by Rymer, Adair
“You'd better find out who hired him before I do, or it won't be 'attempted' murder.” Arsen disregarded their threat and brushed past them to help me to my feet. It was very slight, but I reflexively pulled away from Arsen's hand for the first time I could ever remember.
Arsen nearly crippled the man who tried to kill me? I didn't know how to feel about any of it, it was all so heavy... I couldn't stand it!
Arsen must have seen my hesitance because his stone-cold demeanor softened into only concern when he looked at me. I swallowed and exhaled, I didn't realize that I'd even been holding my breath.
“Can you walk?” Arsen asked, softly. Maybe the boy I loved was still in there somewhere. I let him pull me up, then hug me.
His embrace was comforting and warm, but part of me was still afraid. If Arsen lost it, was he capable of killing someone?
“Please take me home.” I forced the dark thoughts away, at least for now, and concentrated on what he'd actually done. He'd saved me.
Later
“You take me to all the nicest places, Arsen.” The bed squeaked when I sat on it.
This place was... different than what I was accustomed to. I didn't feel safe in NYC, and I asked him to find us a place to stay for the night that was outside the city. I'd been spoiled with my luxurious apartment and five-star hotel rooms, so I was a little surprised at the motel we pulled into.
The motel wasn't that bad, all things considered. It had a decent bedroom, and a half kitchen-living room combo that came with a fold out bed. That's probably where Arsen would sleep tonight.
What if they come after me? I shook the hard thought from my head. No one knew we were here and Arsen said he'd stay the night with me. Still the thought of sleeping alone made me a little nervous.
“If you like this place, wait till you see my apartment. It's almost as nice as this, but it doesn't have the coin operated vibrating bed.” Arsen flashed me a quick smirk, then nodded to something over my shoulder. “You gotta love New Jersey.”
My face puckered with disapproval as I turned to check. When I saw nothing, I knew that Arsen was just joking. I laughed at my own gullibility.
God, after everything that had happened, it felt so good to just laugh.
The whole ride to the motel had been more lighthearted than I would've thought. Arsen saw how freaked out I was. Every time I started getting stuck on questions that had no answers he eased my fears with sarcasm and humor. It felt like the good days, forever ago, when we both stopped pretending and just trusted each other.
Those days when we went on hikes and joked around, were the best days of my life. I had all this fortune and fame now and none of it compared to chilly late night drives to the beach with him.
From my bed I watched him load a case of water into the small fridge. It was still impossible to believe that I wouldn't be alive at this very moment if he wasn't with me. That was so crazy to me.
Arsen had some anger issues, but he really was amazing.
When Arsen was finished with the waters he pulled out the sofa bed, then came into check on me one last time. The bedside lamp was on, so when he walked in, he shut off the overhead light. Despite knowing it was coming, the click and sudden darkness startled me.
I put a hand over my face in embarrassment.
Arsen set a bottle of water down on the night table for me, then dropped to the floor in a pushup position to check under the bed. Afterward, he got up and looked in the closet.
“The room's clear, no monsters. I promise.”
“Thanks,” I chuckled, feeling safer with him right next to me. I didn't want him to go. The world was so crazy these days. I needed him just as bad as I did when we were kids, even more now!
It looked like he wanted to tell me something, or that something was on his mind. I was going to ask him about it, but my expression must have given me away.
“Don't worry. You're gonna be alright,” he said, that conflicted look on his face disappeared. Just hearing him say that made me feel better. As long as Arsen was around, I would be alright. “It's late, you should get some sleep.”
He was right, the alarm clock glowed that it was four in the morning. I wasn't even remotely tired. Arsen looked me over one last time, then turned to leave the room.
I caught his hand and stood up to meet him.
“Stay,” I said.
Chapter 14
Arsen
Past
Val looked so fucking hot bouncing across the stage in those purple tights, that she made my cock harden and snake down my thigh. My chin and folded arms rested on the railing in the back of the auditorium, in my usual spot. Being this far back did little to stop the ache of wanting to tear a hole in those tights big enough to push my cock through.
That wasn't the only reason I came to her plays, she was incredible to watch. Val had a gift, for sure. She shined so brightly with her performance that it looked like the spotlights were just catching the light she gave off, not the other way around. She could memorize and recite lines so easily that you'd almost believe she came up with them on the spot.
The Romeo was a joke, but no one gave a shit about him. The seats were all packed for Juliet; my Valentine. I thought about scanning the crowd again, but I didn't bother, I knew he wasn't here. The great Hugh Dawson would've never showed up at his lowly daughter's play.
What a fucking scumbag.
I still hadn't met him, but my mom mentioned him on occasion. I guess they did some work together now and then at the school. I forced myself not to pay attention to any of that. I used to like Hugh and his movies before moving to Boston, but seeing what a neglectful prick he was to Val really soured him for me.
Then again, I guess I was no better either, I hadn’t seen her in forever now. She saw me cry. I never cried, especially not in front of someone I cared about. How could I face her after something like that?
Fucking up was one thing, I could own that. I was a prick. But showing weakness? No. I would never allow myself to be that vulnerable again. And that meant keeping Val Dawson at a distance, at least for now.
The curtain fell over the dead lovers, then raised again for the last scene where the families come together. I couldn't decide if it was a happy ending or not. They died, sure, but the whole city was saved because their deaths put a stop to their families feud.
I'd been willing to watch my city burn, if it meant I could be with Juliet forever.
The cast all came out one by one to steady applause, but the crowd lost their minds when Val came out for her bow. “Valentine was transcendent. That girl is going places.” I heard an audience member say.
Yeah, she was. I looked at Val one last time, put my hood up and left before the house lights came on. The air was cold outside, but I didn't mind. I needed that chill in my lungs and veins after being so warmed by Val's performance.
We were two dead lovers, maybe not literally, but some people just ended explosively if they were allowed to be together.
My cell buzzed. It'd been so long since I kept it on me, that I forgot I even had it turned on. It was a text from Val. 'Please don't go. I miss you.'
Present
Are you sure you want me to stay? You were almost killed, take a second and think straight or else... We can't undo what's about to happen. Those are all the things I wanted to say to her, but the words wouldn't come.
I wanted the 'Or else' too badly.
Val still had the fear in her eyes when she looked at me. What was she scared of? Another attack? Or was she afraid of me?
“Say what you're gonna say.” I told her. I may have saved her life, but I could destroy her so many other ways. If she wasn't scared of me, she damn well should be.
Val sighed, her chest quivering slightly. “When you were doing your illegal fighting, did you ever worry about dying?”
“Every once in a while.” I said, pushing back old painful memories.
“How did you deal with that?” Val began to look down, losing hers
elf in that crippling fear.
I grabbed the side of her face, and gently raised it to meet my gaze. “Everything ends, Val. It's the way things go.” I thought about the Romeo and Juliet play she had done a million years ago. “All you can do is enjoy what you have for as long as you can.”
She kissed me. I missed the touch of her lips so damn much. She pulled away just a few inches, there was only hot breath between us.
“I want this.” She whispered the words aloud and I knew that they weren't meant for me. She was reassuring herself that it was ok.
I kissed her back, mashing those perfect lips, and slamming her up against the wall roughly. The lamp slid off the table from our impact, and smashed into big, jagged pieces against the thin, threadbare rug.
“Careful what you wish for, Val. I'm the big bad wolf, remember?” I kissed her again, bit and pulled at her bottom lip, before letting it go. “I'll tear you apart.”
“I don't care anymore, Arsen.” I could feel her dragging nails through my shirt. “Blow my house down.”
And that's all it took. Every fantasy I ever had about fucking this girl, took over in my mind. I closed my fists around her shirt's collar, growled in her ear and gave a heave. The shirt ripped open. Popping the buttons off in every direction.
Seeing her chest rise in excitement made me rock hard. She wiggled her shirt off while trying to kiss me.
“No,” I said, pulling my face away from her. “I'm going to watch you strip for me.”
Val's eyes lit up, the desperation in her face twisted into perverse enjoyment. She unclasped her bra and shrugged it off. Her tits were as perfect as I remember from when I caught her in the shower. I'd jerked off to her hard that night.
“Now the pants,” I said, drinking in the sight of her smooth pale skin.
“No one's ever told me what to do before,” Val feigned protest. “Not like this.”
“That's because you've never been fucked by a real man.” I slid my fingers into her slim waistband. “Now, take them off before I do it for you.”
She unclasped and let them fall. I dragged her panties down, I was done waiting. I buried my mouth into her already slick pussy, I couldn't get enough of her juices. My rough, calloused hand slid up her stomach, chest then neck. I plunged two fingers into her, and ate her clit like I was half starved.
“Fuck fuck fuck...” Her body crunched forward, and she bit my fingers hard as she came. She pulled my hair, wordlessly begging me to stop. I didn't. I drank her in, taking everything she could give me. “God, yes!”
When I was satisfied, I picked her up and threw her onto the bed. Broken bits of the lamp crunched beneath me. I had just enough presence to yank the cord out of the wall. I wasn't going to let fire, or anything else stop us this time.
“This time, Val, you're all mine.” I was mesmerized by her, lying there naked. Her soft form was carved with shadow from with the cool light that flooded in through the open bedroom door.
“Then what are you waiting for?” She pulsed her fingers over her clit and pinched at her hard nipples. She bit at her lip and eyes me. She was just as hungry as I was. “Take me, Arsen.”
I didn't stand on ceremony or take my time, I tore off my shirt and pants and pulled a condom from my wallet. I climbed onto the bed, my cock stretching my boxer's fabric to the splitting point. Val grabbed it like a handle and pulled me closer.
I pulled the fabric down and unleashed my cock into her waiting hand. “Jesus, Arsen! How the fuck are you this big?” Awe crept into her voice as she eagerly tore the packaging open and unrolled the condom onto my cock.
“You scared yet?” I grabbed my cock over her hand and ground it back and forth over her swollen pussy.
“Fuck me!” Val demanded.
I slipped the head in just a little, then pulled it out, torturing her, until she pleaded with me. I'd thought about this one moment since I was seventeen, her lying naked in front of me begging for my cock.
I slowly pushed into her wet opening, her warm pussy constricted all around me. Val moaned, softly, then steadily louder. I felt her fingernails sink into my skin, and knew she'd drawn blood. Everything else felt too good to care.
“I've wanted this for so long,” Val whimpered, wrapping her legs around my back and pulling me to my base.
I slid out and slowly thrust back in, then again. She was so wet and tight now, that I had to concentrate on not coming. I pulled her legs apart and put them over my shoulder, pushing my cock in deeper.
“Ohmygod.” Val gasped, worry flashed on her face. Her body quivered with pleasure, it brought a wicked grin to my face. She didn't know if she could take all of me, but she sure as hell wanted to try.
I was slow at first, but now I was a fucking, bucking bull. Val held on for dear life, then rocked forward, her body going rigid.
“I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming!” She screamed, then found a pillow to yell into, to muffle the sound. I lowered myself on top of her.
Her golden pussy clamped tightly around my cock, ripping an orgasm out of me. With a groan, I filled my condom. I could only imagine what it would've been like to not have a thin layer of latex between us.
Sweaty and exhausted, we collapsed next to one another on the destroyed bed.
“Do you think anyone heard?”
I laughed. “This place might have hourly rates. No one gives a shit if we fuck here.” I was joking, the motel wasn't that bad. But even now, she was worried that someone might find and photograph her. That had to be a hard way to live.
“Gross!” Val propped herself up onto her elbows and looked around disgustedly. She saw that her phone was blinking and went to grab it.
I caught her arm and gave her a stern look. I didn't need to say anything, she knew what I wanted. Or rather, what I didn't want.
After a moment of careful deliberation, she finally turned back to me, then smiled. “OK.”
We cleaned up and laid down together again. Val nestled her head on my chest and fell asleep almost immediately. I savored the moment as long as I could, feeling warm inside. I felt more at ease than I had in years. I got to fall asleep knowing that she chose me over her phone.
I thought about the fact that I had decided to leave her, that I was only at that studio to say goodbye. How could I leave her now? It finally felt like I had come home. I didn't need to run anymore.
At least for tonight, Val chose me over the rest of her life.
Chapter 15
Valentine
Past
“Hey,” I said sheepishly. I wasn't prepared for this, it was totally spur of the moment. I never thought he'd actually stay!
“Hey.” Arsen answered cooly, leaning up against his father's truck, in the faculty parking lot.
After a minute of super painful awkwardness I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, “What'd you think of the show?”
“It's official, you have terrible taste in men.” He cracked a slight smile.
Even that small gesture made my heart feel lighter. Ok, everything might be ok. I hadn't realized until now just how much I missed him and his stupid jokes. “That's Shakespeare, you jerk! Don't make fun of the classics.”
Arsen shrugged “Then Shakespeare has terrible taste in men.”
I laughed like I did when we used to hang out all the time. Just like that, the emptiness inside of me was filled up. I was surprised at how little it took from him to make me happy.
My laughter died down and there was a little bit of a pause, the elephant-in-the-room loomed above us. I sighed and decided to just get it over with. I needed to apologize for how mean I was to him outside of that abandoned building. “So, about what I said the last time I saw you, I didn't mean to come off so— I'm sorry.”
“Don't be.” Arsen grabbed my hand and goose bumps shot up my arm, even through the heavy winter clothes I wore. “The world doesn’t give a shit about me or my dad, but my mom does. And I needed to be there for her. It was what I needed to hear.”
Looking into his eyes, I felt like I could cry. I was also really upset with myself for not trying to reach out to him sooner. I wasted so much time without him... I wanted nothing more at that moment than to hug Arsen, to feel his great arms squeeze around me.
“Yo! Arsenal!” Marcus yelled out of the open window of his Porsche. He and his friends parked next to Arsen's truck, empty beer cans clattered out onto the pavement as they all got out of the car. They were all drunk and high.
Arsen let go of my hand. I shrunk back a few steps, it felt like I was a deflating balloon. This was such an important moment for me and they had to come and ruin it.
“Hop in, dude. We gotta go.” Marcus was drowsy-eyed, but still beaming proudly, he threw an arm around Arsen. “Stacy's parent's are away again, so she's throwing another pool party. This time it's invite-only and no one's allowed to bring a fuckin' swimsuit!”
Bastards... They'd come take Arsen away. After all of those wasted weeks I'd miss my window for reconnecting with him. This was a mistake. I wish I'd never texted Arsen.
Arsen flashed me a look, then addressed Marcus and the other three guys. “I'm busy. Maybe next time.”
They were stunned silent, then one of the other guys finally noticed me. “Are you crazy? Stacy mentioned you by name and you're gonna blow her off for Valentine? Just bend her over the bed of your truck and let's go—”
Arsen was too quick. I didn't even have time to be insulted, before the kid caught Arsen's fist in his mouth and was knocked onto his ass. Sometimes I forgot that Arsen was on the football team for a while. The boy wasn't unconscious, but his lip and nose were bleeding.
“Woah! Take it easy, dude!” Marcus jumped back and shouted. “He was just fucking around. What's your fucking problem?”
“My problem?” Arsen asked, with white-hot gravel in his throat. He stepped between me and them. “You guys were supposed to be my friends. Where the fuck were you when my dad died, huh?” No one replied. “Valentine was the only one who gave a shit, she is my only real friend.”
