You Got Me

by Mercy Amare

  The house reminded me of the Barbie Dream House my sister had when we were kids, except, of course, it wasn't pink. It was something you would see on 90210 or The Hills, not Alabama.

  Roxy stirred in the seat beside me. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled when she saw we were at her house. “We're here!”

  She jumped excitedly out of the car, and I followed her to the front door.

  The first thing you saw when you walked inside was a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and a staircase on both sides. “Wow,” I heard myself say inadvertently.

  Roxy grabbed my hand and pulled me to the right. The first room was, I guess, the living room, but I'm not sure. It was a room with expensive looking furniture, but there was no TV. We went through there into the next room, the dining room. There was another, smaller chandelier hanging over the table. I wondered if they dressed up to eat in there.

  Wow, I am not going to fit in here.

  Finally, she pulled me into the kitchen. I decided that it was the most elegant kitchen I had ever laid eyes upon. Stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, and beautiful cabinets that probably cost more than the whole trailer park. It was incredible.

  “Want something to drink?” she asked. She opened part of the wall, and I realized that it was the fridge.

  “Whoa,” I said, grabbing a soda from her. “Your house is like... incredible.”

  She giggled. “You should have seen me when I first came here. I couldn't believe it, and sometimes I still can't. It took me 10 minutes to find the fridge.”

  I followed her once again through another door. We were in a huge, open room. The wall was made up of glass, and I could see the pool through the glass. There was a bar, and stools lined up around it. There was also a stage. I silently wondered if Roxy ever sung there.

  We went out the next door, to the pool. Her parents were swimming, and they had a few other people over.

  “Roxy!” I heard her mom and dad. They both got out of the pool, wrapped towels around themselves and came over to us.

  “We weren't expecting you so soon,” her mom said, giving her a wet hug.

  “He drove,” she explained.

  “Hey Roxy,” an older couple yelled at Roxy.

  “Dr. and Mrs. Robins,” she smiled at them. “Good to see you.” Roxy then turned to her parents. “We are going to get our stuff out of the car, and get settled.”

  “Ok,” her mom smiled. “Aiden, just make yourself at home.”

  I liked Roxy's parents. For people who have so much, there are so down to earth and kind. They obviously cared a lot. They adopted Roxy, even after everything she had been through, and they had taken exceptional care of her.

  I followed Roxy back outside. We grabbed our luggage, and went up the stairs. There were a ton of doors. I followed her to the end of the hallway, where she opened a set of double doors.

  “This is my room,” she said, smiling.

  Her room was very... Roxy. Each wall had something different on it. One wall was black and words wrote in white letters. I was guessing they were song lyrics. One wall was white with hot pink polka dots, each one was a different size. One wall just had paint splashed on it: hot pink, lime green, purple. It was kind of awesome actually. And there was one wall that was a painted with chalkboard paint. Roxy had different random things wrote on there.

  She had her own balcony, which looked out on a flower garden. How fitting.

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  “It's very you. I like it.”

  She smiled, and reached for my hand. “Come on, I'll show you your room.”

  I followed her to the room right beside her. It was a simple room. The walls were a light yellow color, and the bedspread was white. It also had it's own bathroom, and I began to wonder if all of the rooms did.

  “Do you want to go swimming tonight?” she asked. “My parent's friends have probably left by now. They usually don't stay too late.”

  “I don't have any swimming shorts.”

  “I'll get you some of Steve's.”

  “Ok,” I agreed. The hot tub actually sounded great right about now.

  Roxy brought me a pair of shorts and she went to her own room to get changed. I was ready way before her, so I got out my phone. Since she told me her old name, I couldn't help but we curious. Why did I know her name.

  Emma Bradford, I typed into Google on my phone. When I did, it pulled up a ton of news articles, but before I could click on any of them, Roxy emerged from her room. I quickly locked my phone and threw it on my bed. I made a quick mental note to read them later.

  TWELVE

  ROXY

  “Want a glass of wine?” I asked Aiden on our way out to the hot tub.

  “Have anything stronger?”

  “Definitely. You go on and I'll meet you out there.”

  I went behind the bar and started mixing us a whiskey and Coke. I put just enough in to give me a buzz, I was needing it tonight, and I headed outside. I handed a cup to Aiden and sipped on my own.

  “You are good at this,” he said. “I can hardly taste the whiskey.”

  I took a big drink of mine, and it burned all the way down. I set my drink beside the hot tub and took off my cover up. I looked down at my red bikini. It's tiny. Emily talked me into buying it last summer. 'You're only young once. Flaunt that body while you got it', she had said.

  I finally decided to just be brave. I turned around and confidently climbed inside the hot tub. When I looked up at Aiden, he was staring at me. He had a look of desire in his eyes, and I felt my face flush. I took another long drink, hoping that it would give me courage.

  “This is nice,” I said, breaking the silence.

  Aiden nodded his head in agreement, but still hadn't saying anything. He scooted closer to me, and I jumped when I felt his hand touch my knee.

  “You're beautiful,” he finally said.

  Once again, I felt my face flush. “Thanks.” I turned up my drink and finished it in one swallow. I still wasn't feeling it.

  “Want more?” Aiden asked.

  I nodded, not wanting to speak. He got out of the hot tub, and went inside to fix us another drink. I laid my head back and tried to relax. A few minutes later, I heard Aiden climb back in. I took a sip of the drink he handed me, and nearly choked. I sat it down.

  “That is strong.”

  “Sorry,” he apologized. “I like mine a bit stronger.”

  I heard the back door open, and looked up to see Steve and Emily coming out. They were in normal clothes now.

  “Hey, we're going to bed now,” Emily told me. “We'll see you in the morning. Have fun.”

  “Good night,” I told them as they walked inside. Once they were inside, I looked at Aiden. He was looking at me with desire again. I couldn't help but smile.

  “I love it when you smile.” He once again slid closer to me. This time I didn't jump when he put his hand on my knee. “Is it alright if I kiss you?”

  I was afraid that I couldn't speak, so I just nodded at him. He didn't hesitate before his lips crashed into mine. His kiss was full of want and desire. Even though we were in the hot tub, I could feel myself heating up. I got up on my knees and then straddled him as we kissed. I could feel his erection between my legs, and I slowly began to rock against him.

  Aiden pulled away from my lips. I started to protest, but then he started kissing me down my neck. I groaned with pleasure. Once again, he met my lips, this time with fire. I felt his kiss all the way to my toes. My lips parted and his tongue slipped inside my mouth. He began massaging my tongue with his, and I couldn't help but wonder what else he could do with that tongue.

  His hands stayed safely on my hips, and I suddenly felt frustrated. Why wouldn't he touch me? I pulled back.

  “What's wrong?” he asked, sweetly.

  “Why aren't you touching me?” I asked, breathlessly. “Do you not want me?”

  “I want you so bad that I can hardly stand it.”

/>   My heart sped up at his words. “Then why won't you take me?”

  He groaned. “Roxy, don't say things like that.”

  “But I want you.”

  He looked me deep in the eyes, and I swear it was like he was seeing directly into my soul. “Roxy, you are more than just a random hook up. You are my forever girl. The girl I want to spend the rest of my life with. I don't want to rush it.”

  What he was saying was incredibly sweet, and I couldn't argue with him, no matter how bad I wanted him. I got out of the hot tub, and stumbled. I guess I was more tipsy than I thought.

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  “I need to cool off,” I answered, and then did a cannonball into the pool. I came up from the water just as Aiden jumped in, and splashed me. He came up from the water and swam over to me.

  “Did I tell you how much I love your bikini?” he asked, running his finger up my side. I shivered at his touch.

  “The pool isn't helping,” I whispered, unable to trust my voice.

  “I think it's your bikini,” he said, chuckling.

  “If you don't like it, I can always change.” I started to pull away, but he quickly pulled me back.

  “No!” he said. “I like it a little too much. I'm going to have problems getting the image out of my head. You're so damn sexy.”

  AIDEN

  Roxy and her little red bikini was tempting the hell out of me. She looked so hot. I didn't think it was possible for one person to be so gorgeous.

  I watched Roxy climb out of the pool. And yeah, I checked out her ass... And what a fine ass it was. She turned around, and her cheeks turned a deep shade of red.

  “Were you checking me out?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

  “Yes, I was,” I admitted shamelessly.

  She shook her head at me, and tried to look mad, but I could tell she wasn't. She bit her lip to keep from smiling. She walked over to grab a towel, and she stumbled a little. I could tell that she was tipsy. She didn't have much to drink, so I knew she was a lightweight.

  “Do you want to do some shots?” she asked.

  “I don't know if you need any more alcohol,” I said as I climbed out of the pool.

  She pushed out her lip and pretended to pout. “C'mon. It'll be fun.”

  “Fine,” I agreed. “But before we do, you have to eat. You don't need to drink on an empty stomach.”

  Roxy called and ordered a pizza while I dried off. She came back and told me she ordered a meat lovers without pepperoni. She proceeded to tell me that she doesn't like pepperoni, and I laughed. Who doesn't like pepperoni? Seriously? She went upstairs to shower and I waited around for the pizza. I tried not to think of her naked while she showered, but I couldn't help it.

  When she came back downstairs, she was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. I already missed the bikini.

  I walked upstairs and took a shower since the pizza hadn't came. When I came back down stairs, Roxy was waiting for me at the bar.

  “Do you want a beer?” she asked.

  “Yes, please.” Pizza and beer has to be the best combination ever.

  She popped the top on a beer and handed it to me. I've never heard of the brand before, but it looked expensive.

  “You drink water,” I told her before she could grab anything else.

  “Yes, sir,” she laughed.

  Once she sat down, we both grabbed a piece of pizza and began eating.

  “This is the best pizza ever,” she moaned as she took another bite.

  “I told you that you were hungry.”

  “I must be,” she agreed. “You know, Chicago truly has the best pizza. Nothing is better than thick Chicago crust.”

  “I've never been to Chicago before,” I admitted. “Actually, I've hardly been anywhere.”

  “Out of all the places I have been, I would have to say that Alabama is my favorite.” She took a sip of her water. “Chicago is so busy. Even when I was in school, it wasn't so great. The teachers just don't care. Nobody does.”

  “I do love Alabama,” I agreed.

  Really, being in Alabama wasn't so bad. I had my family, friends, and of course, Roxy, and that was enough for me. I didn't need a fancy house, or a brand new car to feel complete. I just needed someone to love.

  Roxy ate 2 slices of pizza, which was a lot for her, and I ate 5. I probably should have stopped after 3, but I couldn't. It was so good. We decided not to drink anymore, and instead crashed in the “theater room”, as Roxy called it. The room was decent sized, and in the front they had a mini theater screen. We decided on an action movie. 5 minutes into the movie, Roxy fell asleep on my lap.

  I watched the whole movie, and then carried Roxy to her room. When I sat her down on her bed, she opened her eyes and reached out for me. “Stay,” she asked.

  “I can't. Your parents...”

  “They won't mind,” she said, sleepily.

  I hesitated, but finally climbed into bed beside her. She curled up next to me and fell right back asleep. I wasn't really that sleepy yet, so I pulled out my phone. When I unlocked the screen, I still had my Google search pulled up. I clicked on the first news article.

  September 3

  35 year old Sarah Bradford attempted to kill her 16 year old daughter, Emma Bradford. According to police reports Sarah cut young Emma from the top of her ribcage all the way down her stomach and to her leg. She cut her completely open and then started pulling out her intestines.

  Police showed up a few hours later when Sarah called the cops. She told police that it wasn't her daughter, it was a demon. She reportedly told police, “I was trying to cut the demon out of her. I just want my baby back.” Sarah Bradford has been taken into police custody.

  Her daughter Emma is in critical condition. Doctor's say that she has about a 50% chance of survival. Police say this isn't the first time that Sarah has hurt Emma. She also has cut, and burn marks on her hands, and feet. She has a long road of recovery ahead of her, physically, and mentally.

  Today was Emma's sixteenth birthday. She is in all of our prayers.

  I wanted to cry for Roxy. Her mom was sick and twisted. I locked my phone, unable to look at any more articles. I was sick to my stomach from what I read.

  I looked at Roxy's hands. They looked perfect. There wasn't a scar on them. I turned them over and looked at her palms, and that's when I saw the marks. There was a big circle in the middle of her hand. It looked like she was burnt over and over again. There were cut marks all over her hand as well.

  Roxy stirred, and I froze. She scooted closer and fell right back asleep. She snored quietly, and I had to admit, it was cute.

  What happened to me? I'm lying in bed with a girl, watching her sleep! A girl who a couple of hours ago begged me to have my way with her, and I refused, saying I wanted our first time to be special. Wow, I've turned into a girl.

  I looked at Roxy's arms. The ink was worn off from writing on them, but they were still red from the pressure. She wrote hard enough to draw blood. It scared me, because there was nothing I could do.

  I decided right then and there that I would fix her. If it was the last thing I did, I would fix Roxy. With a satisfied nod, I quickly fell asleep.

  ROXY

  When I woke up, I had the strangest feeling that somebody was watching me. I opened my eyes and looked straight into Aiden's eyes. I had to admit, his blue eyes were kind of wonderful to wake up to. I could definitely get used to this.

  “Hi, beautiful.” He gently kissed my lips.

  Yep, I'm officially a morning person. “Hey.”

  “You're kind of cute when you sleep.” He smiled. “Did you know your snore?”

  I was sure that my face was blushing. “I do not.”

  “Do too,” he countered. “But I promise it's a really adorable snore.”

  “Were you watching me sleep?” I joked, raising my eyebrows.

  “Maybe...” he half-laughed, half-coughed.

  “Creepy, dude
.”

  “Well, maybe if you didn't snore, I could get some sleep.” He sat up on the bed, pretending to be mad at me. “Really, I should be mad at you for keeping me awake. Maybe you should see a sinus doctor or something.”

  I rolled my eyes, and got up too. “Well, why don't you sleep now, while I go eat breakfast?”

  “Breakfast?”

  “My mom cooks amazing pancakes,” I teased. “I'll try to save you some, but I don't know. They're kind of like chips... You can't eat just one... I'll see you in a few hours. That is, if you're feeling up to it.”

  I started to walk towards the door, but Aiden scooped me up and threw me on the bed like I weighed nothing. I didn't mind, though. I had quite a few fantasies that started with him throwing me onto the bed, and then him having his way with me. But, he didn't come ravish me.

  “Last one downstairs is a rotten egg,” he said, and then took off.

  I jumped off the bed and raced him down the stairs. I was surprised when I passed him on the last step. I turned around and teased him. “Awe, can the football player not keep up.” I laughed and continued running towards the kitchen. Just as I turned the last corner, he tackled me to the ground. He did it in such a way that I actually fell on top of him. It was really cute.

  “Tie?” he asked.

  I nodded my head, and looked at his lips. I was about to kiss him when Emily emerged from the doorway. “Breakfast is done,” she said, giving me an amused look.

  I quickly got off of him, and he followed me into the kitchen.

  We both loaded up our plates. I grabbed 3 pancakes, some bacon, and a huge glass of milk. Aiden looked at me like there was no way I could eat all the food on my plate.

  “Emily is trying to fatten me up,” I shrugged. “I always eat way more than I should when I'm at home.”

  “Yeah right,” he laughed. “I bet you won't even eat half.”

  “I'll eat more than half. I'll eat it all.” I was confident. He didn't know how yummy the pancakes were.

  “I feel a bet coming on.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Fine. What's my prize if I eat them all.”