One week later

It felt weird, sitting in a bar with him and Maria. It felt like a new chapter when I hadn’t even closed the last book yet.

I tried to come to terms with it and pretend it didn’t feel weird, but I think all three of us knew it was awkward, though none of us said it out loud.

“Let’s get another round,” Maria said, jumping up and heading to the bar without asking what we wanted. Not like I could get what I wanted, anyway. The only reason I’d gotten into the bar was she’d begged the bouncer until he grudgingly let us drink, and told me I’d be flat out on my butt if he saw me with an alcoholic drink. So, Coke it was, while the two of them chugged down their drinks.

She left me sitting there with him… I couldn’t get used to calling him by his name. Yes, I’d used it a couple of times, but it felt so strange, really like we were completely different, new people.

And I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a new person just yet. I liked being Pet… a lot.

Neither of them had called me by that nickname in a week, and I figured it meant they were trying to make me move on. But it felt scary.

I hadn’t been feeling great. It had been two weeks since I’d left that apartment, since King had decided he wanted nothing else to do with me.

The memory of what happened was still fresh in my mind, even though I tried to remember the good things, not the bad things. But I couldn’t forget completely, and I couldn’t bring myself to forgive him, either. What he’d done was terrible. The doctor told me I was lucky as hell Felix was there as I could’ve gotten hurt much worse. I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to admit how badly I’d let King hurt me.

Truth be told, he’d been pushing me from the start. I just didn’t realize how far he was willing to take the whole thing.

“Hey, Earth to Sapphire.”

I looked up into his eyes.

I wasn’t the only one staring.

He was one of those guys that just made girls stare. I knew several of them had noticed him when we walked in, and I felt a prick of jealousy when it happened. But he only had eyes for me, and it almost made me feel a little guilty. Almost.

“I’m here,” I smiled, and he grinned at me as he downed his drink.

“Doesn’t feel like it,” he said. “Come on, try and have some fun with us. It’s good that you’re finally out of the apartment, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I shrugged. “I guess. It’s nice seeing Maria.”

“She’s happy to see you,” he nodded. “Try to enjoy tonight. There’s another day tomorrow when you can feel as fucking miserable as you want.”

I laughed out loud just as Maria returned with our drinks.

“She lives!” she grinned. “A laugh! What did you do, drug her?”

I giggled as she set down my Coke, spilling some over the edge. She was definitely a little tipsy, and for some reason, it put me in a better mood. I liked Maria a lot, and I was so happy it looked like she wasn’t about to sever our friendship because I’d broken up with King.

I guess that’s what it really was… A breakup. As non-traditional as our relationship had been, it was now firmly over.

He hadn’t called once, and I didn’t dare ask Felix if he’d contacted him. I saw the way he reacted every time I brought King up. He hated talking about him.

“Okay, fine,” I said. “Let’s have some fun tonight. I’m sick of sitting at home and worrying.”

A look of disbelief passed between Felix and Maria and I glared at them.

“How about a little confidence in what I say?” I asked them in mock embarrassment, and they both laughed. “You know I can still have some fun, right? It’s not like somebody died.”

Well. Only almost.

“You got it,” Maria winked at me, setting down her empty glass. God, she was really downing them. I figured she was pretty drunk already, and if she kept going at that rate, we’d have to practically carry her back home.

“Let’s go dance,” I begged her, and she was on her feet in a second.

Felix stared at me, saying, “I didn’t think you were a dancer.”

“I’m not,” I said. “But I am whatever I want to be tonight.”

I felt his eyes on me as Maria dragged me to the dancefloor. The bar served as a club once it got a little later, but right now, there were only a couple of people moving to the music. Maria didn’t seem to care though, and she twirled me around the floor as if the loudest club music was playing. She made me laugh out loud, and I felt everyone looking at us.

I was definitely underdressed, wearing a silly pink dress with a skater skirt and a lace top. I probably looked even younger than usual, especially now that the purple had completely faded from my hair and I was back to my natural white blonde. But it felt good, and I loved dancing with her. She had a way of making all my worries disappear, and it felt so damn good. I let it all out on the dancefloor, and I let my fears drop down to the ground where I stomped all over them in my peep toe Mary-Janes.

I looked up to find Felix watching us, and I motioned for him to come join us. The music had gotten louder and the floor was filling up, but he still shook his head no, and I stuck my tongue out at him and kept dancing.

We ruled that dancefloor. Maria’s laugh rang through the music, and I loved dancing with her. Her hands were hot against my skin when we touched, and I remembered that kiss in King’s living room, remembered how fucking hot it felt even though I didn’t want to do it at first. It made my panties a little wet, but I ignored it as I kept dancing, kept trying to forget.

I felt another pair of hands on me, big and strong, and I turned around expecting to see Felix.

But it was someone else, another stranger. He was handsome, but I didn’t want him touching me. It scared me.

And then Felix was next to us, and he glared at the guy so much he took his hands off in an instant. And then he just stood there, glaring at me this time.

“What?” I asked self-consciously, raising my voice over the music.

“Don’t fucking let them touch you,” he barked at me, and I rolled my eyes.

“I didn’t exactly give him a written invitation,” I said. “And who are you anyway? My dad?”

“Fuck off, Sapphire,” he bit out, grabbing my forearm. “We’re fucking leaving.”

“Hey!” Maria butted in, her eyes angry. “Let her have some fun, you moron. This is the first time she’s had any in weeks.”

“And you know what’s good for her better than me?” he scoffed. “Sure thing, Maria.”

“I’m her best friend,” she argued, taking my other arm forcibly. “Come on, Pet, let’s go.”

She slipped, and we all froze.

My heart pounded for a second before I ripped my arms out of their hands, and they let me.

And then I ran outside, leaving my purse and my drink on the table.

I heard them coming after me, calling out for me to stop, but I wouldn’t, couldn’t, until I was in an empty alley. No one there but me, and the sound of their approaching footsteps.

I leaned against the brick wall and tried to catch my breath, realizing I wasn’t really out of shape, just trying desperately not to cry or have another panic attack out there.

“I’m so sorry,” Maria breathed, coming to a stop next to me. How she’d managed to get to me before Felix, and in those five inch heels, was beyond me. “I totally slipped, Sapph, I’m so fucking sorry, I feel terrible.”

“It’s okay,” I whispered, looking at her with a small smile. “I know I’m overreacting…”

“Are you okay?” Felix finally caught up with us, his eyes on mine, demanding answers. “Please, Sapphire. Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” My voice was shaking, and I felt embarrassed. “I just needed to get out of there, I’m really sorry…”

“It’s fine,” Maria said hastily. “It’s totally fine. Do you want me to stay with you?”

I looked at her, feeling the blush creeping up my neck.

“I want to go home,” I whispered.

“Oh, honey.” She hugged me close. “You want to go to my place?”

I shook my head no. “I want to go with him.”

We both looked at Felix, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other awkwardly.

“We can go anytime you like,” he told me. “Really, Sapphire.”

“Okay, let’s go now,” I said, and he nodded.

“You want me to come with you?” Maria asked, and I shook my head.

“No, have fun tonight. I know you know some people in there,” I nodded back in the direction of the bar. “I’m really okay. It’s just too much, too soon.”

“Okay.” She kissed me on the cheek. “Call me tomorrow, babygirl.”

“I will.” I hugged her close, and then she was gone in a cloud of Dior’s Poison and her clacky heels on the pavement.

I stared at Felix and he gave me a nervous smile.

“You ready to go, pretty girl?” he asked me, and I nodded.

We walked through the city, lit up in night lights, and my hand sneaked into his. He didn’t look at me when I did it, just held on to me tightly, and I liked it.

When we were almost at his house, I tugged on his arm and stopped for a second.

“You okay?” he asked, turning to face me. “Come on, we’re almost home.”

“Why do you live here?” I asked. “Why this house?”

“I told you,” he grinned. “My grandpa’s.”

“What does your family do?” I asked.

He didn’t know, but Maria had told me what she’d found out.

He was a trust-fund kid, the weirdest one I’d ever met. Judging by his clothes, he looked like a twenty-year-old who belonged in the mosh pit. His parents owned a hotel empire.

“You know?” he raised his brows at me. “I think you do.”

“I do,” I giggled. “Maria told me.”

“Of course she did,” he sighed. “You two together… it’s a mess waiting to happen.”

“What do you mean?”

“She told me you kissed,” he growled, and it was my turn to look away and be embarrassed. “Don’t be shy now, Sapphire, cause I hear you weren’t then, either.”

“Shut up!” I giggled and hit him with my purse he’d brought for me from the bar earlier. “You don’t know anything.”

He took my wrists in his hands and pinned me against a shop window.

“I know enough,” he growled in my ear, and my breath quickened when he let go of one wrist and gently slapped my legs apart.

“Felix,” I breathed, but he didn’t stop.

His fingers were touching them, and I could feel them shaking against the brand on my thigh. I could feel how wet I’d gotten, it dripping down my legs.

“Wait,” I begged him, and he listened, his fingers lingering an inch away from my pussy. “I… I can’t.”

“But you want to,” he said, his fingers making me squirm. “Tell me you want to.”

“I do,” I cried out. “Please…”

He touched my pussy once, long, strong fingers running along my soaked panties and making me mewl. And then they were gone, and he took my hand, and led me back home.

I scowled as he let us in, but he didn’t say a word. We went into the living room and he turned on the TV. He had this strange habit of always leaving it on, saying he couldn’t concentrate in silence. He was the weirdest, most chaotic person I knew.

The TV blared with the evening news, and I plopped down on the couch, still offended.

I watched the news, a local station reporting on a suicide in the community that was being investigated further as new evidence came out.

I only watched it cause it was the town where my parents lived, where I grew up.

But when I saw who they were talking about, my mouth ran dry and I could only stare at the screen.

Aaron James.

Dead.

Suicide.

I stared as the report ended as fast as it had started, and I felt dizzy and scared. For some reason I couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t understand it was really over, and he’d never be able to come after me again. I felt like I was going to pass out.

He was dead…