CHAPTER 18: LOVE ME PLEASE

Standing in the room, I'd been in for what felt like days, I sighed. They hadn't found me yet. There was a clock on the wall that just kept ticking. The noise imitated the ticking in my brain that had swallowed a large part of my mind. My stalker was somewhere in this house. Lurking and waiting for my tears. I wouldn't give them to him. Not now, not ever. I needed my boys. I needed them to love me. To hold me. To tell me everything was going to be okay.

But most importantly, I needed to shower. To wash off the stench that was accumulating after three days in a prison cell. I hadn't seen my stalker's face. It was obscured by a mask. I didn't expect anything less. He wasn't that stupid. Sitting against the crumbling wall, I thought about them all again. I remembered how, a few days ago, I sobbed my heart out as I begged for them. That's when he started laughing. Cruel vicious laughs echoed dangerously across my cell. But now I had no more tears left to cry. No more pain left to burn. I had nothing. Nothing but a twisted turn of events and the hope that I'll be okay. Later that afternoon, he wandered next to my cell like he had every day. He sat looking at me. The mask covered his whole face. It was a skeleton one, and he'd had a voice box programmed into it.

"They still haven't come for you, princess", he laughed manically. I managed a plain smile.

" Not just yet, but I'm sure they will soon", I stated, fiddling with the handcuffs he'd placed on me.

"I doubt that very much, Story see they are little boys playing adult games, and they will lose", he laughed again, this time pointing his finger to trace my face. Jumping back, I was lost in his cruel laughs. "Well, I better get to punishing you for letting them have what was mine", he stated darkly. I laughed

" I'll never be yours". Suddenly, he latched his hand out, choking the air from my lungs.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that", he whispered harshly. Whimpers, and air squeezes my lungs as he drops me to the floor. I crawl away from him. His hands make me flinch as he raises them. Suddenly, a loud crash outside darted my attention. Skeleton cursed as he stepped out into the corridor. Then he started running, and panic gripped me. Tiredness flanked my eyes as dark smoke came into my cell. And just before I called for help, I passed out.

***

Waking up, I cried out as I felt my hands restrained.

"Story, it's me", stated a voice I recognized instantly. Gage had his hands on my wrists, wiping at the cuts slowly. His big blue eyes watched me concerned, and I pulled away from him.

"Leave me alone", I hissed, darting up and away from him. I'd been changed. I was in Haze's top. That's when I noticed all the boys were in the room. Waiting and watching,

" I don't want any of you to even look at me again. Where were you, huh? " I snapped, upset.

"Baby, we've been looking for days. We had no choice. We had to wait it out", stated Izack. His blue eyes were tired, something I never really saw from him. He looked utterly exhausted.

" He tortured me like utterly fucked my head up to the point I felt nothing", I whispered as I felt a warm tear slide down my cheek."Baby," stated Forrest inching close.

"No, leave me" I screamed, mentally breaking down. All five boys surrounded me. Trying to help me. To get me to explain my feelings.

How could I? He'd destroyed me. Suddenly, I was bundled up in someone's arms and held close. Gage was clutching me closely like I was breaking. I was. He'd ripped away every last bit of humanity I had left in me. To the point, I now couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. I couldn't be the person I'd always wanted to love. Right now, I hated myself. Hated who I was. Who I'd become. I screamed out as tears poured down my cheeks like a rainfall in a beautiful forest. I pictured that in my mind as I tried to calm down.

***

The next morning, I woke up to Gage smiling at me. Well, a trying smile. Everyone else must have gone to class. Or, in Izack's case, asleep.

"You okay ?" He asked curiously.

"Not really", I croaked, clearing my throat quickly.

"I thought we could take the day today and just hang out", he managed. Getting up, I nodded.

" I want to dye my hair," I said. He looked at me and just watched me wordlessly.

"What color are you thinking, princess ?" He finally asked with a smirk. "Pink," I said, watching myself in the mirror. The blonde made me look sweet. Innocent. Pink highlights, now I'd be a whole new person. Looking at Gage, I smirked at him.

***

Getting back to campus after my little hair experiment, I flicked it back. My hair was blonde, and the tips were dyed pink, and I loved it. Gage had been watching me like a hawk, too. I couldn't decide if it was because he thought I was having some kind of breakdown or because he actually loved my hair. Walking into my room, I called out to my boys. They all stood looking hot in their school uniforms.

"I fucking love it", stated Izack hopping forward and kissing my cheek enthusiastically. Forrest and Tyler nodded. Haze just watched me with lust in their big green eyes.

"I think now I'm out of jail, we should celebrate", I said, wandering over to the vodka cupboard and handing Haze a bottle. The door knocked, and I sighed heavily. I'd invited Quinn over. Swinging the front door it opened to reveal someone none of us were expecting. Ryder.

"Ryder, how may we help you?" I grinned at him. This hair had caused a newfound confidence. He didn't move an inch.

"Quinn is missing", he stated seriously. Oh