We Were Once Wallflowers Part: One - An Extreme Dark Bully Romance

Part 4 - The Choice - Scene 2 - Wednesday

Originally written and posted on 3/31/2024

Please Note: This first draft is subject to change upon official publication, including the addition of never-before-read scenes. If you enjoyed this chapter, please show your support by liking and following me for more smutty dark romance featuring all the controversial elements readers love—or love to hate.

Part 4 - The Choice Wednesday - Scene 2

Jane jolted awake on the couch, startled by the sudden chime of the doorbell. The TV cast flickering shadows across the room, playing a horror movie she couldn't place. On the screen, a woman sprinted through the woods, pursued by a masked intruder destined to capture her. Glancing at the clock beneath the TV, she frowned; it was just after 10:30 PM.

She shuffled toward the front door, her hand trembling slightly as she flicked on the porch light. Peering through the peephole, she found no one there; the porch was deserted. She hesitated for a moment, a nagging sense of unease prickling the back of her mind.

With a deep breath, she unlocked the deadbolt and slid the chain lock back, the sound echoing against the wooden doorframe. Opening it cautiously, she found the porch empty, except for a bubble-wrapped package leaning against a potted plant.

It was only an Amazon delivery. A nervous laugh escaped her. As usual, she had worked herself into a panic over nothing.

Stepping out onto the porch, Jane shivered as the unsettling sensation of being watched settled in. Ignoring the feeling, she crossed the narrow space in her fuzzy socks, descended the few steps, and followed the walkway to her father's car parked where he had left it in the driveway.

She hesitated, glancing back at the front door, worrying her bottom lip. A commercial blared from inside, the dim light shifting from blinding white back to muted colors. With a quick shake of her head, she stepped onto the lawn, each step soaking her socks, before she paused on the sidewalk. Goosebumps prickled her bare arms as she crossed them over her chest, looking up and down the quiet street.

Sleek black poles dotted both sides, topped with bright yellow globes. Vacant cars sat in driveways or on the street in front of dark houses. There wasn't a delivery car or truck in sight. It seemed plausible they could have simply tossed the package, rung the doorbell, and hurried off to their next stop. Yet, a sense of unease pricked at her senses, something wasn't right. Her gaze darted from one darkened house to the next, searching for any sign of movement. Nothing. The stillness of the evening amplified her worries. Every rustle of leaves or distant sound made her flinch, expecting the worst to come jumping out of the shadows.

Jane jogged back across the grass, along the walkway, and up the few steps, pausing only to pick up the package, before she headed back inside and slammed the door behind her, locking the deadbolt twice for good luck and sliding home the chain.

Yanking her wet socks off, she tossed them near her shoes by the door, deciding to deal with them later, then made her way to the pantry to grab a bag of extra buttery popcorn. Unwrapping it, she tossed it into the microwave and hit the popcorn button, the low hum filling the air.

Just as she was about to settle back onto the couch, the kitchen phone rang, its sudden noise startling her. She moved to answer it, her eyes flicking back to the microwave as the bag began to unfold while it spun. Seconds later, the sound of little pops filled the air.

"Hello?" she asked. The line stayed silent.

She hung up, and almost instantly, the phone rang again. Jane answered, her voice edged with impatience. "What do you want?" she demanded, but there was only silence. She slammed the phone into the cradle on the wall just as the doorbell rang again. Jane glanced at the half-popped bag still turning in the microwave, the smell making her hungry.