009
1159 Words
LENA
“I want to know,” Mark’s voice broke through the quiet, low, deliberate, as if he already knew, yet needed her to say it.
“Why is Chloe always around?”
I froze, one hand lingering on the counter, the other brushing absently over my hoodie. His voice alone had me stiff, like he had stepped straight into my thoughts.
“Because… she’s… she’s my best friend,” I murmured. “We’ve… known each other since we were kids. She’s the only child, she’s… always been around. Since my mom left.”
Mark tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. His stare was sharp, steady, not giving me room to look away.
“No friends, huh? Maybe… because you’ve been a bad girl?” His smirk was teasing, but it cut deep, like he was testing how far he could go.
I swallowed hard, lips pressing together. My throat ached with the words I couldn’t say. “I… I don’t think that’s—” My voice cracked, and I faltered under his stare.
“Hmm,” he said, slow, deliberate, letting the word hang over the room. His hand brushed against the edge of the counter near mine, just a whisper of contact, yet it sent a shiver straight through me. He didn’t stop there.
He leaned in, palm flat on the counter, his arm caging me in. His body didn’t touch mine, but it didn’t need to. The heat from him closed the gap, pressing against me without ever making contact.
“So… you like keeping her close, don’t you? You don’t… feel some kind of way when she’s close to me..?” His words slid in close, brushing along my ear like they belonged inside me.
“I—maybe,” I admitted, heat rising to my cheeks. My hands fumbled against the counter, twisting the edge of the hoodie string.
Mark chuckled softly, a low, dangerous sound that made my fingers twitch. His other hand caught the dangling string, giving it the lightest tug. The fabric stretched against my chest, pulling me forward, closer into his space. “Careful… all that safety she claimed to give can be a trap.”
He pulled the string again, lazy, deliberate. His knuckles brushed my hip, grazing as if by accident, but his smirk said it was anything but.
“All that trust you have in her… it’s fragile. Easy to break.”
I shivered, my hands twisting tighter around the hoodie, trying to steady my pulse. “I… I just… we’ve been friends forever,” I whispered. My voice shook. “She… she doesn’t have anyone else.”
“Forever, huh?” he murmured, stepping closer, close enough that the counter pressed into my back. The faint scent of his cologne mixed with that of the fresh coffee that stayed in the air. “Yet here I am, and you’re…” His eyes wavered down my face, lower, pausing. “Distracted. Wanting me.”
I pressed my palms harder to the counter, grounding myself, though every nerve screamed. My legs felt weak, my mouth dry. “I—” The words stuck, useless, dead in my throat.
Mark’s smirk widened, subtle, dangerous. “Don’t worry. I notice… every glance you try to bury, every thought you think you’ve hidden. I see it all—and before long, I’ll make sure you feel it too.”
He let the hoodie string slide from his hand, watching as it fell limp against me. But his eyes didn’t drop. They stayed locked on mine, pinning me down more effectively than his body ever could.
I shifted, desperate for space. My thighs pressed together, betraying me. My chest heaved, shallow breaths giving me away. “I… I need to…” The words broke apart, hanging uselessly.
“Need to what?” he asked softly, leaning closer until I could see the faint stubble along his jaw, the way his lips curved at the edge. “Tell me? Admit it? Or just… suffer quietly?”
I swallowed hard, chest tight, heat pooling in places I didn’t dare acknowledge. My hands slipped from the counter, pressing against my thighs as if to hide what my body was already saying. “I… I just…”
“Shh,” he murmured. He brushed my hair back from my face, thumb grazing my cheek. His touch lingered just long enough to make my knees buckle. “No words. Let me guide this. Let me… take control.” His hand slid lower, teasing along my hip again, deliberate and slow.
My breath hitched, legs stuck in place. I wanted to flee, to run to my room, but my body betrayed me, caught between craving and fear.
Finally, I murmured, “I need… to… freshen up.”
Mark’s lips curved faintly, satisfied. “Go then. But… don’t stay too long. I like knowing exactly where you are.”
I moved, slow, deliberate, every step dragging as though his eyes followed me. I reached my room, shut the door, locked it. My back pressed to the wood, a shaky exhale escaping my lips.
Water ran over my hands as I brushed my hair from my face. My reflection stared back, cheeks flushed, lips parted. My phone beeped on the desk—Chloe’s name lit the screen. I turned it face down without answering, pressing it hard against the table top.
I sank onto the bed, tugging the blanket close. My knees pressed together, shivering at the echo of his thumb at my cheek, his knuckles at my hip.
I dressed slowly, heart still racing, pulling on a soft hoodie and shorts.
Eventually, I gathered myself and stepped back downstairs, light and careful. Mark was at the desk, phone to his ear.
I froze at the doorway, pulse jumping, fingers curling against the frame. He didn’t see me yet.
“Ella,” I heard him murmur, voice low but firm. “Yes… I’ve finalized everything. You don’t need to call again. I’ve done what needed to be done. No more reminders. I… I don’t want to hear from you again.”
His words were sharp, final. My stomach twisted. I crept closer, careful, toes brushing the rug. My heel caught the edge, a scrape too loud in the quiet. I froze, breath trapped in my chest, praying he hadn’t noticed.
“…Yes. I’ve moved on. Everything is concluded. I found someone else. Someone who matters.” His voice dropped even lower, almost a growl.
I pressed my hands to my mouth, breath catching. Every word carved into me, and yet… every word also made my body rush with heat, with danger, with the knowledge that this man, this Mark, controlled everything around me—even my obsession, even my jealousy, even my desire.
“I… I am done with you,” he said again, voice still firm and calm.
“I found someone else.”
- Writer
