Climb on My Stepfather (Ashley and Alex)

Chapter 71

3: Gage.

When I wake up, she's gone.

It's like having a claw hammer buried in my skull.

I dive out of bed with a bellow, clutching at the sheets like I'm going to find her hidden in there. Where the hell did she go? Where the fuck did she go?

The anger has returned with a vengeance in her absence.

I scratch at my chest until blood shows up in angry welts. When she was in my arms, the snakes were kept at bay. Now she's gone and they're bigger, more vicious.

"Stella!"

I rampage through my apartment, knocking trophies off shelves. Pictures of me with the university president, the governor. People who mean nothing to me.

There's just her now. There's only her.

Just before I reach the kitchen, I stumble to a stop in front of a picture of my father. Standing beside me as confetti rains down, the marching band behind us, batons raised. Gone. The only other person to ever mean anything to me.

Gone. The snake fangs dig into my stomach with more force and I almost go down on my knees. Need her. I need her here now.

Do I even have her phone number?

My laughter doesn't hold a single note of amusement. I brought her here to live with me last night and I don't even have her phone number. Just an email address. I slide down the wall and bury my face in my hands, trying to breathe through the chaos in my head. Think. Think.

haven't gotten my cock into her yet and every cell in my body is blisteringly aware of that fact. When we walked through my door last night, she was clinging to me, so trusting, her angelic

from a couple licks of

And there will be fifty more after that. Fifty more, fifty more, fifty more until the end of time, because she's mine.

at my

then I see

with words on it taped to

don't breathe until it's in my hands. Until I've read

8:20. Hope I see you

have no idea which building. Which lecture hall. There are barely any clues to go on here

refrigerator so we can have a very

when she's stuffed

body of hers. And I'll inform her in no uncertain terms that

There are no maybes in

me later every day for the

on the counter and dial administration, asking for the dean by his first name. The man wears my jersey number on the sideline at games, so

session go with Ms. McCartney? If you don't like her, we can find

him with a hoarse laugh. "That won't

Understatement.

horny and...I think she's a little broken, like me. If she can help me glue together the shit show I've made of my life, I can do the same for her. I will. She'll never go another

hands on

“That's wonderful to hear. Only

We can't have you missing the

not only failing a class, but that I'd

unacceptable. I won't be able to think straight until she's back in my arms. "I need a favor," I say, cooling my hot forehead on the stainless steel of the refrigerator. "I need