Free In Control (The City Series) by Crystal Serowka

around my body. I kept pulling and pulling, tugging at the worn fabric. Frustration woke me, and I opened my eyes to see someone staring back. My breath hitched and I reacted by pulling at the sheet once more, trying desperately to cover myself up.
    “How can you look so peaceful when you live this kind of life?” Mr. Henderson asked as he reached over and touched my face.
    I froze. My entire body was a mountain of ice. His deep brown eyes were the only thing I could see in the darkness. He shifted his weight on the mattress, moving closer to me. I couldn’t stop my body from shaking, and as it did, Mr. Henderson laughed. He knew I was petrified of what was coming, yet he did nothing to ease my discomfort.
    “Please,” I choked. “Please don’t hurt me.”
    “I’m not going to hurt you, Kingsley,” he said as his hand moved to the top of the sheet. “I just want to see you.”
    I repressed a sob in my throat, trying desperately to remain brave. Mr. Henderson moved the sheet off of my body, a small grin flashing on his face. I wore the same thing to bed each night. The gym shorts I’d had since I was ten were small, and over the years, my legs had become fuller. My t-shirt had also shrunk, and it showed the outline of my breasts, which seemed to have grown two cup sizes overnight.
    Mr. Henderson gawked at my figure. His eyes moved over every part of me, and I watched as his eyes flashed with satisfaction. I tried reaching for the sheet, but he grabbed onto my hand so tightly, tears swam down my face.
    “Don’t. Move.” He pushed my hand into the mattress, forcing it down with his own. With his free hand, he cradled my face. “You’re a real beauty. It’s a shame it’s taken me this long to realize it. When you stood in the hallway this morning, just out of the shower, your hair still soaked, that’s when I realized how pretty you are.”
    I could no longer control myself. I began sobbing, begging him to let me go to sleep.
    “Please, Mr. Henderson. I just want to sleep. I promise I won’t cause any more trouble. I won’t say anything, just please don’t hurt me.” I could barely speak, but I managed to add, “I won’t tell Mrs. Henderson that you came down here. I’ll keep it a secret.”
    “You won’t tell anyone that I was ever here!” he hissed. He tightened his hold on my hand, practically stopping the blood flow. His touch moved from my face to my arm. His index finger circled my shoulder and he licked his lips slowly, keeping his focus on my body.
    I couldn’t fight him off of me. He was too strong, and I was weak. If I tried, he would have killed me. I just knew it.
    “Beautiful girl,” he whispered.
    Bile rose up my throat and I knew that if I were to become sick, the moment would be over, but I couldn’t go on each day wondering when and if Mr. Henderson was going to sneak into the basement again. So I swallowed it down and forced myself to get through this. I would block out what was happening and forget about it once it was over.
    I commanded my eyes to close and began humming. I hummed a mixture of songs that took me away from the moment. I needed to hear my own voice to know that I wasn’t dying. Thankfully, Mr. Henderson didn’t tell me to shut up. He allowed me that one gift.
    I don’t remember what happened next. The last thing I felt were his fingers drifting down my shorts. I just kept humming, over and over, until I wasn’t able to feel a thing. He didn’t speak. He just explored, touched, and violated every inch of me. When his weight lifted off of my mattress and I heard the basement door close, I finally opened my eyes.
    Mr. Henderson left, and with him, he took my innocence.

I hated mornings. I hated them so much that I considered canceling the trip to the Hamptons. I knew I couldn’t do that to Wren, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was feeling the same way right now. We’d stayed up talking on the phone until four in the morning. Wren told me all about his