House Rules
You sit in the dark for what feels like a very long time. The silence is complete except for the occasional creak of the house settling and the sound of your own breathing through the gag.
Then footsteps. Two sets.
The door opens. You hear movement, the rustle of fabric, someone setting something down. Then nothing for a moment.
The blindfold comes off.
Your eyes adjust slowly to the light. And then you see them.
Alina. And...Riley?
Riley. From the office. Riley who texts you every day. Riley who is the only thing standing between you and complete psychological collapse. Riley, who is standing in Alina's bedroom in an outfit that makes it very clear this was not a casual visit.
Your first instinct is to explain yourself. To tell her this isn't what it looks like, that you can explain, that you're sorry she has to see you like this. You try to speak.
The gag reminds you that isn't an option.
And then, behind the immediate panic, a quieter and more disturbing question begins to form.
What exactly is the relationship between Alina and Riley?