He looked everywhere but at me and sighed. “Avery…”
“That’s fine,” I said quickly, shoving down the hurt. “I get it. It’s fine.” It was my fault for taking things so far. “I don’t blame you. I’ve said some messed up shit to you. You should hate me.”
I grabbed my plate and beelined for the hallway.
“You aren’t that little girl anymore, Av,” he called after me.
What was that supposed to mean?
Spilling my guts to Avery hadn’t been a part of the plan, but somehow, even though she was back in her room, I felt a small sliver of hope.
Being honest had cracked her just enough to drop her walls and let me in for a split second. I still hated the way her face fell, the way she clammed back up, when I didn’t respond the way she was waiting for.
It wasn’t like that was the ideal moment to tell her that no, I didn’t want her as my sister, but as the little slut I’d been crawling through the window for. I couldn’t tell her I was the one who claimed her virginity in the maze, who fucked her ass, who had her wrapped around his finger. I couldn’t tell her I was obsessed withthe tiny moans she made or the way her eyes rolled back into her head when I did something she liked.
I stayed out in the living room on my laptop all day, sending emails and catching up on work, hoping I’d spot her. She came to the kitchen for lunch—a packaged salad from the fridge—and went to the bathroom three times.
She didn’t acknowledge me once.
After ten o’clock, I gave up on trying to catch her, so I went to my room and connected my phone to the speakers. I set the volume a couple of notches higher than usual, knowing it would reach the other room.
Just because she couldn’t see me didn’t mean I’d stay invisible.
I contemplated turning up the volume even more, attempt to smoke her out of her room, but I spotted the balaclava on my dresser and decided on other plans.
I stuck the mask in my back pocket for later and grabbed the duffel bag from under my bed. It was full of fun things I’d purchased for my little sister: plugs, gags, ropes, and various vibrating toys. I was prepared for a multitude of situations, all of which ended with Avery being so exhausted from coming so many times, she was barely conscious.
So whatdidI want to do with my stepsister?
Chase her into the woods again? Tie her to another tree? Torture her in her own bed by edging her until her mind was mush?
So many options.
I grabbed a backpack from my closet, shoved a few items in, then threw it over my shoulders and started toward the window, my limbs rushing with adrenaline for what was to come. My ears were already playing the sweet sounds of her whimpers, my nose recalling her addictive scent, my fingers itching to feel her soft skin.
My body froze when I heard her bedroom door open, and panic filled my veins when her footsteps stopped at mine. I whirled around and yanked at the window, feeling my world narrow as every possible exit strategy in my head slammed shut, knowing everything was about to unravel if she caught me.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking, FUCK!
I was pulling on the window with all my might before itfinallyopened enough for me to duck down and—
“Rowen?”
Her voice was like a sharp knife in my back, full of confusion and the beginning of betrayal. I froze with my head through the window, wishing she’d go ahead and slam it on me, get it over with, because it was over for me.
She stormed over, grabbing what was in my back pocket before I could stand up. Her face morphed from shock to horror to embarrassment as she held the mask up.
The one she’d stared into many times as the one who wore it did unspeakable things to her body.
Her tear-filled brown eyes shifted to me, and she might as well have shot me on the spot. I could see her world crumbling around her as she struggled to grasp the situation.
“You…” She looked to the floor momentarily then back at me, expression teetering between fury and disbelief.
“Avery, I—”
I reached for her, but she stepped back, shaking her head and pointing a finger, the mask dangling from her palm.
“This is so fucked up,” she said into her hand. “I let you—I gave you—We—How could you—”
