I stepped closer and aimed my cock at the shrine.
At the photos.
At the stolen pieces ofus.
One final stroke?—
I came with a guttural roar, thick ropes of cum spraying across the wall.
Splattering the torn photos.
Dripping down the ticket stubs.
Coating my name that she’d circled and highlighted and starred.
Markinghershrine withme.
I kept stroking through it, milking every drop, smearing it over the orange hat, the beanie, the hoodie sleeve.
My cum glistened on the collage, claiming every inch she’d claimed of me.
I leaned forward, forehead against the cool wall, breath ragged.
She’s mine.
When she walked in…
She’d see.
She’dknow.
CHAPTER 31
OPHELIA
When I opened my eyes, everything was dark except for the thin glow of a desk lamp flickering somewhere behind me. For a second, I couldn’t remember where I was…then the smell of paper and dust hit me, heavy and stale, and my heart sank.
The stacks.
I pushed upright too fast, the corner of the table jamming into my hip, a tower of books toppling beside me with a dullcrashthat echoed through the underground room. My neck throbbed, and I could feel a faint imprint on my cheek from the spine of my notebook.
There were no windows down here. No hint of daylight. I had no idea what time it was, if it was midnight or morning or something in between.
“Oh no,” I whispered, fumbling for my phone.
It was black. Dead. I hit the button anyway, over and over, like maybe I could will it to wake up.
Nothing.
My stomach twisted. I was supposed to go to Matty’s after I was done studying. He’d probably texted and called…He was probably worried.
I pressed my hands over my face, breath catching. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep. I’d just wanted to finish one more chapter, one more page, until the words started to blur together.
I’d come to the library feeling desperate. I thought that maybe if my grades were perfect, my mother would finally back off a little. Maybe she’d see that everything was okay. ThatIwas okay.
But now, sitting here in the dark, neck aching, heart pounding, it didn’t feel like I’d made progress in anything. It just felt like I’d failed…again.
He was going to think I didn’t care.
