Page 21 of Left In The Dark

“Not today.” I close my legs, shifting further away from him.

“What?” He has a touch of annoyance in his tone.

“Go home, Blake, and don’t come back until I invite you to.”

“But—”

“I said go,” I say with authority, making myself bigger next to him.

His bottom lip trembles. “So if I see you out and about, I don’t have to pretend not to know you anymore?”

“You can say hi when I say it first.”

He gives me a half smile. “See. I get what I want eventually.”

I hold back my laughter at how easily manipulated he is. He thinks this is what he wanted? It’s only a tiny fraction of what he hoped to get when he came here, but he accepts it like someone winning a fifty‑cent prize after paying ten times what it’s worth.

“Yeah, I guess you were right.” I press my lips into a thin line, shifting my gaze to the door. “I’ll see you, then.”

“Yeah.” He perks up, his confidence back. The trick is to make him think he’s winning, while I continue to take more and more without giving up anything myself. “See ya, sexy.” He winks, shooting up from the bed. On the way out he snatches up his phone and then struts out the door. Arrogant, entitled, and soon to be mine, to play with whenever I fucking feel like reminding us both who the one on top is now.

Five

Logan

I walk out of the police department unable to stop smiling. One week and I’ll be a step further away from becoming my dad. For now I’ll have to focus on managing what animals we have left and any other chores my dad fell behind on before leaving. I’ve listed some of his equipment for sale. Once he finds out, no doubt he’ll come banging on the door and realize his key no longer works. I need him to understand he gave up access to the house the moment he stopped contributing.

The money we make off the shit he left behind is going toward the debt he left my mom with so she can continue the process of getting her life back. We haven’t heard from him since he last stopped by trying to pick a fight, and I’m hoping it stays that way. Don’t give two shits where he is as long as it’s far away from here.

Sliding my sunglasses down onto my face, I block the sun from my eyes and climb into my car. My phone has two messages waiting for me, one catching my attention more the other.

Blake: Still over here waiting.

Winky face.

And he’ll keep waiting longer now, doubting himself so much that he’ll preen like the cat who caught the canary when I finally message him back, once again thinking he’s getting what he wants while selling his insecure self short. Pathetic. I laugh, flipping to the next message, and I laugh harder, thinking of the best way to respond.

Jimmy: Congrats on getting hired today, fuck face. Let’s celebrate by me letting you buy me drinks all night.

Me: How’d you know I got hired?

Jimmy: So you did then? I fucking knew you would, Mr. Officer, Mr. Officer.

Me: Please, for the love of all that is holy do not play that song when you pick me up tonight.

Jimmy: So this is you agreeing to drinks, then? By the way, I was just screwing around. You only have to buy me drinks for half the night.

I let out a gruff laugh and write him back.

Me: Only if you’re putting out. See you at eight, then.

Jimmy: Nah, five. Ran into your mom earlier and she invited me over for dinner. Oh, and I’ll put out if you bring the cuffs.

Shaking my head, I crack a smile, and as I’m slipping the phone into my jacket pocket, it buzzes. Answering, I put it on speaker and start the car.

“Hello?”

“Hey, sweetie,” Mom says with dishes clinking in the background.