4
After lunch, Jackson and Hayden took Ashley
home.
They didn’t get back until late.
When he got home, he went straight to the
shower.
く
I couldn’t tell who was in there, Jackson or
Hayden.
I spotted his phone on the nightstand and
casually snagged it.
The comments section went wild:
[What’s the side chick doing? She dares to
check her sugar daddy’s phone? She doesn’t
deserve it!]
[So what? It’s password-protected.]
[The password is Ashley’s birthday. This idiot
will never guess it.]
Oh, thanks for the heads-up.
く
Since we were college roommates, Ashley
made a big deal out of her birthday every
year. Hard to miss.
I quickly typed in Ashley’s birthday.
The phone unlocked. Score!
I opened WeChat and scrolled through
Jackson and Hayden’s chat.
Jackson: [Switch back in a couple of days.]
Hayden: [Nope, still having too much fun.]
Jackson: [She said you’ve been great to her
this year. You’re not catching feelings, are
you?]
Hayden took a long time to reply: [Nah, never.
Why would I?]
[Didn’t you say the nicer you are, the harder
she falls?]
[I’ve been with her most of the year. It’s the
last few days, and I’m worried she’ll get
suspicious.]
Jackson: [Got it.]
[You really haven’t touched her?]
Hayden: [No. Why? You jealous?]
Jackson: [No. I just don’t want my toys.
getting dirty.]
[Just a warning. Play around, but don’t cross
the line. Those are the rules.]
Looks like Hayden was home tonight.
Ten minutes later, Hayden came out of the
bathroom.
I played Candy Crush on the phone, acting
like I didn’t see him.
Hayden gently lifted my wrist. “Why do you
get your nails so long? My back’s covered in
scratches.”
“Then call the cops,” I said.
Hayden paused, then chuckled. “Baby, how
are you so cute?”
He cupped my face and leaned in for a kiss.
His hand snaked under my shirt.
I pushed him away. “Not tonight. Cramps.”
Hayden frowned. “Cramps? Upset stomach
again?”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
His hand moved to my stomach. “Let me rub
it.”
I batted his hand away. “Don’t.”
Hayden’s hand froze.
He scoffed. “Fine. Suffer, then. I don’t care.”
We didn’t talk for a long time.
My stomach ached all night.
く
I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I curled
up in a ball.
Sometime later, Hayden sighed.
He pulled me close, gently patting my back.
His voice was thick with sleep. “It’s okay,
babe. It’s okay…”
When I was a little girl, my mom used to pat
my back like that.
That memory was as distant as a dream.
But Hayden doing this felt so twisted.