Page 15 of Drowning

"I gotchu, baby boy. Just wait until later."

seven

Missing Underwear

E m e r s o n

Scalding water cascades over me, setting fire to my bruised skin. I lower my head and stand beneath the stream of the pulsating water, strands of wet hair falling into my face.

Tears fall down my cheeks, but the water masks them, making it look like I haven't been crying in the shower for the last thirty minutes.

I miss my parents. I'm so fucking lost without them. There is an emptiness inside of me that will never go away, or at least it does not seem like it will, even with my big brother. I feel as though I am drowning and am unable to reach the surface to breathe. I thought I was strong enough to handle their deaths, but boy, was I fucking wrong.

I eventually turn off the shower and reach for my towel on the rack when my hands start to get wrinkly and my skin turns bright red from the boiling water. After wrapping it around myself and wringing out my hair, I step out of the shower, putting my feet down on the memory foam bath mat and avoiding my reflection in the slightly fogged-up mirror.

I tiptoe down the hall, my bare feet tapping the hardwood, and notice how strangely quiet the house is. I walk into my room and flip the light on, going right for my walk-in closet to get dressed for the night. But when I pull open my dresser drawer to find a matching bra and underwear, my jaw drops to the floor when I see my entire drawer empty—except for one pink thong shoved toward the back.

What the fuck?

I grab the underwear and feel a gooey substance soaking them, causing them to fall from my hand onto the floor. My hand shines under the light, and without a doubt, I know I just touched cum.

Someone stole all of my underwear and came in with the only pair they left—Damon.

Frozen in fear, afraid that he's still in the house, I hug my towel closer to my body and dial my brother's number with quivering hands. He doesn't answer. So I call Kane, hoping he's close enough to swing by and check the place out.

"I was wondering when I was going to hear from you. What's going on?" he asks, yelling over loud music, probably at the bar.

"Damon was here... or is here... I don't know."

"I'll be right there. Grab your gun and get in your closet."

"I already am, Kane. Just hurry,please," I beg, trying to hide the panic in my tone as every little sound begins to freak me out.

"Good girl. Don't worry, Emerson. I'm coming."

I slump to the floor with my back against my full-length mirror, hugging my knees to my chest. Reaching behind it, I grab my gun and click the safety off, laying it beside me just in case.

I close my eyes, trying to calm down and focus on my breathing. Minutes feel like hours as I wait for Kane to arrive, my heart pounding in my chest. Finally, I hear the sound of his footsteps approaching, and I take a deep breath, feeling relieved for the first time since I found out Damon had been in my house. Kane bursts into the room with a concerned look on his face, but as soon as he sees me, his expression softens.

"Shit, are you okay?" he asks, crouching down beside me.

I nod, feeling a sense of safety wash over me, and my heartbeat slowly returns to normal. Kane wraps his arm around my shoulders and helps me to my feet, leading me out of the room and through the house to make sure Damon is nowhere to be found.

Once we're sure the house is clear, Kane stays with me while I get dressed, minus a bra and underwear.

"I'm going to fucking kill him," is all he keeps saying, chain smoking and pacing near the closet door as I finish getting decent, his gun in his hand, ready to use.

"I don't know how he got in. We had the locks changed and all the windows are locked. The alarm didn't even go off." I run a brush through my wet hair, letting it fall perfectly down my back, trying to figure out the mystery of the missing underwear.

"Did he leave you anything or take anything?" Kane asks, watching with curiosity as I put my makeup on, smacking my lips as I finish off with a layer of red lipstick and gloss to make them shine.

I turn to face him, shaking my head in disgust and embarrassment. "Yeah, he took all of my bras and panties. Oh, but he left me one pair, which he fucking left his cum all over." Icringe, walking out of my closet with Kane right behind me, his eyes burning a hole into my back.

"What a fucking pervert! You're not staying here tonight, not unless your brother comes home."

"I'm sure Eli will be home late, but he'll be here." I slide my feet into my black-heeled boots that match the black leather pants and red, lacy crop top I have on, feeling good about myself for the first time in a while, despite the invasion of privacy.

The look Kane gives me as I stand up, ready to go, makes me shiver—in a good way, though. He takes a step toward me, a devious smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.