Blackmailing The Untouched

Keeping Up The Lie

With a clear head the next morning, I realize just how truly stupid I've been.

I can not continue to have a sexual relationship with a man who blackmailed me into sleeping with him the first time. I can't continue to waste my time on a guy who has made it perfectly clear that he doesn't care about anyone other than himself and his agenda.
He is dark and carefree. He is a threat to my friendship with Sally and quite possibly my heart.

Maybe I should just tell her about what I’ve been up to this past week? If she knows about what I've been doing with Zach, it might just be enough for me to stay away from him like I know I should.

I shouldn't be lying to her. I know how much she despises him, and she has welcomed me into her home with open arms. She's my roommate, and I shouldn't be keeping this secret from her. She's already done so much for me, and I repay her by sneaking around her back and lying to her face.

I know that I am better than the person I've been. I deserve better than what Zach is willing to give me. I deserve someone who wants my heart. Not just my body.

But, the attraction to him is intense. It's stronger than I've ever felt. It consumes my thoughts and my dreams. It takes control when he's near. It makes me afraid because for the first time in my life, I feel like I have no control.

"Hol," I hear Sally calling from the Livingroom, ripping the thoughts that run through my head away. I listen as she sets down her keys on the kitchen counter.
Her voice sends chills down my spine, and my hand moves to the bruise that was sucked into my skin the night before.

Before she has the chance to come looking for me, I slip into the bathroom to apply some foundation over the small purple bruise. After the blemish fades, I make my way out to her.

I find her leaning against the island, glancing down at her phone.

"How was your night?" I ask with a playful wink.
I hope that she can't sense the guilt in my tone and the way that I nervously chew my lip.

"It could have been better." She shrugs with a heaviness, "Was yours better?"

I push the images of Zach hovering over me out of my head and allow my heart to stop beating frantically before answering her. "Nope." I shake my head.

"How long did Zach hang around after we all left?" She asks and places her phone down on the counter beside her. Although she is casually glancing my way, I feel as though she is interrogating me, just waiting to catch me in a lie.

"I kicked him out after you sent that text." I'm getting too comfortable with lying. It’s coming way too easy to me.

"I might have been drinking when I sent that." She tells me with a bow of her head. "I know we both agreed not to, but when I got to Zander's house, all he wanted to do was play some stupid game on his X-station -thing. He pretty much ignored me all night." She lets out a frustrated huff.

Sally had never been tech savvy, so she had no clue about the different gaming systems out there. For as long as I've known her, she had always combined the PlayStation with the X-Box. She never quite grasped the fact that they are two entirely different systems. I suppose that's the way she earned her nickname, "Ditz."

"That's harsh." I reply, trying to be as supportive as I can be while also steering the conversation away from Zach.

It takes a few minutes before we fall into our normal friendly banter. She attempts a joke, which sends us into a fit of uncontrollable laughter after she confuses the opening of the joke with the punchline. As we're laughing, my phone dings with a text message. I pull it out of my front pocket where I see a number that I recognize but haven't saved into the contacts that reads

I'm sorry about last night. I have the pills if you want them.
-Z

I freeze when I see the words. I'm reminded of the irresponsible choice we made, and my blood runs cold in my veins.

This is not something I want to deal with right now, so I push it out of my mind.

I push the memories of the last night away and quickly type out, "Yes." and then hit send.

"What's up?" Sally must sense something is off with me because she is watching me closely. "Your entire mood just changed."

"Toby needs my help with something." I feel a little sick to my stomach as yet another lie spills from my mouth. "I'll see you later."

"Okay, I'm working the late shift tonight, but we'll talk after?" She says with a question.

"Of course." I nod with a forced smile.

As I make my way to my jeep outside, I quickly shoot Zach another text telling him to meet me at my house.

Almost instantly, he responds with, "Ok."

I toss the phone in the passenger seat and then turn the key in the ignition. The jeep roars to life. I make the fifteen-minute drive to my house across town.

When I pull into the driveway, I see that Zach's truck is already sitting idle. I park beside him, and when he looks at me through the window, I feel my pulse quicken.

Taking a cautious breath, I turn the engine off and step outside of the vehicle.

Zach gets out of his truck and closes the distance between us. I see the small brown paper bag in his hand as he looks to me with soft blue eyes and a somber expression.