Page 13

Story: Master of Pain

I’d been pondering that before I even met her. Then I thought, well, she makes me feel things, so I must not be.

Now I’m beginning to wonder if the things I feel with Lena are what I think they are.

If what I felt with my ex in high school was what I thought it was.

Dante looking at me from across the table in the library with his stormy gaze as his fingers touched mine made my body react more than anything Lena’s ever done.

I try to tell myself it was fear with him, but I realize what Lena said was true. I was frozen with fear whenshewas on top of me. I wasn’t aroused; I was scared.

Scared because if it went any further…what would I do? How would I do it?

I could say that I’m asexual, so I’m simply not interested in sex and my body refuses to respond because of that.

There’s just one problem.

How does that explain what I felt when Dante said he wanted me on my knees with his dick in my mouth?

4

DANTE

Lena Muzzo—the perfect match to Ethan Moore, at least on paper. While I lacked interest in her at first, simply focusing on cyber-stalking Ethan, now I find myself wondering just how serious their relationship is. I’m not sure whatever situation they’ve got going on can even be called that.

I watch them from a distance. It’s hard as fuck, considering they rarely seem to go out anywhere together and are always meeting up at each other’s places.

This particular day, however, they’ve gone out to a local diner together. It’s still on campus, so my being here doesn’t draw any more attention than usual. I slink into a booth near the back, sitting at just the right angle to watch the two of them in their own booth near the front.

“Hi, I’m Jenna and I’ll be serving you today. Can I get you anything to drink?” my waitress asks with way more pep in her step than most people have at eight on a Thursday morning.

I don’t make eye contact with her, my focus like a laser across the room.

“Coffee, black.”

“Got it. I’ll be right back with that.”

I barely notice when she returns with my mug on a small plate, then pours the coffee and leaves me be. If she does say anything else, I don’t hear it.

I don’t bother with the menu. I’ve never been someone who eats this early in the morning.

Ethan is holding Lena’s hand on the table. They both have mugs of coffee, but Ethan is the only one with a plate of food.

I can’t tell what they’re saying, but the look on both of their faces is tired, but…pleasant.

My hands curl into fists as I watch Lena’s thumb stroke Ethan’s hand. The way she smiles at him after he says something pisses me off.

The bitch doesn’t break eye contact with him. Not even for a second.

My jaw tenses.

Lena hasn’t done shit to me. I’ve spoken to her a few times throughout the years, but we run in different circles, just like me and Ethan. Every time we’ve interacted has been cold and distant.

But this is worse than just not getting along.

Lena has something I want.

SomeoneI want.

I finally start to drink my own coffee as I force myself to tear my gaze away from the couple.