Denial (44 page)

“Fuck,” he groans, pulling his mouth off of mine. It’s back in a heartbeat as he grips my ass, pushing his erection into my belly. “Holy shit, I want you so fucking bad it hurts. And I’m going to miss you so much.”

“Me too.”
Even though you’re going off to see someone else you probably miss more. But right now you’re groping me and I’m ready to tear my clothes off
. “Are you sure we don’t have any time?”
I’d love to send you off to her smelling like me
.

He lets out a frustrated groan and nips my earlobe. “Unfortunately, no. You need to be there in less than an hour, and I need to be gone fifteen minutes ago.”

I do my best to motivate him to play hooky, sliding my hand under his waistband until my fingertips graze his head of his cock. “Let me suck you off,” I rasp. I wonder if I can do it better than she does.

“
Fuck, Maya,” he pants as I start fumbling with his belt buckle. His fingers wrap around my wrists and pull them away. “You have no idea how much I want to take you up on that offer. But if you don’t make that appointment…”

My body tenses up. Oh, yeah. My psychotic ex-boyfriend doesn’t know we’ve broke
n up yet. “Right.” I peel off him.

“I’ll see you tonight.” He kisses my forehead gently. “I’ll try to get back early if I can.”
Sure you will
. “Have fun with your roommate. And try to relax at the spa, okay? Enjoy yourself.”

“You too,” I snap sarcastically.

“Maya?” Confusion floods his face.

“Sorry. I’m just nervous.”
And irrational
.

“You’re going to be here when I get back, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

He looks at me warily. “You promised you’d talk to me before you took off. Remember?”

“I’ll be here.”

I refuse to kiss him back as his lips press against mine. “I can
’t wait to see you tonight.”

If I do anything other than nod, I’m going to lose it. The last face I see as he walks out the door is that insecure expression that makes me fall apart inside. I wonder if she feels the same way when she sees it. If she melts when he feeds her the same lines about never feeling like this before. He’s an artist between the sheets, or wherever he decides to fuck you. Something tells me the manipulation doesn’t stop there.

The instant the door slams shut, I’m on my knees sobbing uncontrollably. I have no right to be this upset, but I can’t stop it. This is my problem though, not his. He probably wants to be honest, but he’s too smart for that. Girls always want guys to tell the truth and then they freak out when it’s something they don’t want to hear. It shouldn’t bother me. I went through this for a year and a half with Luke, I can do it for two weeks with him. But why does it hurt so much more? I’m crying so hard I can barely breathe.

I indulge myself with a hysterical breakdown for a few minutes before fear motivates me to get a hold of myself. Isaac has some sort of plan to keep
Luke from killing me that I really ought to listen to, so even though I know I’m going to puke when I see him walk through that door, his lust freshly sated with another woman’s body, I have to stick around. And the first step is getting to this stupid salon appointment.

***************

The fresh air in my lungs is so amazing the taint of exhaust fumes doesn’t even bother me. And sunshine. Wind. Hell, even this crowd of people rushing past me on the sidewalk. I don’t think I’ve ever gone this long without being outside in my life. It lifts my spirits instantly. Life will go on. I will get over both of them eventually. I hope.

This is about the halfway point. I let the phone ring and ring, knowing that there’s only the slightest chance she’s going to pick up.
C’mon Piper
. After three calls, it’s obvious that she won’t.

Okay, something subtle, but obvious that it’s me. ‘Pick UP! Cucumbers.’

After half a ring, “M—”

“Don’t say my name!” I shout, cutting her off.

“What the fuck?”

“They might be listening.” That’ll get her attention.

“Of course they are. Where the hell are you?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. Are you busy this afternoon?”

“No.”

“I want you to meet me at that restaurant we used to go to every Tuesday after Schillinger’s physics class. Don’t say the name.”

“What?”

“Just meet me there at 2:00.”

“Where?”

“I just told you.”

“That was like three years ago, I don’t remember where it was.”

“Damm
it, Piper. Think.”

“Just tell me the address. I’ll look it up.”

“I can’t. You used to get the fried jalapenos even though they gave you the shits. And you screwed that hot bus boy in the back room. Twice.”

“Oh yeah. I think it’s a coffee shop now, though.”

“Whatever. Just meet me there. And bring me two pairs of yoga pants, some cozy shirts, and more panties.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes! No questions.”

“What the fuck is going on?”

“I’ll explain it in person. I have to go now. Don’t try calling this number back, it won’t work. Don’t forget the panties.”

I hang up before she ruins everything with her big mouth. Glancing over my shoulder, I pull out the phone battery and casually drop the burner in the trash before heading off to the torture chamb
er.

3
5

Where the hell is she? It’s 2:05. Piper really likes jalapenos and bus boys, so that probably wasn’t the best clue. But this place is in fact a coffee shop now, so maybe she’ll show up. Even if she does
n’t, I’m just going to chill here until 4:00. I can’t bear to be up in that apartment by myself for this long.

The spa would have been a lot nicer if I had been able to stop picturing Isaac’s beautiful face as he fucked another woman the entire time. They’re probably still going at it right now, and it’s making me so sick I can’t eat this blueberry muffin. I wonder how long they’ve known each other. Is there a collar around her neck that belongs to him?

There’s this picture perfect couple holding hands at the table across from me. Is she his official girlfriend, or just the one he has on the side? I suppose it doesn’t really matter, because right now they look really happy. Giggling. Flirting. She’s probably not worried her real boyfriend is going to bust in here and strangle her like I am.

Instead, my best friend tumbles through the door, nearly knocking over a hot server that she eyes up and down before striding over to me. When she hugs me, I can’t let go at the appropriate time, inspiring the surrounding patrons to stare at us awkwardly.

“It’s so good to see you,” I mumble into her shoulder. She smells like our apartment.

“Maya, what the fuck is going on?” She’s inspecting me from head to toe. “And why to you look all glowy?”

“I’ve just been thoroughly exfoliated.”

She shakes her head dismissively. “What’s with all the secret agent crap on the phone?”

“Luke’s been monitoring mine.”

“What?”

“Yeah. And I broke up with him.”

“You’re serious?”

“I am.”

“What the fuck happened?”

“He’s an asshole.”

“And he has been the entire time you’ve been with him. So what’s new?”

“He’s really twisted.”

“Again, what the hell has changed?”

“Piper…” I peep, tears that came from nowhere overflowing.

She scoots into the seat next to me, waving the server away. “Just tell me what the fuck is going on? Did that creep hurt you? Have you been held hostage or something?”

“No. And he’s not a creep. He’s actually really nice.”

“You have the lowest standards in men, Maya. Like, lower than an old blind woman living in a third world shantytown. You’ll have to pardon my skepticism.”

Now I’m laughing while I’m crying.
Just keep staring at me, entire restaurant of normal people. That really helps.
“Seriously, he’s not nearly as weird as you’d think.”

“He fucks other people’s sex slaves for a living, Maya. It doesn’t get any weirder.”

And he’s fucking his own right now. But I’m not going to think about that and I’m somehow going to stop blubbering. Breathe. She places her hand on my back and takes a bite of my muffin. “You can have it.”

“Are you not allowed to eat? You’ve lost weight since the last time I saw you.”

“I can eat. And I can cook now, too.”

“
There are cooking lessons?”

“It’s really fun. I made fresh marinara sauce.”

“Wow. So you’re like,
cooking
cooking.”

“Yeah, he went to culinary school.”

“To train other people’s sex slaves to be better house slaves too, huh.”

I sigh. “Something like that.”

Our exasperated server comes back and Piper orders two sandwiches, insisting that I eat at least half of mine or she’s going to call the cops.

“So how did
Luke take it? Did you tell him over the phone?”

“I didn’t tell him yet.”

“Well, what the hell, you got me all excited over nothing! I’ve heard this before.”

“No, Piper. I’m done. That was the last straw. It is so over.”

“That’s what you said when he held you down and let that guy choke you, Maya. What the fuck could be worse than that?”

“Keep your voice down!”

“Shit.” She glances over at the shocked couple next to us. “Well, what?”

“It’s just the whole thing.
It was supposed to be some kind of brain washing camp so I’d start getting off on really demeaning shit. It’s pretty messed up.”

“Messed up? It does not get any more fucked up than this, Maya!” she whisper-yells into my ear. “This kind of shit makes the news. Or turns into plot for one of those demented cop shows. I have been freaking the fuck out for
days
.”

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah, because you are coming home with me.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Maya, I am going to drag you out of here by your hair, which looks amazing by the way. Did you just get highlights?”

“Yeah, just now. Are they cute?”

“They really are. You can check them out in the mirror in
our
bathroom after you finish eating that sandwich.”

“I’m not going back home yet,” I mumble with my mouth full. “This is actually very good.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“You are the queen of changing the subject!”

“I don’t care. You’re coming home. I will take you down right here in front of all of these people. You know I can.”

“I don’t want to go back. Not yet.”

“This is called Stockholm syndrome, I think.”

“Don’t be so dramatic.”

“Dramatic? I get a phone call from some unknown number and you tell me not to say your name because your psycho boyfriend is listening to us, then you tell me to bring you panties at an unnamed restaurant so you can go back to being conditioned by your ‘totally normal’ professional sex trainer.”

I laugh. “Did you bring me the panties?”

“No! I didn’t! Because you’re coming home!”

“Seriously? I really needed those panties!”

“Why?”

“Because!” Shit. The word ‘panties’ really sticks out as it travels through a crowded bistro.
Everyone
keeps looking at us and I’m pretty sure that guy in the corner is touching himself. Way to stay low key. “Look,” I whisper. “I only brought three normal pairs. And they don’t even last me through the day because I soak through them very quickly.”

“What?” The outraged expression she’s had the entire time evaporates as she lifts her eyebrows and grins. “Oh.”

“Yeah. As you might imagine, the professional sex trainer is pretty fucking good in bed.”

“When he’s not
brain washing you into becoming Luke’s housewife sex slave. Or is that part of the brain washing?”

“We haven’t really been following the program.”

“Seriously?”

“No.”

“So what have you been doing?”

“Having the best sex of my life. Probably of anyone’s life.”

She scoffs. “Well, I don’t know about that.”

“He turns my entire body into a giant clitoris, Piper. I cannot stress that enough.”

“A giant clitoris, huh? One that squirts, apparently.”

My cheeks flush. At least she’s whispering. “Yes. You didn’t mention just how much liquid was involved.”

“Oh my God,” she laughs. “You are too fucking cute.”