Free me.
Her mouth is still parted, her breaths shallow and fast. Her shaking fingers curl against the edge of the mask, tugging until it gives, until it falls away completely.
And just like that—it’s gone.
“My name is Kellan Flynn Hastings. I’m thirty years old, I’m a lineman, I love romance and fantasy books, I play video games, and my favorite food is pizza. I’ve never been married. I love the fall, pumpkin spice lattes and… a woman named Opal.”
Her hands fly to her mouth, a strangled sound breaking from her throat as she stares.
My chest caves in on itself. The weight of everything presses down as I force the words out.
“I hid because if I didn’t… you’d know.” My hands fist against my thighs, burning through me. “You’d know the shameful things I was doing. That I was following you. Watchingyou. I thought if I told you…I’d scare you and I’d no longer get to see you.”
I take a long shaky breath and continue. “I overheard you at Target, talking about a Halloween party. And that you’d be dressed…umslutty. And I…I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see that…”
She smiles, and it lifts the crushing weight from my chest.
“I went home and found your HappyReads profile, that’s where I learned how much you loved Kade Cross. And I took on the roll. In hopes to get your attention. I drove to your apartment the next day and I… waited. I followed the Uber to the party… and well you know the rest.”
Her eyes brim, tears spilling over until she’s crying—soft, broken cries that slice straight through me.
“I never told you, because I thought you’d think I was a freak.”
Then she moves. Dropping down onto her knees in front of me, her warmth colliding with mine. Her hands frame my face, like she’s not repulsed. She laughs between sobs.
She finally speaks.
“Lucky for you, I’m a freak too, Kellan.”
And then her lips crash against mine.
It’s deep and desperate.
I groan into her mouth, clutching her, my entire body unraveling under the weight of her.
When we finally break apart, our mouths still tingling, I can barely breathe.
“Every time I left you…” my voice cracks, and I press my forehead to hers. “I’d sit in the parking lot, frozen. Because it felt like I left a piece of me in your bedroom.”
Her breath hitches, her fingers fisting my shirt. And then her phone buzzes and her face pales. “Oh my God I forgot about Nook & Fable.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
OPAL
The echo of his voice—wild and possessive lingers in my mind. “She’s mine! MINE!”Even now, despite the circumstance, a wetness pools between my thighs. It shouldn’t, but I can’t help it.
I can’t believe this is real. I have stepped into one of those dark, twisted romance novels I devour late at night.
And I’ve fallen for the main character, regardless of his confession, admitting his sickly-sweet tendencies.
My phone buzzes on the coffee table, startling me. I glance at the screen—work. Shit. I completely forgot I was supposed to be there. I swipe to answer, my voice rushed.
“Hello?”
“Opal? Everything okay? You were supposed to be in at ten remember? It’s 10:45”
Guilt floods me. “Oh my god Alex, I’m so sorry. I—I can’t come in today.”
