s neck. She honestly didn’t know what was happening to her. She didn’t know why this felt right. Henri could be a homicidal maniac for all she knew, and now he was in her world. She knew very little about incubi and all she read had little to no relevance to him and what she saw of his powers.

Her alarm went off signaling the official start to her day and the end of him. Henri groan at the sound of her alarm and threw it at her door. "Hey, wake up," Aria said as she pushed him off of her.

"C'mon," he mumbled as he snaked his arms around her waist and nuzzled his head against her breast.

Aria put her hand on the top of his head and sent an electrical jolt through his body. "What is your problem," he said pining her down against the bed with both hard around her throat.

"You're going to make someone get suspicious and open that door. Wake up, get dress, and leave me alone," she said looking deep into his eyes never once flinching under the terror in his gaze.

Henri lifted his form off of hers. "Fine, we should get in the shower before Stella wakes up."

Aria’s eyes widen at his implication. "Uh, did you just say we. We aren't doing anything together. You are getting dressed and then getting lost."

Henri shock his head and smirked. "You see I'd love to do that, but I can't. Not until our two weeks of suspended bliss are over. Until, then I'm going to be closer than your shadow," he said as he gently stroked her hair. Henri knew given enough slack on her lease Aria would run off and they’d both would be thoroughly screwed.

Aria was aware of their situation, but she was also aware of their environment. Her parents didn’t play and until she was someone’s wife she was stuck in their house under their rules. Not that it was explicitly stated, but she knew Henri broke them. "I don't know how that's going to work with my family here. I can't keep lying to them, they're not stupid," she said managing to put some space between them.

"That is why you're moving on campus with me," he said with a sure smile.

Aria’s brow arched ad she let out a hard laugh. "Like that's going to happen," she laughed harder.

Henri looked dead serious as he got closer to her. "It already has. You’re staying in a suite with Stella, and I'm your hot suitemate," he smiled proudly at her.

Aria suck her head. Henri looked dangerously certain, but what he was saying was virtually impossible. "You can't just say things and expect them to happen. You have to tell the university in advance if you want to live on campus, and it’s not worth the money, stress, or pain to do this."

"Like I said, it's already done. All you have to do is tell Stella and pack."

Aria studied Henri for a moment. He still seemed really sure about this. "How do you know Stella and I can get into a suite?" she asked as her eyes narrowed at him.

"Because I already got you into one."

And the irritation was back with full force. "How, Mr. I-live-in-your-mind? How is it that you can do something like that?" she questioned.

"I may have under talked my powers a little"-

"Ya think? You can't lie to me, you can't just go around changing things that are hard to explain," she said freaking out. She grabbed her silk kimono to cover her nakedness. She needed him to focus and for them to have a frank discussion.

"You're thinking too much right now. Your family thinks your upset about Tyrell breaking up with you-which isn't true in a million ways," he said and she shot him a death stare. "This is your ticket to freedom. Tell them you put this place on hold last semester and you're ready to try living on your own. Tell them this is what you've been hiding, and you'd like their support," he said knowing they would buy it if she sold it. But Aria wasn’t Aria lately and he knew getting her away from her family was the only way they could continue.

"I'm not lying about this. I need to be home," she said. Feeling fear creep up her spine. Her stomach started to flip and she wasn’t sure if it was anxiety or excitement she felt.

"Why?" he asked already he knew the answer. His jaw went slack and his eyes darkened.

She swallowed hoping he didn't know the truth. But it was written all over his face that he knew something he didn’t like. "Why do you need to be home?" He asked again.

Aria chewed on the inside of her lip and the lie just flew out. "Tyrell lives on campus in the suites. I can't be around him all the time."

Henri snorted at how ridiculous the words sounded as they left her lips. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have dumped him and made it seem like he dumped you," he shrugged.

Aria felt her stomach do a cartwheel. "He cheated on me," she yelled.

"He got caught in an unexplainable position, you understand don't you," he smiled.

And she knew that he knew. Of course, his smug ass knew. Somehow, he knew everything. "Say it," she said feeling her heart racing in her chest. He knew her darkest secret and she needed to hear him say it. She was tired of feeling trapped. Maybe hearing the truth from someone else could free her?

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

It was her turn to snort. "You do, just say it Henri. Say it," she ordered him.

"You," he started as he walked up to her. "Need to get ready for school," he smiled as he caressed her face.

"Say it," she whispered as she looked up into his eyes. Tears were already forming and she needed to hear those words.

He put his forehead on hers. He hated the control this had over her. That someone could mean more to her than him. "You don't want me to," he smiled.

"Say it," she said as she felt a tear trail down her cheek.

He took a breath and dropped the bomb, "You want nothing more than to have you're married professor press you against the lab door and f**k you silly," he said backing her into the bathroom door and blocking her in by placing his hands on either side of her. "You think about him all the time and make flirty eyes with him during class. You touch him whenever the opportunity presence itself, and you want him. You want him with everything you are. That's why you broke up with Tyrell, that's why you’re afraid to live on campus, that's why you're afraid of bringing me with you. You don't want to lose him. And you don't want to go too far either. You know it's wrong to want a married father of three, a man old enough to be your father, but you do. You want him," he said hoisting her up against the bathroom door and kissing her.

Aria didn't know how Henri made everything so sensual. He had control of her body and it did as it was told. The way his lips moved with hers was magic. "I have to get ready," she said pulling away from him.

"Talk to Stella first. She'll need to think about it, but she'll be in. I'll wait for you in the car."

- IUMB-

Aria had a huge problem. Stella loved living with her family. It was actually the first time Stella felt like she had one. Ever since they were kids Stella would pretend her aunt and uncle were really her parents. She wanted the normal life Aria had. She wanted to have two parents that were constantly there and that loved one another. Stella was never going to agree to leave.

"Ella can we talk for a second?" Aria asked as she knocked on Stella's door.

"Yeah could you give me a fishtail braid while I finish my makeup?"

"Leave it to you to turn going to a ceramics lecture into a photo shoot," she said laughing at her little cousin. Stella was an artist and not the weird earthy hippie kind. Stella loved fashion and colors. She lived to mix and match-push the envelope as much as she could. But she also loved to help other and chose to do art therapy instead of fashion design in some fabulous city like LA or New York.

"You know me," Stella said as she started her smoky eye.

Aria bushed Stella's hair to the side. It was soft and straight. Stella usually wrapped her hair at night to wear out. Aria, on the other hand, braided her hair all the time. Aria wore twist, micros, corn rolls, French braids, and her favorite the goddess braid which she was sporting today.

"I-I'm moving on campus," Aria said causing Stella to pause. She looked weird holding the eyeliner to her eye so long.

"Why?"

"I just want to experience new things and try living on my own. Well, I want you to live with me. There's this suite for two in the apartments on campus."-

"The ones Tyrell live in?"

"Yes, but this isn't about him. I'm fine," she insisted.

"Stalking the guy that broke your heart isn't fine. It’s a one-way ticket to a restraining order."

"Tyrell is still my friend and I care about him."

"So much you want to be his neighbor," she smiled.

"Ella just do this please. I really think this could be fun. We can finally join the clubs we want, and do fun things on campus, hangout with our friends," she said as she finished Stella's braid. "You decide," she smiled, "But I'm going, and I'd like it if you came with me."