Page 52 of Give In

Not ready to acknowledge it, even to myself, I blocked it out and drank my perfectly beige coffee.

Heavenly.

Chapter Twelve

The Bear Has Control Issues

Eden

“I must need to get my eyes checked, Miss Wilder, because there’s no way I’m seeing what I think I am.”

The savage whisper sounded thunderous in my ear, making me jump and nearly knock over the coffee shop table. Whipped cream spilled onto my laptop as I slammed it closed.

His laugh was humorless—darkness dripping from each harsh burst. “Oh, it’s a little late for that. My office.”

Oh, so now he wants to talk to me?

Too late.

In my naïve mind, I’d assumed sleeping in the arms of a sweetly affectionate man meant things would change—thathewould change. I hadn’t expected anything major. Definitely nothing preferential.

I guess, in a way, I’d been right because things had definitely changed.

Only it hadn’t been for the better.

Professor Caine was an even bigger asshole than before. What little notations I’d been receiving on my papers were gone, a single grade left in their place.

Other than embarrassing me by calling me out in class for messaging with Tonia, he hadn’t said a single word to me in over a week. He hadn’t visited Sinners.

He hadn’t even glanced my way.

We were worse than when we’d started, and we’d started out pretty damn bad.

Not that any of that was why I’d been looking at apartment listings. He may have thought he was a god, but he was just one thing on my long list of stressors.

My breaking point had come when I’d stopped at my student mailbox a few days before. Mixed in with the junk mail was a nondescript envelope I’d almost thrown away.

I really wished I had.

Instead, I’d flipped it over, and my stomach had twisted painfully at the handwriting I’d hoped to never see again. With shaking hands, I’d torn both the envelope and part of the letter before finally freeing it.

I’d never thought of myself as a masochist, but that was the only explanation for why I’d read it—and not just once or twice.

No, I’d read it repeatedly.

So many times, in fact, I had each strategically chosen word memorized.

Eden,

How are you? And school? Your mother and I are doing well, in case you were wondering. I’m sure you’re very busy in your studies, and that’s why we haven’t heard from our only child. Maybe we will see you soon. Wouldn’t that be a surprise for everyone…

There’d been no signature, not that one was needed. The short note had been effective. My dad didn’t care how I was—he never had. It’d been years since I’d left, and that long since I’d heard from him. He’d just wanted to make sure I knew that he’d gained the upper hand. Not only was he aware of where I was, his threat of a visit would loom over my head so I could never truly be comfortable.

As a teenager, when I’d concocted my initial escape plans, changing my name had been high on my list. Only, as with everything else, the process wasn’t as simple as TV and movies made it seem. The cost alone was much more than I could afford with frivolous things like food and shelter getting in the way. I couldn’t just declare myself someone new and expect the government to get behind it. There was an extensive process, including a paper trail that would’ve led my parents directly to me anyway.

And, strangely, no matter how many dark alleys I walked by, no sketchy man in a trench coat offered me a new ID and social security number.

A flashed penis that looked like a baby carrot that’d been forgotten in a hot car for a month, sure.