The sun burns my retinas as I drag my aching body up Emily's driveway. My shoes scrape against concrete with each exhausted step, the sound echoing in my skull like sandpaper on bone. Eight hours of stocking shelves, mopping spills, and dealing with the lonely night owls of Quick Mart has hollowed me out completely.
Holly appears in my path like a mirage, keys dangling from her fingers, backpack slung over one shoulder. She's dressed for class in a neat button-down and jeans, her brown hair pulled back in that perfect ponytail that never seems to have a single strand out of place. Those wire-rimmed glasses catch the morning light as she turns to face me.
"Did you walk home?" she asks, cocking an eyebrow behind those glasses.
"Yeah." My voice comes out as rough as I feel, throat dry from the long trek.
"Why didn't you ask me or my mom for a ride?"
I shrug, shifting my weight to my other foot. "Why would I?"
Holly's eyes narrow slightly, studying me like I'm some peculiar specimen she's discovered under a microscope. "It's almost three miles away, Dan."
"It's a good walk." I attempt to step around her, but she shifts to block my path.
"You look like shit," she says, her tone hovering somewhere between concern and criticism. Her eyes travel down my rumpled Quick Mart uniform, lingering on the coffee stain I acquired around 4 AM when a trucker bumped into me. "Did you even take your break?"
I don't answer. The truth is, I spent my break hiding in the bathroom, sitting on the closed toilet lid with my head in my hands, trying not to fall apart. Jimmy Swanks had long gone home after losing on all of his scratchers.
Holly sighs, adjusting her glasses with that precise gesture I've come to recognize. "Look, I have class in an hour, but I can drive you next time. Just text me."
"Thanks," I mutter, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. As if I'd willingly put myself in a confined space with her after what happened yesterday.
She steps closer, her voice dropping to a whisper even though we're alone in the driveway. "I've been thinking about our arrangement," she says, her fingers brushing against my arm with deliberate lightness. "Maybe we could meet up later today after my economics lecture? Mom has errands to run today."
My stomach lurches violently. "I need to sleep," I say, the words coming out sharper than I intended.
Holly stares at me with those calculating eyes. Something in my expression must give her pause because her face softens unexpectedly. She reaches up and gently wipes at a spot near my temple.
"You've got something..." she murmurs, her thumb brushing against my skin. "Probably from work."
I stand perfectly still, like prey hoping the predator will lose interest if I don't move. Her touch feels like acid on my skin, a reminder of yesterday's violation that I can't scrub away.
"You're right, though," she says, withdrawing her hand. "You need rest."
I blink, caught off guard by her sudden retreat. "You're not going to push that?"
Holly laughs, the sound lighter than I expect, almost genuine. She adjusts her glasses with that precise gesture that reminds me so much of the academic she is beneath all this manipulation.
"I'm not trying to ruin your life, Daniel," she says, her voice surprisingly sincere.
"It sure doesn't seem like you're trying to help me."
She leans closer, her ponytail swinging slightly as she brings her lips near my ear. The proximity makes my skin crawl, but I'm too tired to step away.
"Long term, Daniel," she whispers, her breath warm against my skin, "my goal is to give you the ultimate happiness."
"Whatever that means?" I mutter, swaying slightly on my feet. The exhaustion feels like concrete in my bones, weighing me down until standing becomes an act of pure willpower. "Look, I'm seriously about to collapse right here in the driveway."
Before I can step around her, Holly moves with surprising quickness. Her hands grip my shoulders as she rises on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against mine in a brief but unmistakably possessive kiss. I freeze, too shocked and tired to react as she pulls away, a calculating smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
"Bye bye, Daniel," she says sweetly, patting my cheek once before turning toward her car. "Get some sleep. I'll check on you later."
I stand there, rooted to the spot as she slides into her car and backs out of the driveway. The casual way she claimed me, like I'm already her property, makes my skin crawl. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, trying to erase the feeling of her lips on mine.
When her car finally disappears around the corner, I drag myself toward the front door. My key fumbles in the lock.
The door finally gives way, and I stumble inside, desperate for the sanctuary of a dark room and a soft bed. The house is quiet, almost eerily so after the constant fluorescent buzz of Quick Mart.
"Danny? Is that you?"
Emily's voice floats from the living room, instantly sending a wave of both comfort and guilt washing over me. I haven't prepared myself to face her yet, not with Holly's threat hanging over me like a guillotine blade.
Before I can even respond, Emily appears in the hallway entrance. She looks radiant, freshly showered with her white hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders. She's wearing a simple silk robe that catches the morning light, making her glow like some ethereal being too perfect for this world.
"Oh my baby!" she exclaims, her face lighting up with pure joy when she sees me. "You're finally home!"
She practically launches herself at me, crossing the distance between us in three quick strides. Her arms wrap around me with surprising strength as she pulls me into an embrace so fierce it nearly knocks the wind from my lungs. The scent of her expensive perfume envelops me, familiar and comforting.
"I missed you," she murmurs against my neck, squeezing me tighter. "The bed feels so empty without you."
I melt into her embrace, my arms automatically circling her waist as I bury my face in her hair. For just a moment, everything else falls away, Holly, the blackmail, the violation, and all that exists is Emily's warmth against me.
"I missed you too," I mumble, my voice muffled against her shoulder.
She pulls back slightly, her hands framing my face as she studies me with concern, etching fine lines around her eyes. "You look exhausted, sweetheart. Was it a rough night?"
"Just busy," I manage, attempting a smile that probably looks as hollow as I feel. "Nothing unusual."
Emily brushes her thumb across my cheekbone, her touch featherlight but grounding. "Have you eaten anything since yesterday?" She studies my face with that maternal concern that always makes something warm unfurl in my chest.
"Just some vending machine stuff," I admit, swaying slightly on my feet.
She clicks her tongue disapprovingly. "You poor thing. I could make you some breakfast? Or would you rather just get some sleep first?"
The thought of food makes my stomach twist uncomfortably. All I want is to close my eyes and escape reality. But more than that, I need her, her warmth, her presence, something pure to wash away the lingering feeling of Holly's hands on me.
"Would you mind if I just... fall asleep while cuddling with you?" The request sounds childish to my own ears, but I can't bring myself to care.
Emily's entire face transforms, her eyes lighting up with such pure, maternal warmth that it makes my chest ache. It's like watching the sun break through storm clouds, the way her expression softens into something almost reverent.
"Come on," she whispers, taking my hand in hers. Her fingers intertwine with mine as she gently pulls me toward the bedroom, her touch so different from Holly's calculating grasp.
Once inside, she closes the door quietly behind us and turns to face me. With practiced ease, she begins unbuttoning my stained Quick Mart uniform, her movements gentle but efficient.
"I'm not sure I'm..."
"No, it's not like that," she reassures me, her voice soft as she eases the shirt from my shoulders. "I just think you'll be more comfortable skin to skin. Is that okay?"
I nod, relief washing through me. Emily continues undressing me with tender care, like I'm something precious and fragile. When I'm completely naked, she steps back and lets her silk robe slide to the floor, revealing her perfect curves in the soft morning light filtering through the curtains.
"Come here," she whispers, pulling back the covers and sliding into bed.
I follow, my body moving on autopilot. The sheets are cool against my skin as I settle beside her. Emily immediately draws me into her arms, arranging my head on her chest where I can hear the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. Her fingers thread through my hair, gentle strokes that make my eyelids grow heavier with each passing second.
"Mama's got you," she whispers, her lips brushing against my forehead. "Just let all that exhaustion melt away, baby. You're safe right here."
I close my eyes, something inside me finally surrendering to her tenderness. The gentle rhythm of her fingers through my hair feels like salvation, each stroke washing away another layer of the night's horrors.
"I love you so much, Danny," she murmurs, her voice wrapping around me like the softest blanket.
Her words hit me with unexpected force. They crack something essential inside me, something I've been desperately trying to hold together since Holly cornered me yesterday. The dam breaks, and suddenly I'm sobbing against Emily's chest, my whole body shaking with the force of it.
"Danny?" Alarm colors her voice as her arms tighten around me. "Baby, what's wrong?"
I can't answer. The tears come harder, flooding out of me in waves I can't control. Emily holds me tighter, one hand cradling the back of my head while the other traces soothing circles on my back.
"It's okay," she whispers, rocking me slightly. "Let it out, sweetheart. Whatever it is, just let it all out."
I press my face harder against her skin, breathing in her scent like it's oxygen. My tears wet her chest, but she doesn't seem to mind. She just keeps holding me, whispering soft reassurances as I fall apart in her arms.
"I'm sorry," I finally manage between sobs. "I don't know why I'm…"
"Shh," she soothes, pressing her lips to the top of my head. "Don't apologize. Not ever for this."
Her kindness only makes me cry harder. How can I face her knowing what happened with Holly? How can I keep this terrible secret when all she offers is unconditional love?
"You're exhausted," she continues, her voice a gentle anchor in the storm of my emotions. "And sometimes when we're this tired, everything we've been holding back just comes flooding out."
I nod against her chest, grateful for the explanation she's created that doesn't require me to confess the truth. My sobs gradually soften into quieter tears, then into occasional hitches of breath as Emily's gentle fingers continue their path through my hair.
"That's it," she whispers. "Just breathe with me, baby."
I focus on matching my breathing to hers, the steady rise and fall of her chest against my cheek becoming my entire world. The tension slowly drains from my body, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness that pulls me toward sleep.
"I've got you," Emily promises, her voice growing distant as I drift toward unconsciousness. "Mama's got you, and I'm not letting go."
As consciousness begins to slip away, my lips form words that rise from the deepest part of me.
"I love you, Emily," I murmur against her skin, my voice thick with exhaustion and emotion. "You're my whole world."
Through my heavy lashes, I catch a glimpse of her face above me. For just a heartbeat, her loving smile transforms into something else, something hungry and possessive that makes my drowsy mind stutter with confusion. Her eyes flash with an intensity I've never seen before, her lips curving into a smile that seems almost unhinged.
But before I can process what I'm seeing, darkness claims me completely. I surrender to sleep in Emily's arms, the strange expression already fading from my memory like mist in the morning sun.