It Happened Last Year

Chapter 41

I subtly drag my bottom lip through my teeth, gently grinding my teeth against my skin as if I am slowly working my way through. My eyes stay fixated on Daniel, studying him like an exotic animal, waiting for him to pounce and dig his teeth into my neck until my blood seeps out, pouring down my body like a scarlet waterfall. My hands squeeze. My nails dig into my palms, leaving purple marks. "My moms going to be home soon," I say slowly, "we should go somewhere."

He leans into me. "Where do you want to go?"

He doesn't know how serious I am. "Somewhere where no one else is. Somewhere like this, but not."

We get into his car. He tells me that his house is empty, that his father and Mike have gone to Chicago for the weekend. I smile. "Okay," I say and my head rolls to the side, my eyes gazing dreamily out the window, watching as the street lights light up the car every few seconds. Music plays softly in the background, the words not making sense, not sounding like anything but sounds to fill up space.

My eyes roll back over to Daniel, dripping down from his eyes strictly on the road, to his lips, to his jaw as he clenches, to his arms, to his hands gripping the wheel firmly. I can't help but place my hand delicately on his thigh, needing to feel it for myself, needing to put myself in their position. He looks at me, and I give him a dark look, my eyes hiding something. He feeds off of it—the mystery.

I like placing my hand there—it gives me clarity.

When we arrive at the house, I lead the way and wait leaning against the front door when he comes up the path. I watch as he unlocks the door, then I slip inside. He follows me as I wander into the living room, locating a sleek-styled stereo. I start the music and turn the volume up to make it as loud as I remember. The song doesn't matter, just the volume.

I glance back at him before leading him to his bedroom. I can't tell what he's thinking. After turning on the lights, I grab his hand and walk him to his bed, motioning for him to sit down. "Hailey, what are—"

"It's okay," I tell him. "I need this."

Daniel looks worried, then I sit down beside him, facing the window, looking out at the trees and backyard, imaging Daphne drinking and Sam filming. I turn to him and guide him down to my lips. I'm not gentle. It's not like our other kisses, I'm not submissive to him and when he reaches out to me, I grab his hands, stopping him from touching me. "No," I mumble. "You'll like this, I promise."

Daniel seems hesitant as I lead him downwards, bringing him onto his back. The music fills my ears from the hall, muffling, and I get on top of him. "Hailey, no. You don't have—"

"Stop," I say firmly, catching him off-guard. My hands run down his chest, down his abdomen, I don't ask for permission. He clenches his jaw as I grab his shoulders and lean down to kiss him again. I push my tongue into his mouth as was done to me. I shift on top of him as our lips move together, but it wasn't like this. I didn't kiss back like he is. Then I feel him underneath me. A foreign sensation rushes through me and I pull away. "You're not supposed to want this," I tell him. "But you do, don't you? You asked for it. You wanted it. You asked for it."