Wreck Me by J.L. Mac Page A

in his solid arms. I lie naked and physically as well as emotionally spent in his grip. I don’t give him shit for the apology. I can’t. His words were the definition of genuine and I can’t be upset with him for it.
    “I should probably go home soon.”
    “No. Stay with me tonight.”
    “I have never sta-”
    “Doesn’t matter. Stay with me.”
    “Okay.” I feel his chest deflate and I am positive that he is content with my answer. My sobbing ebbs away and I drift off to sleep in Damon’s bed completely unsure of what the fuck I have gotten myself into.

 

     

     
    It’s so loud. My ears ring and the background noise is muffled. Damn, I’m aching all over. I can hear sirens. Wait. Sirens? What’s happened? Fuck. My heart beats wildly in my chest and my breathing is erratic. I’m panicking and I have no idea what’s going on. I need to check my body. I look down and see blood. It’s everywhere. It’s all over me. My hands are stained crimson and I run my hands over my body to see where I am wounded. But nothing. I am not wounded. It’s not my blood. I look around, but everything is blurry. Where am I? I rub my eyes and my vision clears enough to see two figures in the distance. Maman and Papa. It’s them! Maman! Papa! I scream for them, but I don’t think they hear me because they haven’t stopped. Maman! Papa! Please! Don’t leave me again! Please! Don’t go! They won’t stop. They keep walking away and I am reduced to nothing. I fall to my knees and plead. “Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Please stay. Come back!” My shoulders slump forward in defeat as I watch their figures disappear in the distance like a taunting mirage. I lurch back and forth with painfully intense sobs that rip through me leaving a quaking wounded soul in its wake.
    “Come back to me. Please. Please. Please.” I startle and jolt awake when I feel strong arms tangle around me.
    “Fuck, Jo! You scared the shit out of me. You had a nightmare. You’re okay now. It’s not real.” I shake in his embrace and work on calming my breathing and pulse. He has no clue just how real my dream was. I wish I could agree with him and say that it’s not real, but it is. My parents are still dead and I am as alone as a person can be. I have no family or friends. Only Sutton’s old ass and now Damon and I am not even sure what the hell I agreed to with him. He turns me to face him and wipes sweat from my brow with his thumb.
    “Want to talk about it?”
    “No.”
    “You’re okay, Jo. Go back to sleep.” He turns me back to my other side and pulls my back to his chest again. He tucks me under his arm in a protective manner and it’s a magic cure. In this position with him I feel safe. My eyelids are heavy and I give into slumber.
    I wake up to my phone chiming. “Shut up.” I groan and cover my head with my pillow. The phone silences and begins ringing all over again. I leap from the bed and instantly remember where I am. The luxurious carpet beneath my bare feet is my first reminder. Shit, I’m naked. I snatch up my annoying cell phone first. “Hello?” I snap down the line.
    “Jo, I need you in early today. I have some things I need you to get done right away.”
    “What could you possibly need done right away?”
    “We are liquidating. It’s done.”
    “No! You can’t give up yet. We can figure it out!”
    “I can’t afford it. We have to crate up inventory and start selling it off. Store’s done. I’ll see you shortly.” Sutton hangs up on me before I can utter another word. I crawl back into the empty bed and cradle my head in my hands. Where is Damon? I can’t think about Damon right now, I have bigger issues at hand. Fuck. This is really happening. It’s over. The store is really going to close. What am I going to do? No one is hiring right now. I’d be lucky to get a job flipping burgers or cleaning toilets. There’s another book store close to my place, but it’s a giant chain