All His

One

God. It's so cold out here.

I pull my ratty, thin coat around me as the wind whips through my hair and right through my clothes. I shiver. It's been three nights of sleeping on a park benches, and I don't know if I'll make it through.

"Cate?"

I turn around to who ever called my name.

Oh shit. This can't be happening.

"Max?"

"What are you doing out here this late?" He asks.

"I- I'm-" I don't know how to tell him I'm homeless.

"Come on, let's get you out of the cold."

I wish I could say no, but I follow him. He puts his coat around me and leads me to his car.

"You look good." He says.

"Liar." I say. "You look good."

He does. He's more muscular since I dated him, and he's wearing an expensive suit and watch. He's doing pretty well from the looks of things.

"You gonna tell me why you were trying to freeze to death?"

I sigh. "None of your damn business."

He sighs. "You okay to spend the night at my place?"

I nod, and he leads me to a building about a block away. We get weird looks as we walk in and head up to his apartment.

"Sit down." Max puts down his brief case and stands at the bar, gesturing to the barstool beside him.

I do.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"I dropped out."

"Why?"

"I was failing."

"You're smart, Cate."

"Shut the fuck up."

"I'm doing you a favor, I just want to talk. Don't be rude."

"Don't tell me what to do. It's none of your damn business what happened to me, and if you don't stop asking questions I'm leaving."

"No, you're not. You'll freeze out there, or starve."

"I'll be fine. Fuck you and you're fucking penthouse apartment, okay? Just my luck, you weren't rich when we dated." I laugh. "I'm out."

Max grabs my wrist, keeping me from going to the door. "Cate, please. I'll stop asking questions. Please just stay here."

We stand there like that for a minute before I face him. "Okay."

He shows me where the bathroom is, and I shower. He's left a pair of his jogging pants and a t-shirt out for me. The pants are loose so I tie them tightly around my waist, and the shirt is long and baggy. It's comfy and warm.

"You look better already." Max smiles.

"I'm sorry. For what I said earlier."

"It's alright, really."

"It's not."

We stand in silence.

"You know what you would do... if we were dating."

He nods.

"So do it."

All he does is nod again, and sit down on the couch. My heart races. I can't believe I asked him to do this. Max pulls me to him and unties my jogging pants, letting them fall to the floor. I don't have any panties on, but the t-shirt falls over my exposed body.

"Over my knee, Cate."

I step out of the pants and bend over. He rests one hand on my bottom, and the other is firmly wrapped around my back. You wanted this, Cate, I think, and now you're getting it.

"This is going to hurt, but it's what you get for being a brat." Max says before lighting into my bottom.

"Ow!" I yelp, surprised even though this has happened many times before.

The feeling of his hand smacking my bare skin is all too familiar, and I don't like it. Pain builds as tears prick up in my eyes. Why did I ask for this again?

"Max, I'm sorry." I choke out. "That's enough. Ah! Please."

Of course, he doesn't stop. Tears spill over and I sob into the couch as the pain overwhelms me.

Then he's done.

"Shh, Shh, it's okay Cate. You've learned your lesson." Max rubs my back as he whispers to me and I sob.

I cry about everything. College, homelessness, whatever. I don't stop for a while, but he's patient.

When I'm done, I stand up. Max stands, too. I rest my hands on my bottom, feeling the heat through the T-shirt's thin fabric. Ouch.

"Never thought I'd see the day where you asked for a punishment."

I laugh through sniffles, and am wrapped into a warm hug. Max's strong arms hold me, and for the first time in months, I feel safe. I bury my head in his chest and wrap my arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry." I mumble.

"It's okay, Cate."

We break away from the hug, and I realize I want something more, I want him, and I want to tell him. But I can't, so I say I'm going to bed and we say goodnight.

I slip into the loose jogging pants, head to my room, and pass out when my head hits the pillow.