“Fuck this shit,” Drays exclaims, launching himself at me. Roughly grabbing my hand, his mouth covers my fingers, twirling his tongue between each one, sucking them down his throat. The appreciative look in his eyes tells me he enjoys me just fine. “This is mine,” he growls.
Once he finishes his taste testing, he circles his arm around my back, hauling me upwards against him while standing, attesting to his strength. Claiming my mouth, he uses teeth and tongue to fully demand my attention. My legs circle his waist as he turns to walk me up against the wall. It is warm against my backside from where his body heat branded it only minutes ago.
I feel his hand press against my stomach and the soft tug as he passes my piercing. He continues to dominate my mouth as his body traps me against the wall, and he uses one hand to unzip his pants. With a jerk, he frees his cock and places it at my entrance. Not wasting any time, he lifts me and impales me down on him. He groans simultaneously alongside me, and with both hands, he grips my ass, controlling the tempo of our joining.
“Fuck-an-amazing! Babe, it so good,” he grunts each word out.
He knows how to work me so, that within minutes, I’m close to coming. He doesn’t slow down, but instead, increases his thrusts and changes the angle. We both moan in tandem as my body clenches tightly on him. The pressure builds within me, and I need release as much as I need my next breath.
“Please,” I beg.
“Hold on, Babe,” he states, sliding his finger to my clit and rubbing.
“OH!” I scream as the waves of my orgasm takes me high.
“Kylie...,” he leans his head back and yells to the ceiling.
Hot gushes of warmth fill me, unbelievably sending me into another orgasm. I wrap myself tighter around him, grinding his cock deeper, not able to slow my movements down.
His hiss of pain invades my senses, “Ky, take it easy. Give me just a second.”
Halting my motions, I lean against the wall, letting him hold me up as my breathing slows. Tears overwhelm me, falling silently down my cheeks. I close my eyes, not wanting to look at him. He kisses my tears, sipping away any evidence of emotion. It reminds me what we are to each other and that it can never be anything else.
“Put me down,” I whisper.
“Kylie,” he starts.
“I’m sleepy, Dray.”
Slightly lifting me, he dislodges himself and helps me stand. I can feel thick fluid streaming down my leg. I watch his gaze drop, and then, his wide eyes hasten to my face.
“Oh, fuck!”
I look down to make sure something weird is not going on with me when I immediately notice his penis. His naked penis! The thick pink-head glistens with the same dense white substance seeping down me.
“Dray,” I say not concealing the worry in my voice
Even in the limited light, I can see his face pale. Not looking at me, he slowly tucks himself back into his jeans and zips.
“Stay,” he commands. He turns to walk into my bathroom, flipping the lights on. I hear water running and he comes back carrying a small towel. Kneeling in front of me, he places the damp soft material against my leg, wiping away any trace of him.
I stare down at his administrations. My heart pounds, and my thoughts run rampant, needing to know where his mind is. He freezes, looking up into my eyes. Without thinking, I lean down and kiss his mouth.
“It will be okay,” I whisper.
Grief and little relief mark his features. Nodding his head, he gathers the towel and stands. I take it from him and step back.
“Kylie...,”
Nodding my head, I softly smile and tell him again, “It will be okay. Just go.”
He nods back, and with one last soul burning look, turns to leave. I hear him travel down the steps and reset my alarm before leaving. Taking a deep breath, I count my cycle in my head, thinking that I really will be fine. If not, well, I’m not going there. Yet.
Hours after Dray left, and with little to no sleep, my mother calls to inform me that Aunt Leigh is in the hospital. I drive the entire way, bawling my eyes out thinking I’m not ready to let go yet. Please God, just a little more time. Just a little more time.
Once I arrive, I meet my mother and father in the waiting room. The doctor explains that her Stage IV Breast Cancer is showing obvious signs of end stage. It has already spread to her liver, lungs, and bones. The CT scan shows lung metastases and that is causing her to have shortness of breath. Since my aunt had opted to stop treatments earlier and her Living Will states that she does not want any medical intervention, there is nothing they can do. The doctor informs us it is unlikely to help anyway, and that now is the final stretch of time. He asks us to count each minute with her as a miracle from this point forward.
After he exits, I fall to my knees, sobbing as if my world is ending. It is like receiving the crushing blow a second time. The first being her diagnosis, and now, well now, this is it. I can’t breathe. The pain rips through me, and the knowledge of her imminent death sits on my chest like a four hundred pound elephant. I want to scream at him to take it back. To make it better. My father gathers me in his arms like I’m small child again, rocking me to and fro, hushing my cries, and wiping my tears away.
Later, we are allowed to go in to see her, but they are keeping her sedated. Madison arrives at some point that day once she learns of the news. I sit by my aunt’s beside and refuse to leave, so Mads walks up to hug my neck. With her arms wrapped around me, she stands by my side for hours, not speaking. Comforting me like only a true sister of the heart would. When my tears return, she cries right next to me, never leaving my side.
That same night, Trent and Dray appear offering sympathy and any assistance to my family. I watch my parents talk to each of them, thanking them for coming. I don’t move from her bedside, and I really can’t deal with either one just yet. While staring at my aunt, I thank them for coming and remain where I’m at. The only time Madison leaves my side is to walk them out. Days later, I found out that Dray and Trent spent the first two nights in hard hospital chairs, staying close in case I needed them.
On the third day, she finally wakes up with me sitting right beside her. She smiles, acknowledging my presence, and I return my own heartfelt smile. Over the next twenty-four hours, she gains strength, and her strong spirit returns demanding that she return to her home. Leaving the hospital with her dying will probably be the hardest thing I will ever do in my life. It’s her wish to be at home, but my parents and myself, believe that hospitals are where the sick need to be. It goes against everything inside me to see her leave. It’s almost if she is going home to suffer, even though I know that’s not the case.
Once my family and I have her settled in at her home, I go in to check if she is okay. I find her sitting up in bed as I stand in her doorway to stare at her. My weary heart can finally rest seeing her looking almost happy.
“Go home and get some sleep, Kylie,” her frail voice pleads.
Yawning, I answer, “How about I just use your guest room?”
“Child, come here and sit for a spell.” She pats the empty space beside her on the bed.
I walk over and gently sit down. Reaching for my hand, she pats it.
“My mother went back and forth like this for such a long time. I loved being able to be with her, but sometimes, I also felt like the world was moving on without me. I resented not her, but the sickness for taking me away from living my life.”
“I don’t feel that way.”
“I know you don’t, Honey. I just don’t want it for you. You can spend as much time with me as you like. I’m not going to stop you now, but you can go home to your bed and get a decent sleep every night. Take a minute and allow yourself to breathe.”
The tears that I’ve kept from her overlap my eyes. I don’t want to leave and miss... I don’t want to leave. Or sleep. Or blink. I’ll miss...
“Shh,” she says comforting me. “You are overly tired. Lie down here.”
Lying down beside
her, I place my head in her lap as I hiccup from my cries. She brushes my hair with her hands, comforting me.
“God never gives us more than we can handle, Kylie. Please try not to fear what may happen tomorrow because the same God who is with you and cares for you today will take care of you every day. He will either shield you from the pain and suffering, or will give you beautiful strength to bear it.”
“Do you believe that?” My voice comes out in a childlike manner.
She pauses, softly replying, “Yes. It’s the only way I can explain my sixty years on this earth.”
Reaching for her hand, I hold tight. “I love you, Aunt Leigh.”
“I love you too, Child. Forever and always.”
“Forever and always,” I repeat back to her, letting sleep dull my emotions.
The next day, I return home to shower, change, and check on the store in exactly that order. While in the hospital, Madison offered to take Jonsie. Evidently, the story goes he went ballistic when she tried to retrieve him from my apartment. Somehow, Trent ended up with him and says he’ll keep him for as long as I need.
Thinking of Trent, I think of Dray. He has an away game this week and is out of town, so even if I was around, I wouldn’t see much of him. Hearing the chirp of my phone, I glance at my incoming text message.
Trent – I know you’re busy. Would love to come visit Aunt Leigh. Call me or text. Jonsie misses you. :)
Moments later, another text arrives.
Trent – So do I.
Smiling to myself, I take a deep breath. I’ll talk to Aunt Leigh about him possibly visiting. I’ve told her everything that happened. I was hesitant talking about Dray with her, but I’m glad I did. She assured me that I’m young and to follow my heart or my hooch, depending on which one is more sensible that day. God, I love my aunt. The only warnings she provided were that I will probably lose Trent should he find out about Dray and that Dray will more than likely drop me if I become serious with Trent. So be sure of my situation, before it all goes to shit.
Walking into the store, dressed down in my casual wear, everyone smiles. Martha is with customers, so I chat up a couple of regular shoppers. Afterwards, I walk back to my office to see what needs to be done. I can tell that Leo is gone because there are stacks of mail which he normally handles. I hope his buying trip goes great, but I’ll be glad when he’s back.
After almost a week away, I power up my laptop and am sent into shock at the first email I open. It’s a picture of Nick and me when we had lunch on the cover of a national gossip magazine. The headline asks if I’m his new girlfriend. They have photos of us walking arm in arm when we were pretending for my employees as we left the store. We are laughing and looking at one another almost lovingly. The pictures are misleading because it was never like that between us – at all. It’s just the angle.
Reading the little snippet, it refers to me as a sweet Southern Belle who owns a high-end boutique named Decadent Darling. Free advertising is the only positive to this. OH! MY! GOD! It goes on to say that I have also been linked recently to NFL superstar Dray Savage and questions which one I will pick.
Dreading it, I Google myself. Instantly, the search engine pops up with picture after picture of me. Most all are at least flattering. Scrolling down, I see pictures of Nick and Dray. There are tons of articles in print and online detailing my love life or the lack thereof. This is crazy, but it doesn’t bother me as much as it might have months ago. Who cares? As long as the people who it could possibly hurt know the truth, I can live with it.
“Well, if it isn’t Slutty McSlutterson,” Mads says, breezing into my office. She drops in the chair opposite my desk and leans forward to look at my laptop. “Oh,” she states. “I wasn’t referring to that. Trust me, I know all about that. I am referring to your whoring ways with Dray Savage.”
“Hey to you too,” I reply in greeting. Shutting my laptop, I lean back to look at her. “First, I need to say thank you for being there for me.” Taking a deep breath, I continue, “Second, I’m sorry. I should never interfere in your love life. I want you to know that I didn’t do it for Nick. I thought I was doing it for you. I love you, and I had some unfair predisposed ideas about Lil Rip, and I didn’t give him a chance. Sorry.”
“Are you done?” She acts like I didn’t just spill my heart two seconds ago.
“Yes.”
“Okay. Good. So, I talked to your Mom and we are going to have a girls sleep over with Aunt Leigh if she is feeling up to it on Saturday. You are in charge of the booze. Your mom is on food duty, and I’ll bring the music and strippers.”
“What?” I burst out laughing.
“Okay, you’re right. We’ll fight over the music. So you bring the booze and music, and I’ll stick to the strippers.” When she finishes, she stands to walk to the door.
“Wait!” I yell and stand at the same time. “No strippers of any kind.” I can’t help but laugh. “And that’s it? You aren’t going to grant me forgiveness or at least make me beg for it? What about Nick? Aren’t you going to tell me what happened that night?”
Stopping, she looks back at me. “Damn if I can’t bring strippers. Who doesn’t love a stripper? Everybody gets cheery around strippers, and strippers make the world go ‘round. Regarding your stint as a prison warden, I promised you that I wouldn’t get mad, and I keep my promises. I may need a few days to process, but my word is golden. Last, you just said that you wish you didn’t interfere in my love life, so consider that wish granted. We won’t talk about it. Laters, Babe.” She blows me a kiss and walks out.
Well, that’s my Mads in full-effect, you gotta love her. I check back in with Martha to see if she needs me before leaving, which she assures me she doesn’t. Walking to my car, I call to see if Aunt Leigh would mind Trent coming over. She actually insists that he does. Laughing, I hang up and dial his number.
“Jonsie is unavailable, but he sends me to speak on his behalf.”
I laugh and start to answer when I see my car. BITCH and WHORE are keyed on the hood in large letters.
“Oh, God!”
“Kylie, what is it?” His voice is full of worry.
“Someone keyed my car. Let me call the police, and I’ll call you back.”
“Call me back,” I hear him say before I hang up.
Who would do this? This is crazy. I dial the police and wait for them to send someone over. Officer Chandler arrives almost thirty minutes later looking like a thin Santa Claus in a suit. He takes my statement only asking if I know who would have done this. A jealous lover or anyone I’ve had problems with lately? I start to say no when I think about that conversation between Lil Rip and me. Then, my thoughts go to Jason Silas staring at me across from the club. No! Surely not! I don’t say anything because it sounds crazy in my head, which I know means it sounds crazy out loud.
Officer Chandler says that the police will look into it. It could just be an act of kids getting into mischief. I cut my eyes to him at this point because I actually think “kids” would have a better imagination and maybe tag the car instead. He proceeds to instruct me to take more safety precautions just in case this is a personal attack against me. Jeez, you think?
As the officer drives away, Trent pulls up in one of Dray’s sports cars. I know that he could care less what the make or model is; he’s all about functionality. Jumping out of the car, he rushes to embrace me. I allow his arms to swallow me whole. Was I trembling the entire time Office Chandler was here because, now, my teeth vibrate from my full body shakes?
“It’s going to be okay, Kylie,” he says against the top of my head.
He holds me tight as we stand there. Who would want to do this to me? After this past week, I am emotionally spent, and the tears just will not come; however, it feels like my body has been run over by a three ton truck.
“Give me your insurance information.”
I happen to have it in my hand with my phone, so without moving my head from his shoulders, I lift the card I gr
ip between my fingers. He slides it out of my hand along with my cellphone.
“Is your family with Aunt Leigh?”
I nod my head.
“Here is the plan. I am going to call your family and make sure everything is okay, and then, you have two choices.” At this point, I lean back to look into his compassion filled eyes.
“I’ll take you back upstairs and stay with you. Let you catch up on some sleep that I know you need. Or, you and I will head down to our little bar to have a couple of drinks.”
“Bar. I don’t want to sleep.”
“Good answer.”
He leads me to Dray’s car and proceeds to help me fasten my seatbelt.