The GED study guide stares up at me from the floor, its colorful pages a blur as my body goes through the motions without me. Holly's bedroom walls seem to pulse with each mechanical thrust, the afternoon light casting everything in a sickly yellow glow that matches my mood perfectly.
"Harder," Holly demands, her voice muffled against the pillow she's clutching. "Come on, Daniel, you're barely even trying."
I grip her hips tighter and increase my pace, but my mind is miles away. The physical sensation is there, she's impossibly tight around me, just like always, but I feel disconnected from it all, like I'm watching myself from the ceiling. My body performing while my consciousness floats somewhere safer.
"Tell me how good my young pussy is," Holly orders, glancing back over her shoulder.
"It's good," I mumble automatically, the words hollow and rehearsed. My hands move to her lower back, pushing her down slightly to change the angle. It's all mechanics at this point. Action and reaction.
I close my eyes and let my thoughts drift to Emily. Beautiful Emily with her silver hair and genuine smile. Emily, who believes I'm studying right now, who kissed me goodbye this morning with such tenderness it made my chest ache. "Study hard, baby," she'd whispered against my lips. "I'm so proud of you for doing this."
The irony isn't lost on me. Emily thinks her daughter is helping me prepare for a better future, when in reality, Holly's using the study sessions as another excuse to get me alone. The textbooks and practice tests are just props in her ongoing performance.
"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Holly's voice cuts through my thoughts, sharp as a blade. She pushes back against me, taking me deeper. "My mom. You're imagining it's her instead of me."
I don't answer. What's the point? She'll just twist my words anyway, find some new way to torment me regardless of what I say.
"I asked you a question," she hisses.
"Yes," I admit, too tired to lie. "I was thinking about Emily."
Holly's face twists with rage, her eyes narrowing behind those wire-rimmed glasses. "You pathetic little worm," she spits, each word like acid. "You think she actually loves you? You're just a toy to her. A little boy she can play mommy with."
I say nothing, letting her venom wash over me.
"She's going to get tired of you," Holly continues, her voice rising. "And when she does, you'll be nothing. Just another loser who couldn't even finish high school."
I close my eyes, focusing on my breathing. In, out. In, out. Holly's voice becomes background noise, like static on a radio.
Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of the front door opening echoes through the house. Keys jingling, a bag being set down. Emily's voice calls out, "Danny? Holly? I'm home early!"
My eyes fly open in panic as Holly freezes beneath me. For one terrifying moment, we're both completely still, like prey animals caught in headlights.
"Get the fuck off of me," I hiss, trying to pull away.
Holly's inner muscles clench down hard on my cock. "What if I don't?" she whispers, a cruel smile playing at her lips. "What if I just start moaning really loud right now?"
I hear footsteps in the hallway, coming closer. Pure adrenaline surges through me. I wrench myself free from Holly's grip, wincing as I slip out of her.
"Daniel? Are you studying?" Emily's voice is just outside the door now.
I scramble for my clothes, yanking on my boxers and jeans with trembling hands. Holly moves with similar urgency, pulling on her leggings and grabbing her shirt from the floor.
"Yeah!" I call out, my voice cracking. "Just finishing up for today!"
By the time the doorknob turns, we're both dressed, but I can feel sweat beading on my forehead, my hair sticking up at odd angles. The textbooks are still scattered across the floor, some pages bent from where we'd thrown them aside.
The door swings open, and Emily stands there framed in the doorway, her Silver braid cascading over one shoulder. Her eyes take in the scene, me with my shirt half-tucked in, Holly sitting primly on the edge of the bed, suddenly fascinated with a practice test, textbooks scattered across the floor.
"I had someone cancel today," Emily says with a bright smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. Her gaze darts between us, lingering a beat too long on Holly's flushed face before returning to me.
"Oh, baby," she murmurs, stepping into the room. "Is it too hot in here?"
Before I can answer, she's crossed the distance between us. Her cool fingers brush my forehead, catching a bead of sweat that's threatening to roll down my temple. The gentle touch sends a jolt of guilt through me so powerful I nearly flinch.
"No, no," I stammer, trying to lean away without being obvious. "It's fine."
Emily's eyes narrow slightly, her head tilting as she studies my face. "Is Holly overworking you? These GED tests can be quite intensive."
There's something in her tone, a careful neutrality that feels calculated. Her fingers linger on my face a moment too long, her thumb brushing back and forth across my skin like she's trying to memorize the texture.
"We've been at it for hours," Holly interjects, her voice suddenly bright with forced cheerfulness. She adjusts her glasses with that precise gesture that makes my skin crawl. "Daniel's brain is probably fried by now."
Emily's smile tightens, her eyes never leaving mine. "I see."
The tension in the room is suffocating.
"Well," Emily says finally, letting her hand fall from my face, "why don't you take a break with me? I brought home some pastries from that little bakery you like, Danny."
"That sounds great," I manage to say, my voice steadier than I feel.
Emily turns toward the door, but not before her gaze sweeps across the room one last time.
"Holly," she says, her back to us now, "perhaps you could give Daniel some space for the rest of the afternoon? Learning requires proper breaks, after all."
Holly's face hardens for just a second before she forces a smile. "Of course, Mom. We've covered a lot today anyway."
I follow Emily out of the room, shutting Holly's door with a soft click that feels like sealing a tomb. The relief of escaping her clutches without Emily discovering us is short-lived, replaced by the crushing weight of guilt pressing against my chest. Every step down the hallway feels like walking through quicksand.
Emily moves silently ahead of me, her silver braid swinging gently between her shoulder blades. There's a tension in her posture I've never seen before, her normally fluid movements stiff and measured. When we reach the living room, she pauses, not quite turning to face me.
"Danny," she says softly once we're far enough from Holly's room. "Can I ask you something?"
My stomach drops. "Of course."
Emily turns slowly, her blue eyes meeting mine with an intensity that makes my breath catch. There's something vulnerable in her gaze, something fragile and afraid.
"You wouldn't cheat on me, would you?"
The question hits me like a physical blow. I feel the blood drain from my face as her eyes search mine, filled with a fear so raw it cuts straight through me. My mouth goes dry, words sticking in my throat as panic floods my system.
"I just..." she continues, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need to know that I'm enough for you."
My heart shatters into a thousand jagged pieces. Here stands this incredible woman, this goddess who could have anyone she wants, looking at me with such naked insecurity. And I'm the cause of her pain. Me and that stupid fucking video Holly made that would destroy everything if I confessed the truth right now.
I want to fall to my knees and tell her everything. I want to beg for forgiveness, to explain that Holly forced me, blackmailed me, violated me. But the words die on my tongue. One confession would lead to another, and then the video would surface, and Emily would just think I'm a rapist.
So I reach for her hands instead, taking them in mine, trying to pour every ounce of sincerity I can muster into my voice.
"Of course not, Emily," I say, the lie burning my throat like acid. "You're more than I could ever want or deserve. You are enough. You're my everything."
Her entire body seems to exhale, tension melting away as relief washes over her features. The smile that spreads across her face is so wide, so genuine, that it makes my betrayal feel a thousand times worse.
She suddenly pulls me into a fierce embrace, her arms wrapping around me with surprising strength. I feel her heart beating against my chest, fast and desperate, as she presses her face into my shoulder.
"Maybe we can put the GED off for a year after all, then?" The words come out muffled against my shirt, but there's something in her tone that makes me pause. It's not quite a question, more like a warning wrapped in velvet. Her fingers dig slightly into my back, as if she's afraid I'll pull away.
I swallow hard, my throat tight with unspoken confessions. "Whatever you think is best," I manage to say, the words feeling hollow in my mouth.
She doesn't break the hug, if anything, her arms tighten around me. I can feel her exhale slowly, a shuddering breath that seems to release some deep tension she's been carrying.
"This just feels right," she whispers, her voice small yet somehow absolute. There's a finality to her words that settles over us like a blanket.