Page 37 of We Own Each Other

WE WERE MEETING at a coffee shop. It was only a few blocks down the street, and then we’d be moving on to a restaurant only a few more blocks from there. That meant we got to hold hands as we walked from the apartment building to the meeting spot, and I enjoyed every second of it.

It was almost a disappointment when we finally made it to the coffee place, though the scent of brewing coffee and fresh ground beans was a welcome reward. The barista at the counter called out to us, welcoming us inside, and Corin moved to place an order. Before he got too far, he peered back and asked:

“You want anything?”

I shook my head, glancing over the bustling crowd of people sitting, eating, drinking, talking, and working. It was impressive how many people there were, as it was well into the evening. There was a buzz in the air that filled me with excitement and electricity. I hadn’t even considered working at a coffee shop, but I was already adding this one to my list.

But that rush of energy was soon flushed out of me when my gaze landed on an all too familiar face.

My entire body began to shake, even as Corin nestled up next to me once more, taking my hand in his and guiding us toward the crowd.

I hoped we weren’t heading toward him.

I even prayed we weren’t.

But every step brought us closer and closer to them, and, to my anguish, Corin guided us right to the table he was sitting at. He pulled out a chair and motioned for me to sit, which was when the man I didn’t want to see finally looked up to meet my gaze.

He didn’t seem to recognize me at first, which gave me a minute amount of relief, but the longer he stared at me, the more his facial expression began to morph into something I could only describe as abject terror.

Still, I sat down, and Corin sat right beside me.

Completely unaware of the turmoil brewing right in front of him, Corin piped up with blinding excitement.

“Hi! Thank you so much for agreeing to meet. Again, my name is Dr. Attwater, but you can call me Corin, and this,” his hand gripped my arm, and it was enough to send my heart sinking into my stomach, “is my partner, Luke.”

What should have followed were more introductions and niceties, but there was an intense silence instead.

I couldn’t believe it.

There was no way.

But I had no choice but to believe it. There, seated before me, was Anthony Griff. And he looked just as shocked to see me as I was to see him. His hand flailed, reaching for Noah’s arm and missing a few times before clawing into his sleeve and finding purchase on his upper arm.

“We need to go.”

The man next to him, presumably his Dom, gave him a confused look and then gave me the same one. Still, he sat up. He was getting ready to bolt if need be, and I was kind of hoping they would.

Though even if they did leave, this toothpaste wasn’t going back in the tube.

Noah’s mouth opened, like he was going to ask something, but then Corin’s hand was on top of mine. When I met his gaze, he was giving that same look of confusion.

“What’s going on? Do you… know them?”

I shook my head, stopped myself, then nodded.

“I know…” I glanced over at Anthony, and his eyes were narrowed into a glare. In that moment, I was so glad he wasn’t a Dom. “I know him. Anthony.”

Noah was staring intently at Anthony, and when their eyes met, his face softened into something so gentle and tender it was almost sickening. His hands found Anthony’s face, stroking his cheeks as he prodded:

“Who is he?”

Anthony’s attention, though, shifted entirely to me. That glare was as sharp as a knife, bringing back all of the horrible memories I had of our training sessions. I could still remember the soft whimpers he would make as his body shook from pleasure. It hadn’t been all that long ago that I had cherished those memories. Now, though, they only filled me with dread.

I couldn’t imagine how they made Anthony feel, but it didn’t take long until I knew. He growled:

“This is the guy who trained me, so the Dom I was sold off to would be pleased. He was my dad’s Sub.”

It felt like all of the air in the room was suddenly sucked out, and everything was blanketed in an impenetrable silence. But it was just us. It was just this table. Around us, the world was still moving right along, like it wasn’t falling apart around them.