Page 66 of See You Sometime

Struggling not to think about what this meant, or letting it crash her, she focused on the music, on the pain, on anything except what her brain was trying to do.

Why isn’t Axel doing this?

She sensed someone approaching, from the way sound changed around them, and then felt their ball of heat as they leaned in to speak to Bob.

Tilly.

Skye couldn’t hear what she said, but he softly replied, “Yes, Ma’am.”

Finally, her pulse wouldn’t slow, her stomach progressively tightened, and she tried to sit up.

Hands stabilized her, steadying her as she reached for the ball gag and blindfold.

Yep, Bob.

She glanced around. “Where is he?”

He started to shake his head, then shrugged. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I don’t know. Tilly followed him outside, then she just came back in.”

She wasn’t stupid. Even though he’d called her ma’am, she knew it was lower-case, not the way he said it to Tilly.

He offered her a bottle of water and she took it, drinking. “Ma’am said to tell you if he doesn’t come back that we’ll get you home.”

She struggled against the tears wanting to fall. “Thanks.”

Skye sat facing Bob and the wall for another couple of minutes, not quite ready to face reality. Then Bob softly spoke and tipped his head toward the doorway. “Skye.”

Axel stood there, looking like shit warmed over. Tilly was talking to Walt, who’d cleaned his implements and was sitting on another couch with Holly.

Walt got up and walked over. “You all right?”

“Yeah. Thank you. That was fun.”

He glanced over his shoulder at Axel, then back to her. “Do you need a ride home?”

She snorted, and even Bob smiled. “No, thank you. It’s covered. But, seriously, thank you for playing with me. That was awesome.”

“My pleasure. Anytime. I had fun.”

Skye scooped up her backpack and headed for the bathroom on that side. She needed a moment to…collect herself.

She could understand not watching the scene, but couldn’t he at least come back in to do her aftercare? He’d said he would.

After cleaning up and pulling on clothes, she was washing her face when the door opened.

Tilly appeared in the mirror, standing behind her. “What do you want to know?”

She took a deep breath. “Tell me.”

“He bolted about fifteen minutes in and ran outside where he puked his guts up.”

Shit.

“He’s been standing out there the whole time. Sorry, but I kinda meddled.”

“Meddled?”

“Yeah.” She leaned against the wall. “I walked out there and chewed him a new one, including making him an offer.”