I wake with a jolt and move my sore limbs. Everything aches so badly that if I had any hydration left, I’m sure tears would leak from my eyes. I stink, my mouth is dry and rancid, and my hair hangs in greasy lumps against my face. I had to defecate and urinate in here when I still had something to release, and the air wreaks of nastiness.
My stomach no longer hurts, though. It’s numb.
Cole runs his hands through my hair, and the tenderness in his eyes melts me as he trails his fingers down my side. Goosebumps break out across my skin and when I shiver, he smiles, creating a surge of heat that flows through me on wings of fire.
He breaks eye contact to watch his fingers trail over my stomach, up between my breasts, and over my collarbone before he replaces his fingers with his mouth and trails tiny kisses across my skin. I writhe beneath him, caught up in the tender moment but always wanting more.
And when I beg, he just smiles against my skin and continues the sweet torture, murmuring, “You’re so beautiful, Lola.”
Lola.
His hands grip my waist as he eases inside me, and we both groan at the sensation before tears fill my eyes.
Lola.
I gasp as he groans, and we come together, our bodies tensing and releasing in tune with each other.
“Lola!”
With a gasp, I open my eyes, glancing around uselessly in the dark space. I’m half expecting to see Cole. Instead, I’m still in this fucking hole. With a sob, I bat at my eyes, surprised that I have enough moisture left in my body to produce liquid.
I thought for sure . . . but no, it was all a dream. Fuck me.
“Lola?”
What? Groaning, I try to sit up, but I’m too weak. “Here.” But my voice is raspy and barely a whisper, so I shift around as I say it again and again, “Here. I’m here.”
“Lola, it’s me. It’s Cole,” he says, although his voice is muffled.
“Cole,” I sob, collapsing on the floor. “Where are you?”
“I’m behind the door, Lola. Shit, I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Where?” I ask, blearily, searching for his beautiful form.
“Over here, baby. I need you to hold on, Lola. You need to be strong. I need you to be brave. Please, don’t give up.” His voice is urgent, and I fight to keep my eyes open, even as they pull closed with exhaustion.
“Lola? Lola, can you hear me?” he says.
“Yes, yes,” I mumble. “So thirsty, Cole.”
“I know, baby,” he says, and I hear a rustling sound before something pounds above my head. “Fuck!” He roars.
I close my eyes once more but push them open when I hear another voice join Cole’s on the other side of the door. All I can hear is the low rumble until Cole shouts, “I can’t fucking leave her in there!”
No, please. Please don’t leave me.
“Baby, I’m not going to leave you. I’m gonna get you out of here. I promise.”
It’s the last thing I hear before I fall back into sleep, into the memories that haunt me.