TJ

 

 

“TJ Morrows!”

She isn’t just calling out for me.

Her voice is like spit fire from a dragon, burning my house down.

I drop everything and rush up the stairs to find her throwing panties out of a drawer I didn’t think she’d be looking through because I never said she could.

When she rises to her feet, holding a specific pair of pink see-through panties, I freeze.

Oh, boy.

“Exactly why do you have my panties in your drawers?”

She asks the question, but I’m much, much more focused on the fact that she’s still looking at them. Her voice is filled with an underlying hate, yet it’s so calm it sends chills down my spine.

“I can explain everything …” I say softly, trying to ease the situation before it gets out of hand. “If you let me—”

“Explain this.” She holds them up by one finger, still not looking at me.

“I …” I frown, my voice lowering as I realize it’s no use to deny it. “You know exactly how I got those.”

“You didn’t get them the night we slept together,” she says.

“No,” I reply.

“You got them off the internet.”

I swallow away the lump in my throat. “Yes.”

Again, it’s quiet for some time. Murderously quiet. And it freaks me the fuck out.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I should’ve told you that—”

“I don’t wanna hear it,” she interrupts. “Just answer my questions.”

“All right …” I sigh.

“You bought these from me. You’re pantysniffer3000?”

God, I knew I should’ve picked a better name. It sounds so wrong when she says it out loud. “Yes.”

Every time I admit something, it feels like I’m gutting myself, but a weight lifts off my shoulders too. It’s a strange combination that I’m not sure works well.

“And all these other panties?”

“I bought them too. I don’t steal.” As if saying I’m not a criminal makes it any better. Fuck, I’m so stupid sometimes.

She spins on her heels, clutching her panties. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you don’t get to say that.”

“But I am,” I say. “I never wanted you to find out like this.”

“Yeah, well, you did a great job of hiding it.” The look of disgust on her face makes me so mad that I lash out.

“I didn’t expect you to go through my drawers like some raccoon looking for kitty kibbles,” I growl. “Who does that anyway?”

“Did you just compare me to a raccoon?” She folds her arms, still holding those pink panties I love so much. “And everyone would. You went through my kitchen cabinets too.”

“So?” I gasp. “That’s different.”

“No, it’s not,” she retorts.

“Yes, it is. Closets are sacred. There’s an unwritten rule that no one opens them unless told specifically which drawer.”

“According to whose rules?” She narrows her eyes. “Yours?”

My lips part, but I don’t know what to say. Instead, I just frown and blow out some air. “Look, I said I was sorry.”

“And I should just accept that?”

“Why not?”

“Because everything gets solved by saying sorry? Fuck no.” She scowls at me. “You’re despicable.”

“Thanks,” I say, closing my eyes. “I needed that.”

“No, don’t play the victim here.” She points at me, rubbing it in. “You don’t get to do that. You stole my panties.”

“What? I paid for them fair and square.”

“Semantics,” she says.

“That’s what I always say.”

“So? You don’t own the word.”

“No, but I do own those.” I point at the panties. “Just like I own the others.”

“How many girls, TJ?”

“I don’t know. I don’t keep track.”

“So you’ve been doing this for a while, huh?” She picks up some of the panties in the drawer and holds them out. “Collecting panties from girls so you can get off?” she sneers.

“I was going to tell you …”

“When?” Her voice is so high I swear it could break glass.

“Soon. Once you’d … softened up to me.”

“Softened up? Really?” She grimaces. “I’m not your fucking couch, TJ.”

She throws all the panties at me, and I take it like a man. But fuck, this is humiliating. Still, I ignore the panties scattered all around me and focus on her.

“That came out wrong. Look, I was going to tell you, I swear. I just needed to know you were okay with it all before I—”

“No. I see why you were sleeping with me now.” She grabs the other panties that I took from her on the night we first slept together and holds them up along with the pink ones. “This is what you’re doing it for? Sexing me up, so you can get my panties and pretend you don’t have them?”

I don’t know how to respond, so I shrug. “I can’t lie to you, Lesley.”

“You were doing it pretty fine all this time!” she yells, tears welling up in her eyes.

“And I’m sorry for that …” I hold out my arms. “Please, don’t be mad.”

“Why? Are you afraid?” She grinds her teeth. “Think I’m going to tell someone?”

“Please don’t,” I beg.

“Tsk … like you’re in the position to ask me for anything right now.”

“I’m not, but I’m begging you. Please don’t tell anyone,” I plead with her. I hope she’ll see me because this is not a lie. This is the god’s honest truth. I am terrified. So damn terrified…

“If this gets out—”

“It won’t. Like I’d ever wanna talk to anyone about this,” she spits. Like a venom-laced knife, it stabs me in the heart. “Am I just another one of your conquests? Just another girl you can snag panties from?”

“No, of course not. Out of all the panties I bought from girls, you’re the first I’ve actually met,” I reply.

“Oh, well, that’s a relief,” she scoffs in sarcasm. “Were you keeping this from me to test me or something? To see if I was trustworthy enough to keep your dirty secret?” She shakes her head. “Never mind. I know enough.” She barges past me.

“No, it’s not like that.” I turn and watch her run down the stairs. “Wait!”

“I thought I could trust you, but guess what? Apparently, you don’t trust me. And I completely understand why because you are one lying sack of shit, TJ Morrows.”

“I didn’t lie to you,” I say, following her down the stairs, but she’s so damn quick.

“Yes, you did. You could’ve told me about your obsession the moment you slept with me.”

“C’mon, wait. We have to discuss this,” I say, grabbing her arm to make her stop.

“No, we don’t. You could’ve talked to me all this time, and you didn’t. You smell those panties, don’t you?”

I nod, not wanting to admit my fetish that easily, but I know I have no choice now.

“Then you knew these smelled like me, and you knew they belonged to me.” She jerks herself free from my grip. “Now let me go. I’m done here.”

As she walks toward the door, I say, “I’m sorry, Lesley. I wanted to tell you when the time was right.” But it’s no use.

I couldn’t even tell her about the sale. How I didn’t know it was her until it was too late. How I tried to resist and refused to hire her but then did it anyway because I felt bad. How I kept fighting the urge to kiss her, despite knowing damn well what it would cause.

I knew I was wrong to begin with. I just wish I could’ve told her the truth before it was too late.

But that time has passed.

The last words she utters from her mouth before she runs out the door ruin me. “Should’ve thought of that before you slept with me.”