Freeing Asia

by E. M. Abel

  When we found an open spot to dance, the DJ started to play “Where Have You Been,” and Rihanna’s voice began blasting over the speakers. The crowd on the dance floor started bouncing and moving with the beat. I closed my eyes, feeling the bass thump under my feet, and I just let go. I was relieved to just be myself with my friends and brothers instead of trying to be someone I wasn’t.

  When I opened my eyes, I saw a guy standing behind Hailey. He was eyeing her up and down before he made a move to wrap his arms around her waist. She quickly turned around and pushed him away from her. Just as I started stepping toward her, I felt someone’s arm around my waist, pulling me backward. I glanced behind me to see a guy smiling down at me as he pressed his crotch against my butt. Mirroring Hailey, I turned around and pushed him backward, sending him into a group of girls standing behind him.

  When I turned back to check on Hailey, I saw my brothers and Marcus. Rob had his hands on Hailey’s shoulders, trying to pull her back, as she swore at the guy who grabbed her. It was hard to calm her down once she got started. Marcus came to stand next to me when I felt someone grab my wrist. It was the same guy who had tried to molest me. He was clearly pissed that I’d pushed him.

  “What the fuck is your problem, bitch?” he snarled.

  My jaw dropped, and before I could say anything, Marcus threw a punch, landing right on the guy’s nose. The guy fell straight back on his ass as his nose started bleeding immediately.

  Gasping, I looked up at Marcus. He was pissed off, and I could tell he wasn’t done. At that moment, I could only hear Rihanna’s voice and the loud music. It felt like things were moving in slow motion.

  Marcus bent down and grabbed the guy’s collar, forcing him to stand up. “Tell her you’re fuckin’ sorry!” he yelled in the guy’s face. “Apologize!” he demanded again.

  The guy clenched his jaw. He was obviously still pissed and embarrassed. Marcus released his shirt and shoved him backward. Then, he began stalking toward the guy.

  Within seconds, the same men dressed in black that had saved me before were now taking hold of Marcus and escorting him out of the club. I pulled Hailey with me, and Rob got Shaun. We walked toward the back entrance, following Marcus and the security guards. One of them was telling Marcus that he had to leave while the other security guard was staring at me with a look of recognition.

  I cast my eyes down to my shoes. I knew this would end up getting back to Jay, and I was afraid of what he might say. This was the second time I’d been in his club, and both times someone had ended up punched.

  “Well, that was fun,” Marcus muttered, grinning at me.

  He had since calmed down as he stood next to me on the sidewalk outside of Jay’s club.

  “What a buzzkill,” Hailey complained as she paced in front of Jay’s club. “Let’s go eat at Bob’s!” She stopped and looked at all of us expectantly.

  I was in no mood to continue partying. “I think I’m just gonna go home. I’ve had enough excitement for one night.”

  “Oh, come on, Puffy. Don’t be such a party pooper,” Shaun teased, punching my arm.

  I rolled my eyes at him. “I have plans tomorrow, and being hungover and tired aren’t part of them.”

  “Yeah, I probably should head back, too, before Alexis starts to worry.” Rob ran his hand through his hair. “You guys gonna head back with me?” he asked Shaun and Marcus.

  “I say we hit up another club,” Shaun said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “I haven’t seen you guys in forever. Just let the girls go home, and we’ll have fun without them.”

  “Nah, man. I should probably head back, too. It’s already one, and I have shit to do tomorrow,” Marcus replied as he checked his watch. He reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone.

  “Fine, but you guys owe me a real night out before you leave,” Shaun said.

  “Are you guys coming back to Dad’s?” Rob asked Hailey and me as Marcus called a cab.

  “No, I think we should just stay at my apartment. We can get Hailey’s car tomorrow,” I said.

  Hailey nodded. She was still pouting because she hadn’t gotten her way.

  “Okay, we’ll stop and drop you off on our way.” Marcus lifted his chin, agreeing with Rob, as he asked the cab company for another minivan.

  On our way to my apartment, Shaun made us all promise that we would hang out again before Marcus and Rob left. When the cab stopped at my building, Marcus got out and offered to walk Hailey and me to my door.

  He helped steady Hailey as she wobbled up the stairs in her heels. It was nice to see them finally getting along. Once we were in my apartment, Marcus helped Hailey to my couch where she quickly lied back and draped her arm over her eyes. I followed Marcus back to my door, so I could lock it behind him.

  “Thanks, Marcus,” I murmured as I leaned on the door and held the knob.

  “No problem.”

  “I mean, for everything. You didn’t have to punch that guy, but I appreciate you looking out for me anyway.” I let me gaze fall to my feet.

  “Anytime, Asia. I hope I don’t get you into too much trouble with your boyfriend.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  I peered up at Marcus. His eyes were intense as he studied my face without saying anything. I could feel a tension building between us as he inched closer to me. My heart was pulling in my chest, and I willed it to stop. As much as I tried, I couldn’t look away. His eyes were holding mine captive, and my pulse began to race. I was afraid of what might happen next.

  After taking a deep breath, Marcus said, “It really is nice seeing you, babe. I thought about you a lot while I was gone.”

  Shocked, I just stood there, staring up at him. I couldn’t move if I tried. I forgot how much I loved it when Marcus called me babe, and he had just admitted to thinking of me a lot.

  My body finally caught up with my brain, and I blinked a few times before glancing back down to my feet.

  “It was nice seeing you, too.”

  I tucked my hair behind my ear as I peeked up at him through my lashes. When I saw the intensity still in his eyes, I bit my bottom lip. Marcus’s eyes left mine and moved down to my mouth.

  He grinned. “Talk to you later, Asia.”

  “Okay. Later,” I muttered as I started to inch the door closed.

  Guilt immediately rushed in as I thought about Jay. I quickly shut the door and locked it.

  Don’t let him fuck things up for you, Asia. You’ve gotta be smart this time. Leaning back against my door, I took a deep breath. What am I doing? I have an awesome guy who wants to be with me, and he treats me like a princess. Why am I even thinking about Marcus?

  Rolling my eyes, I pushed myself off the door. I wasn’t going to let Marcus mess things up for me. He was my past, and Jay was my future.

  I walked to my couch and took off Hailey’s heels from her feet. She was already snoring. I smiled as I covered her up with a blanket.

  After taking off my shoes, I brushed my teeth. After finally landing, fully dressed, in my bed, I passed out.

  I had set my alarm for ten in the morning just in case I slept in. Sure enough, I was woken up by the loud beeping. When I peeled open my eyes, they were burning, and I could feel a headache coming on.

  I got up and headed to the kitchen. I drank a big glass of water before making a pot of coffee. Hailey was still passed out on my couch. She was covering her face with my blanket as the sun was shining through the window.

  “Hailey! Wake up! I’m making coffee!” I shouted, shaking her.

  She moaned, squinting, as she pulled the blanket off her face. Her hair was a mess, and her clothes were wrinkled. Without a word, she stood up and headed toward the bathroom.

  When Hailey’s phone began to ring in her purse, I grabbed it for her and brought it into the bathroom. She was brushing her teeth with my toothbrush. As I gave her a disgusted look, she smiled up at me.

  “Can you answer it?” she mumbled, her mouth overflowing wit
h toothpaste.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, who’s this?” John asked, sounding confused.

  “Oh, hey, John. It’s Asia. Hailey is brushing her teeth. She’ll be done in just a second.”

  After she rinsed out her mouth, I passed her the phone.

  “Hey, baby,” she said, smiling.

  I walked into my closet to pick out some clothes before I took a shower. I got out a pair of tight black shorts and a white silk tank top with a black lace overlay on the front.

  As I made my way back to the bathroom, I heard Hailey apologizing to John for not calling him the night before. It reminded me of the upcoming conversation I would need to have with Jay. I wasn’t looking forward to telling him about the incident at his club last night.

  Around noon, John picked up Hailey to take her to get her car. After they left, I began hanging two paintings I’d picked out to go on the wall above my couch, and then my phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, beautiful. I’m home,” Jay said.

  “Yay! I can’t wait to see you!” I exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear. “Do you want to come over?”

  “Of course I do. Just let me hop in the shower, and I’ll be right there. Have you eaten lunch yet?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “Good. We can have something when I get there.”

  “Okay.”

  “See you soon.”

  After hanging up with Jay, I finished setting up my paintings. I quickly straightened up my apartment before putting on some makeup. I had my hair pulled back, so I took it down. Using my flat iron to straighten any pieces that had gone astray, I made sure it looked nice and neat.

  When I went back into my living room, I looked at the two paintings hanging on my wall. I was nervous about showing them to Jay, but I knew I would have to start showing him my true self at some point. My paintings seemed to be the best way to start.

  I’d painted them in college as an assignment on contrasts. The canvases were large rectangles about four feet wide and two feet tall. One was mostly white with streaks of deep blues and purples, giving a feeling of lightness and air, while the other was black with hard lines of dark red and orange in layers, creating more depth and weight. Both were splashed with a single streak of bright yellow, starting on one canvas and ending on the other to make a connection. The white one was hanging slightly to the left of my couch, and the dark one was positioned to the right underneath it, making sure the yellow streak lined up perfectly.

  They reminded me of my relationship with Marcus. I had thought of him when I made them. Although it sometimes hurt for me to look at them, I hoped Jay would just appreciate them as art.

  “That’s beautiful,” Marcus said as he moved behind me to watch me paint.

  We were alone in the high school art room where I was busy trying to finish my final project. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt him behind me.

  With one hand, I ripped off the headphones from my ears as my other hand gripped my chest, trying to slow my heart. I turned to see Marcus studying my work.

  He wasn’t looking at it like most people. His eyes didn’t just gaze over it. He didn’t stand back to try to figure out what it was. Instead, his eyes flickered over every inch, taking in every detail, every texture, and every flaw. Watching Marcus appreciate my art was one of the most intimidating and exhilarating experiences of my life.

  “Thanks,” I finally replied.

  I turned back toward the painting to attempt to view it through his eyes, but I was too involved. It was too much a part of me to see objectively.

  “You’re really talented, Asia,” he murmured as he stared into my eyes.

  My face warmed, and I tried to look away before Marcus could see me blushing. He stopped me though as he reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. His eyes held me captive as they roamed over my face, studying me just like he had studied my painting.

  My heart was pounding, my palms were sweating, and I couldn’t see anything past his eyes. The air felt heavy, and the tension between us was building with each second.

  I wanted my first kiss, and I wanted it now with Marcus.

  But he didn’t give it to me. He watched my lips for a few moments before his eyes moved back to my painting.

  “You see beauty in everything, don’t you?” he asked before turning around and leaving the room.

  When I was finally satisfied with the state of my apartment, I sat down on my red couch and turned on the TV as I waited for Jay. I was flipping through the channels when I heard a knock at the door. After hopping up from the couch, I quickly looked myself over in the mirror hanging by my door.

  When I swung open the door, my heart dropped. Marcus was standing there, leaning on my doorframe with his tattooed forearm propped up over his head. He stared down at me, wearing his sexy smile, as his hazel-green eyes lingered on my body.

  Shit. Think of Jay. Think of Jay.

  “Wow,” Marcus said.

  “Marcus, what are you doing here?”

  “I just stopped by to see how you were doing.” He walked past me into my apartment.

  He smelled good, like men’s body wash and shampoo, and he was dressed in loose faded jeans with a black polo and flip-flops. His hair was sexy and disheveled.

  “I didn’t invite you in. You need to leave. Jay is on his way over.”

  Marcus turned to look at me over his shoulder. He raised his eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Worried he’ll be jealous?”

  “I’m serious, Marcus. You need to leave. Now,” I said, still holding open the door.

  Marcus walked back toward the door, and when he stopped directly in front of me, I glared up at him.

  “You should probably stop looking at me like that, Asia. It only turns me on.”

  He moved my hair behind my ear, and I smacked his hand down.

  I rolled my eyes. “So, you came all the way out here just to fuck with me?” I asked, completely annoyed.

  “No. I was actually in the area, checking out some prime real estate for my new shop. I’m expanding.”

  He gave me a big smile, his full lips displaying his white teeth. One of them was slightly angled, and I remembered the first time I’d noticed it.

  While at the skate park one day after school, Marcus had tried to teach me how to ollie. After positioning my feet on the board, I’d jumped, but the board hadn’t moved. He had laughed, throwing his head back, and that was when I’d noticed that perfect flaw.

  “And I wanted to invite you to lunch on Monday,” Marcus said, snapping me out of my reminiscence.

  I looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

  “Don’t worry. Shaun will be there, too. We’ll be doing some things near your office, so I thought we could hang out.”

  “Fine. Whatever. Just go,” I demanded, pushing him out the door.

  Marcus laughed as he succumbed and headed back into the hallway. “Okay, okay. Chill out. I’m going.”

  Turning to face me, he gave me another sexy smile, and my heart skipped a beat.

  “I hope this guy knows how lucky he is.”

  Before I could come back with a sarcastic remark, he started to walk away. I watched as he went down the stairs. I was having a hard time peeling my eyes away from his ass.

  “See you Monday!” he yelled from the first floor.

  I sighed and slammed the door, feeling relieved that Jay hadn’t shown up yet. Just as I was calming down, another knock at the door made me jump. I grabbed the doorknob and quickly swung it open.

  Jay stood there with a look of surprise on his face. “That was fast.”

  I was happy to see Jay. He was wearing a light blue T-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans, and he looked even better than I remembered. After my encounter with Marcus, I was glad that he could still put butterflies in my stomach.

  Without thinking, I lunged forward and gave him a big hug, resting my head on his shoulder. Hugging me back, he wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzz
led his face into my neck.

  “I should go away more often.”

  I shuddered when his breath sent chills down my spine. Squeezing my body against his, Jay picked me up, carried me backward into my apartment, and headed straight to my room. He gently put me down on my bed and stood in front of me.

  “I have something for you,” he told me, reaching into the pocket of his jeans.

  He pulled out a small velvet black box and extended it toward me. I smiled up at him as I sat up and took the box from him.

  “What’s this?” I asked with excitement in my voice.

  He shrugged. “Open it.”

  I slowly pried it open to discover a shiny red ruby surrounded by diamonds on a gold band. I gasped as I looked down and admired its beauty. It wasn’t really my style, but the fact that he’d bought it for me overshadowed that fact.

  “Put it on.”

  “Oh my god, Jay. It’s beautiful! You didn’t have to—”

  “Yes, I did,” he replied, cutting me off. “When I saw it, I knew it belonged to you.”

  He took the box, slid the ring out, and placed it on the middle finger of my right hand, just above the scar on my knuckle. I held up my hand and smiled at my new ring.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He held my hand and kissed my scar. Reaching up, I grabbed Jay’s strong arms and pulled him on top of me as I leaned back to lie on my bed.

  “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too,” he whispered, his thumb rubbing over my bottom lip.

  Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in through my nose as lust took over my body. My nipples hardened as his breath touched me. He teased my lips with his tongue, but instead of kissing me, Jay slowly brought his mouth toward my chest. I arched my back as he moved his mouth over one of my nipples, soaking my shirt with his warm tongue.

  My whole body felt hot, and I began breathing harder. I could feel his erection against my thigh. As Jay made his way to my other breast, I bit my bottom lip. They were so tender and sensitive that every touch caused an aching deep in my stomach.