Boxes and Boundaries

**Marcella**

Cardboard scraped loudly against the pristine hardwood floor as Harper shoved the last moving box into the far corner of my massive new bedroom. She groaned, dropping onto the plush gray carpet with an exhausted sigh.

"Looks like this is the last one." Harper stretched her long legs out in front of her.

"Thanks for helping me today, guys. I owe you." I wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead, setting down a heavy stack of textbooks onto the desk.

"You know we are always here for you." Chloe smiled softly from her comfortable spot on the edge of the mattress.

"Chloe is just trying to get close to Nolan, so of course she showed up to help." Maya teased, tossing a small throw pillow straight at her head.

Chloe turned bright crimson while the rest of us burst out laughing.

"It is okay, Chlo. Nolan is cute. I think he likes you too." I grinned, trying to shake the lingering anxiety from earlier today in the school cafeteria. Kaelen's heavy hand on my knee still felt like a phantom brand burning my skin.

"Really? You think so?" Chloe perked up, her eyes widening with hope.

"Yes! Why would he not? You are gorgeous!" Harper chimed in, reaching over to pinch Chloe's flushed cheek.

Chloe swatted her hand away, but a huge, giddy smile took over her face anyway.

"What time is it?" I asked, glancing around at the bare walls.

"Three-thirty." Harper checked her phone screen.

Maya scrambled to her feet and grabbed her purse from the floor. "Shoot. I promised my mom I would go to the mall with her. I have to run."

"See you later, Maya. Thanks again for the muscle!" I waved as she hurried out into the hallway.

Seconds later, a soft knock came from the doorframe. Nolan peeked his head through the open doorway. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking nervous.

"Hey, Chloe. Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked.

"Yes!" Chloe shot up like a rocket, bouncing on her toes.

Harper and I exchanged a knowing, amused look as Chloe skipped out of the room after him. The moment they disappeared, the heavy silence of the massive house settled into my bones.

"This place is crazy nice." Harper looked around, taking in the pale cream walls and the huge bay window overlooking the sprawling backyard.

It was a stunning room. The space was massive, featuring a built-in study area with pristine white shelves waiting to be filled. My bed sat in the corner, covered in a simple lavender comforter that I brought from my old house. It felt like a luxury hotel suite, but underneath the beautiful surface, a dark reality clawed at my chest.

My eyes drifted toward the sleek sliding door on the far wall. The attached Jack-and-Jill bathroom linked my space directly to Kaelen's bedroom. Just looking at that heavy wooden door made my skin crawl with intense anxiety. We shared a wall. We shared a bathroom. He was right there. He could just open his side and step right into my private sanctuary.

"It would be a lot better if my bathroom was actually my own." I frowned, crossing my arms defensively over my chest.

"Definitely." Harper dropped her smile, her gaze turning serious and probing. "But seriously, Cella, how are you dealing with all of this?"

Her gentle, concerned tone made a thick lump form in my throat. I swallowed hard, choking back the lingering, heavy grief over my deceased dad. Talking about him still hurt too much. I forced a brave face, plastering a fake, reassuring smile on my lips.

"I am okay. I just want my Mom to be happy. She has not been this happy since before Dad died." I spoke the words like a practiced script.

Harper studied my face for a long moment before pushing herself off the floor. She wrapped a comforting arm around my shoulder.

"Let's go out and get some ice cream. My treat." She squeezed me in a tight hug.

"Ice cream sounds amazing right now." I agreed instantly, eager to escape the stifling atmosphere of Kaelen's territory.

We walked downstairs, our footsteps echoing in the grand, cavernous foyer. Mom and Greg stood near the front door, looking over a pile of expensive leather luggage.

"I will be back later, Mom. Harper and I are going to get ice cream." I stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"Okay, honey. Be safe." Mom turned around and pulled a shiny new set of house keys from her purse. She pressed them firmly into my palm and kissed my cheek. "Greg and I are leaving right now. We are taking a weekend trip to celebrate the move. We will be back on Monday."

My heart sank straight into my stomach. My fingers curled rigidly around the cold metal keys.

They were leaving. Right now. I was going to be left alone in this massive house with Kaelen. The predator who had spent the last year making my life a living hell was now my unsupervised roommate for the next forty-eight hours.

Panic spiked sharply in my chest. I nodded stiffly, unable to form actual words, and rushed out the front door with Harper.

I stayed out as long as humanly possible. Harper and I ate massive sundaes, wandered the mall for hours, and even caught a late movie. I dragged out every single activity, desperate to delay the inevitable. I just wanted to avoid him.

It was past ten o'clock when I finally unlocked the heavy mahogany front door and stepped inside. The house was pitch black and dead quiet. I locked the deadbolt and trudged up the grand staircase, my muscles aching from exhaustion and lingering dread.

As I neared the top of the stairs, a muffled sound echoed through the silent hallway. Moans. Loud, unmistakable groans coming directly from Kaelen's bedroom.

Deep disgust flared in my chest. I rolled my eyes, hurrying past his door and slipping into my own room. I quickly locked the hallway door. Then I marched straight over to the adjoining bathroom and locked that door too. I tested the handle twice to make sure the deadbolt held firm.

I peeled off my clothes and threw on a pair of loose cotton shorts and a thin tank top. Pajamas made me too hot to sleep comfortably. I climbed into bed and pulled the lavender comforter up to my chin. I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, hoping to drown out the horrible background noise.

But it did not help. The expensive walls were not nearly thick enough to block the intense noise. The sounds bled right through the drywall, invading my private space.

'OH MY GOD, KAELEN! YES! FASTER, BABY!' A girl's voice screamed through the wall.

I jolted upright in bed. My face burned with intense heat. The wet, slapping sounds amplified, echoing rhythmically against the shared wall. The sharp smack of flesh hitting flesh made my stomach twist into nervous knots.

Then, Kaelen's deep, authoritative voice boomed clearly through the quiet house.

'What are you supposed to call me?'

My mouth went bone dry.

The female voice immediately responded, her tone frantic and pleading.

'I’m sorry, Master! Please forgive me. Please let me come!'

Master?

Pure shock coursed rapidly through my veins. Burning mortification flooded my cheeks. I did not know whether to laugh, scream, or die of pure embarrassment. I could still hear the whimpering and the heavy, rhythmic slapping. He was dominating her. He was degrading her.

I knew he was a twisted bully at school, but this extreme, dominant sexual behavior was a whole other terrifying level. I could not sit here and listen to this. I could not stay in this bed.

I threw off the covers and bolted out of my bedroom.

I ran down the dark stairs, my bare feet padding softly against the hardwood. I did not care where I went. I just needed to escape the sexual noises echoing from above. I needed space to breathe.

I pushed through the swinging door into the massive kitchen. The faint hum of the stainless-steel refrigerator offered a tiny shred of normalcy. Moonlight spilled through the large windows, casting long, eerie shadows across the cold marble island counter.

I gripped the edge of the counter, my knuckles turning white. I forced my fiercely racing heart to slow down. The quiet downstairs was a stark contrast to the dominant, filthy scene playing out on the second floor.

I opened the fridge and grabbed a cold bottle of water. I twisted the plastic cap off and took a long, desperate gulp, letting the freezing liquid soothe my dry throat.

"Master?" I muttered the twisted title under my breath, shaking my head in utter disbelief.

"Couldn’t sleep?"

His deep voice cut cleanly through the quiet kitchen silence.

I choked on my water, coughing loudly as the liquid burned my windpipe. I spun around in a blind panic.

Kaelen leaned casually in the kitchen doorway. His dark hair was messy and damp with sweat. His black button-down shirt hung open, unbuttoned just enough to reveal his toned, muscular chest. A wicked smirk played on his lips. He looked far too comfortable, and his knowing expression told me he noticed my panicked reaction.

"I just wanted some water." I stammered awkwardly, cursing myself for sounding so weak.

He pushed off the doorframe and stepped closer into the room. His massive presence instantly suffocated the large kitchen. The air grew thick and heavy. He stalked toward me with slow, deliberate steps, that familiar, dark predatory glint flashing in his green eyes.

"You okay? You look flustered." He teased, his voice dripping with dark amusement.

He knew exactly what I had heard. He knew the walls were paper-thin. He was enjoying this. He wanted me to feel uncomfortable and afraid in my own home.

"I am fine." I snapped back, straightening my spine.

I attempted to sidestep him to escape back to the stairs, but he effortlessly shifted his large body, blocking my path. He trapped me between the marble counter and his solid chest. I could smell the lingering scent of sex and sharp cologne radiating off his skin.

"Leaving so soon?" His voice dropped lower, carrying a mocking edge. "You are not scared of me, are you?"

He was taunting me. He wanted me to cower. I gripped the water bottle tighter, forcing myself to hold his intense, mocking gaze. I refused to let him see the claustrophobic terror threatening to drown me.

"I am tired, Kaelen. Move." I ordered him, pouring every ounce of fake confidence into my firm tone.

His dark smirk widened into a lethal grin. He held his ground for a few agonizing seconds, letting the raw sexual tension and thick intimidation build between us. Then, he finally stepped aside.

"Sweet dreams, Cella." He whispered the chilling words as I brushed past him.

I darted straight back upstairs, ignoring the burning stare I felt tracking my every move. I sprinted into my bedroom and slammed the door shut. I double-checked the locks on the hallway door. I practically threw myself against the adjoining bathroom door to make sure the deadbolt was still engaged. My chest heaved as I leaned against the cool wood, trying to catch my breath.

I crawled back under the covers and stared blankly up at the dark ceiling. The massive house felt stifling. The silence was deafening. Every tiny creak of the floorboards, every shifting shadow in the corner of the room, felt exactly like him. Watching me. Waiting for me.

He had cornered me in the dark kitchen just to prove he could. I could not shake the terrifying, creeping realization that Kaelen always got what he wanted. He dominated his classmates, he dominated the girls in his bed, and now, I was trapped inside his personal domain. I was isolated in his territory, and I had nowhere left to run.