The toy
. Suddenly, I regretted why I hid in the closet. I should have jumped out— should have risked breaking my leg. I closed my eyes, and the taste of fear—metallic and bitter—lingered on my tongue as I awaited my end. “Ariel,” his surprisingly soft voice called out. I opened one eye before the other, sizing the huge man before me. “It’s me, Tony your neighbor.” He scoffed jokingly. “I mean your former neighbor.” He stared at the knife before tossing it to the floor. “Sorry, I must have scared you. I saw a car packed outside, and I thought it was one of those junkies that come around.” I was still too stunned to speak; fear was still coursing through my veins. “Aria” He asked. Noticing I flinched at the mention of the name, he apologized. "Sorry, I thought it was Ariel. Cause of the hair.” I stepped out of the closet and dusted off the cobwebs draping my outfit. Turning to him, “the hair?” “Ariel loved her hair long, and you, you know, you loved yours short.” He explained. I smiled at him sheepishly, not knowing how to tell him. I couldn’t remember him since I lost my memory, and from the way he spoke, I assumed he knew us well. “Would you like to have a drink? There’s a bar not too far from here. I mean, if you are not busy.” Tony dipped his hands into his pocket. I had taken a day off, so I wasn’t busy. "No, I’m not,” I replied. I wanted to turn him down, but aside from my aunt, I haven’t had anyone ask about my past. If he knew I liked my short hair, he should know me well enough. “That's great.” He smiled and led me out of the room. ***** “Wow, that must be tough. So you can't remember anything?” Tony's voice echoed in the empty bar. “I remember some things, but anything about my past or the accident is just a blur. The memories are in bits and pieces,” I explained. “When I came back to town and heard about Ariel’s death, I thought you guys had moved out.” He continued, “I had no idea you were in a coma all this time.” The waiter arrived with Tony’s beer and my soft drink. I smiled and took a sip. “You're Aria,” he chuckled. “For a moment, I thought you were Ariel. It’s amazing how much you two look alike.” My heart sank at his words, recalling how everyone adored Ariel and seemed to despise me. I bet a part of him wishes I had died instead of Ariel. “Why do you say that?” I forced a smile. “Ariel loved alcohol. But you? Alcohol always seemed like poison to you. You’d never drink, no matter how hard we tried to get you to.” And yet Damon had turned me into an alcoholic. I bet Ariel would be proud of that. “So, what brought you back to Warwick?” Tony asked, taking a sip of his beer and making a noise of satisfaction. “Answers.” “To what?” “To fill this gaping hole,” I replied, fidgeting with my fingers. “I lost my sister, yet I can’t even mourn her because I can’t remember who she was.” I sighed heavily and took another sip of my drink, wishing it could fill the hole in my heart. “Aunt Mary said we were like cat and mice. We never saw eye to eye and always quarreled,” I added. Tony laughed. “That’s true. You were practically jealous of her,” he blurted out. “I mean, you admired her.” “So, tell me what you know about us.” “Us?” He coughed, hitting his chest, as he choked on his drink. “I thought you forgot about your past. How do you remember us?” My eyes widened. I wasn’t referring to me and Tony, but to Ariel and me. If Tony and I were an item, why would he mention Ariel first? He did say it was because of the hair. But wouldn’t he call my name first if we had dated? A flurry of thoughts swirled in my mind. “I was talking about Ariel and me,” I clarified. “Wait, did we date?” I asked. “Nah,” Tony dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “So, what happened between us?” I was curious to know. Tony shifted in his seat. “Nothing. And about Ariel and you, you know the basics. You were friends, but still enemies.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to go. It was nice catching up with you. I’ll tell my brother I met you he wouldn’t believe it” He gulped down the rest of his beer, dropped some cash on the table, and dashed out. I couldn't tell if he had something to do or if he got nervous when I asked about us. “We were friends and enemies,” I mumbled, trying to wrap my head around it. Well, there was only one way to find out. No one knew me better than myself. My eyes fell on the diary. It was a big book, like one of those huge fantasy novels with maps and character pictures. It was something I couldn’t finish reading in weeks. Was I such a huge fan of writing? I sighed, picked up my diary, and dropped my number with the bartender to give to Tony before leaving the bar. **** One hand glued my phone to my ear, and the other key in the password to my apartment. “How did it go?” Jessie asked. “I saw the diary,” I replied, nudging the door shut with my foot before kicking off my shoes. “So, have you read it?” she inquired. I walked to the living room and tossed my bag onto a chair. I placed the diary on the table, snapped a picture of it, and sent it to her. “What the hell?” she exclaimed. “That’s a history textbook you’ve got there.” I laughed, never having thought of it that way. “You won’t finish that for months. Were you planning on releasing an autobiography?” Jessie teased. “Definitely not,” I laughed, making my way upstairs to my room. “What about Logan?” she asked. With a soft smile, I recounted our date to her while undressing. “Wow! He said you could use him however you want.” Jessie sounded excited, though I couldn’t quite understand why. “Then use him. He’s permitted you,” she insisted. “Ari, can I call you back?” “Sure,” I responded, collapsing onto my bed. Lying there, I tried to figure out what Tony meant to me. I couldn’t shake the thought; I tend to latch onto things until they consume me. My phone chimed; it was a notification from one of those media outlets I subscribed to. ‘Damon Wesley celebrates his fiancée’s birthday.’ It was posted four hours ago. With a heavy heart, I clicked on it. His amber eyes gazed at her like she was his world; his hands—the same hands that sent sparks through me—were holding hers. The smile that painted my face red—he was letting her have it. My hands trembled, and tears blurred my vision as I watched him pull her close. When his lips, which I thought were meant for me, touched hers, my heart stopped. I pounded my chest, trying to breathe. With quick steps, I marched to the kitchen, grabbed his wine bottles one by one, and hurled them at the wall, shattering them into pieces. I opened the last bottle and drank straight from it, the bitter taste burning down my throat. Tony had said nothing could make me drink, but he didn’t know about Damon. I gulped the alcohol like it was a refreshing drink. I stormed back to my room, flung open the wardrobe, and threw all his clothes out the window. I collapsed into the chair next to the mirror, staring at my sorrowful reflection, my tears smudging my eyeliner. I looked at my hair, remembering how Damon had once complimented it. I pulled out the scissors from the drawer, grabbed a handful of hair, and started cutting it aggressively, letting the strands fall to the floor. I screamed as the scissors got tangled, wincing as I yanked them free and flung them across the room. I shattered the mirror with the bottle, ran my hands through my disheveled hair, and finally broke down into proper tears. I wanted to rip out my heart since it refused to stop loving him. Lost in my sorrow, I heard the doorbell ring. I rushed downstairs and opened the door. My eyes widened, and I held my breath. A man I had never seen before stood there, his face marked by an X-shaped scar and one eye missing, sending shivers down my spine. I tried to close the door, but he stopped it with his foot. I darted back to the kitchen, remembering my phone was there, as his heavy footsteps thundered behind me. I winced as I stepped on the shards of the broken bottles, regret instantly swelling up—I shouldn’t have broken them. My ringtone caught my attention—it was Logan. “Please call 911!” I screamed, my voice echoing through the apartment as the man grabbed me by the hair and threw me into the living room. I tumbled, hitting my head on the sturdy wood table. Slowly, my consciousness began to fade as the man approached me. When my eyes fluttered open, I was in Logan’s arms. My head throbbed, and my body felt heavy. “Let’s get you to the hospital,” Logan said, gently tucking me into his car. “What about the man?” I whispered.The CEO..I stood outside Binky’s apartment, my hands shoved deep into the pockets of my black pants, wrestling with the urge to go inside or return to that house. I couldn’t even call it a home, not with Lucy living there.I sighed as I saw the post: Damon Wesley celebrates his fiancée’s birthday.My heart ached, knowing Binky must have seen it too. I always thought she didn’t care about me and that her outbursts were just attempts to break free from our contract. But the vacation made me realize she was in love with me, and I’d do anything to be with her—even if it meant making a deal with the devil.Every part of me wanted to confront my father directly, but that would be foolish; he wouldn’t just torment me, but everyone I care about.A tall figure entering Binky’s apartment jolted me from my reverie. From the broad shoulders, it had to be a man, and my mind immediately jumped to Logan. Although Binky said he was Jessie’s friend, I couldn’t bring myself to believe it.A frown wa
The toy..As I regained consciousness, my eyes met a white ceiling, the scent of antiseptic hanging in the air. I winced as I touched the bandage wrapped around my head.“How are you feeling?” Jessie suddenly appeared in my face. “I thought you were going to slip into another coma.” She laughed through her tears, pulling me into a hug.It was the first time I had seen Jessie cry, not even when her fiancé called off the wedding or when her puppy died. I always teased her, saying she must have sold her soul to the devil.“It’s not that easy to slip into a coma,” Logan remarked, entering the hospital room. “How are you feeling?” He gently held my hand.“Other than the throbbing headache, I’m okay.” I smiled weakly.Jessie took my hair in her hand. “Was it that bastard who did this to you?” she asked, her brows furrowed.“Yes,” I admitted, averting my gaze as I brushed back my hair.What could I say? That I had done this to myself? Damon had a way of bringing out the worst in me. If som
The toy.“What’s happening?” Jessie asked as she saw the terror in my eyes.I jerked up. “Logan knew me before our first meeting at the wedding.”Her eyes widened as she approached me. “What do you mean?”I picked up the diary from the bed and showed her what I had just read. “Remember when you said something that must have triggered my memory at the restaurant? And I said Logan was the only new thing in my life.”“And I said Logan didn’t strike me as someone who knew you,” Jessie said, sinking into a chair. “Then why is he acting like he’s never met you?” She took a deep breath. “Don’t you think we’re jumping to conclusions here? There are thousands of Logans out there.”“Yeah, and they all happen to have the same dark hair and green eyes?” I retorted, still pacing around the room.“There are more than seven billion people in the world,” Jessie justified.As expected, Jessie was always trying to be logical.Out of frustration, I let out a grunt. “Then explain why my memories started
Lucy pov.I walked into the dining room. The smell of pancakes and orange juice greeted my nose, causing my stomach to rumble. But that wasn’t the only thing I could smell—I could smell pretense.I saw Damon sitting on the table, checking his business stock on his tablet.“Good morning, Love.” I leaned over from behind, caressing his chest, before settling in the seat nearest to him.“Good morning, Love.” He greeted me back without taking his gaze off his tab.I bit my lips as I traced his thighs with my foot, sliding upto his dick beneath his suit trousers.“It’s too early for this.” He replied, his eyes still glued to his tablet.I did it again, accidentally knocking over a glass of juice. The liquid spilled across the table and onto his suit.Damon turned, anger flashing in his amber eyes. "Happy now?" He tried to dab the stain, but it was no use."Well, if you had paid attention to me, this wouldn't have happened." I took the napkin from him, and instead of cleaning the table, I
Toy ..I strode down to the living room, basking in the freshness that comes from taking a shower after a long day at work, holding my diary and a cup of juice. If I’m going to read about my sad past, it’s best to have a cold drink to freeze the pain.I settled on the couch, noting that the monotone furnishing of Jessie’s house was still an eyesore. As I opened my diary, the system buzzed, and Jessie walked in.“Ooooh gosh,” Jessie grunted as she crashed into the sofa.“How’s the planning going?” I asked, sipping from my juice.“Mrs. Brown is the most annoying client I’ve ever had.” Jessie leaned forward. “She doesn’t know what she wants. One moment it’s red roses, the next it’s white lilies,” she rushed, gesticulating with her hands.She suddenly stopped complaining and picked up her phone as it pinged.I chuckled. “What’s that?” I asked, noticing the smile stamped on her face while she stared at her phone.“It’s Zach.” Jessie smiled.My eyes flew wide open. “Wait, Zach? Damon’s Za
The toy..“Jessie!” I called out as I spotted her standing outside the meeting room. The meeting must be over.“You’re late, but I covered for you,” Jessie said.She had left the house before me because she had a project to present.“My car broke down,” I explained. “Thanks so much. What would I do without you?” I smiled, linking my arm with hers as we walked back to our office.As we settled into our seats, which were right next to each other, Jessie’s gaze fell on my bracelet.“Wow, you decided to wear it?” she smiled, drawing a file from her drawer. “I tried to find where you could get it, but it turns out it’s custom-made.” She picked up my arm. “This beauty is one of a kind.”“And it looks so expensive,” I remarked, staring at it intensely.“Hmmm.” She nodded. “And if Logan reacts, it means he’s the one who got it for me,” I added.“I doubt a bartender could afford such a bracelet,” Jessie replied without taking her eyes off her computer.I had been hoping it was from Logan, but
The CEO.."Where did you get this?" Her eyes widened as if she had just seen a ghost. I pulled her closer by the hands, closing the space between us. Her beautiful doe eyes stared into mine, wide and questioning."You gave me the bracelet?" she asked, taking a few steps back.I had given it to Ariel as a gift—a customized piece that was one of a kind. I couldn't fathom how a bracelet that had been with me ended up on Binky's wrist. "If I had given it to you, would I be asking that question?" I replied, my tone harsh. Her eyes reflected fear. "Binky," I said, trying to ease her tension with a smile. "I made it for a friend, but it was stolen." I couldn't bring myself to tell her I had made it for her sister. I hadn’t even mentioned that I knew Ariel, let alone that we had dated. Ariel had said she and her sister were close, but Aria had told me they were never on good terms. I was too excited and happy to see that face to bring up the past."Stolen? Are you kidding me?" She instan
The toy.I slipped into my car, still tingling from his touch—powerful and unforgettable. I could already feel the wetness between my legs. Recalling his fingers tracing my skin, and when his hand brushed my pussy, my body shuddered in pleasure. I subconsciously shut my eyes and tilted my head backwards, savoring the fleeting bliss I had just experienced. My eyes popped open, his voice echoed in my mind, "Now we're even." I scoffed, knowing he sought retaliation. Running my hands through my hair, I grabbed my phone.Me: You might have won the battle, but I’m winning the war.He should enjoy his little victory, cause he’d be the next person left speechless and begging for more. I couldn’t shake off the pleasurable electric thrill coursing through my body, flushing my cheeks. His touch on me like that-it was a first. My phone pinged.Damon: Let’s see how you pull that off.His confidence always amazed me."Did he charm me?" I muttered, chewing my nails.I couldn't understand why