Chapter 3: Shaking in the Dark

I pulled the blanket all the way over my face, staring at the glowing green numbers on my alarm clock.

11:30 PM.

"Just sleep," I whispered to myself. "Just stay in bed. He’s messing with you."

By 11:45 PM, I was walking across the dark campus, the freezing wind cutting straight through my oversized sweater. My sneakers squeaked against the damp pavement as I neared the old gym. The building looked completely dead, a massive shadow against the night sky. I reached the side entrance, my fingers trembling as I gripped the heavy metal handle of the basement door. I pulled, expecting it to be locked, expecting to go home and prove to myself that this was all a sick joke.

The door swung open with a low, heavy groan.

The air inside was thick and stale, smelling heavily of old rubber, sweat, and dust. I walked down the concrete steps in total darkness, my hand scraping against the cold wall until I reached the bottom. A single dim bulb flickered at the end of the narrow hallway, casting long shadows across the rows of metal storage lockers.

Leo was sitting right there, perched on the edge of an old wooden equipment table. He didn't have his jacket on. He was just leaning back, tossing a roll of athletic tape up in the air and catching it, completely relaxed.

"You're five minutes late, Ivy," he said, not even looking up as he caught the tape one last time.

"Why are you doing this, Leo?" My voice cracked, echoing loudly in the empty basement. I took a step forward, trying to sound firm, but my hands were shaking so badly I had to shove them deep into my pockets. "Why did you put that note in my book?"

"You showed up, didn't you?" He tossed the tape aside. It hit the floor with a dull thud. He slid off the table, his heavy boots making a sharp cracking sound against the concrete.

"I came here to tell you to stop," I said, my chest heaving as he started walking toward me. "I love Liya. She’s my best friend. I love her too much to do this, to let you play whatever sick game you’re playing."

"Who said anything about a game?" Leo didn't stop. He closed the distance between us in three long strides.

"Don't," I gasped, stepping back, but my shoulder blades slammed straight into the cold brick wall.

Before I could dodge him, Leo placed his palms flat against the bricks on either side of my head, trapping me completely. His chest was inches from mine, the intense heat radiating off him cutting right through the freezing air of the basement. He looked down at me, his eyes incredibly dark, totally devoid of the sarcastic smirk he usually wore on campus.

"You talk too much, Ivy," he murmured, his voice a low, heavy rumble that vibrated right through my skin.

"Leo, please—"

He didn't give me a chance to finish. He leaned down, his grip shifting from the wall to my waist. His large hands slid right under the hem of my oversized sweater, his calloused palms shockingly warm against my bare skin. I let out a sharp gasp, my entire body jumping at the sudden, electric contact. His thumbs pressed firmly into my hips, pulling me flat against his chest with a raw, heavy possessiveness that left me completely breathless.

"Are you still going to tell me you want to leave?" he whispered against my lips.

"We can't," I choked out, but my hands were already moving on their own, burying themselves into the fabric of his shirt, gripping his broad shoulders just to keep myself from collapsing onto the floor. I was tearing apart inside, drowning in a wave of intense guilt toward Liya, but the pure electricity running through my veins was too much to fight.

Leo didn't answer with words. He leaned in and bit my lower lip, just hard enough to make me gasp. The moment my lips parted, he caught my mouth in a deep, crushing kiss that completely erased the rest of the world. The smell of tobacco and winter air filled my senses. His hands traveled up my back, his warm fingers pressing into my skin, mapping every single line of my body in the dark.

I gripped his shoulders tighter, pulling him closer as my knees went completely weak. Every touch felt like a faceslapping reminder of exactly how helpless I was against him, how easily he could shatter my control without even trying. He held me so tightly against the bricks that I could feel the rapid, heavy thudding of his own heart against my chest.

He dragged his mouth away from my lips, his breath hot and ragged as he trailed kisses down my jawline. I tilted my head back against the cold wall, my eyes closing as a low sigh escaped my throat.

"Leo..." I breathed, my fingers tangling in the short hair at the back of his neck.

He didn't stop. He pressed his lips to the sensitive skin right below my ear, his teeth grazing my flesh. Then, he bit down, hard and deliberate, right on the side of my neck.

A sharp gasp left my throat, half pain, half pure shock. I could feel the intense rush of blood to the spot as he held his mouth there, sucking firmly against the skin until the sting turned into a deep, throbbing ache.

He slowly pulled back, his hands remaining steady under my sweater, holding me pinned against the wall. A slow, sharp smile spread across his lips as he looked down at the dark, distinct mark blooming brightly against my pale skin.

He leaned back down, his lips brushing the ruined skin of my neck as he whispered into my ear.

"Let's see you hide that from my sister tomorrow.”