Dark Lust

Jolie

My head is pounding and my mouth is drier than the dead plants my mom forgot to water when we first moved in. I sit up on my couch. Ciaran is sleeping on the chair next to me. My mom is humming in the kitchen. Is she cooking bacon? I slowly move my body to a sitting position.

"Finally!" She shouts.

"Belinda, can you please lower your voice. It feels like I got hit by a truck and then hit by the ambulance coming to save me from being hit by the truck."

"Sorry. Here is some water." She hands me the water and we both stare at Ciaran. "Isn't he the cutest?" She smiles before heading back to cooking her food.

How the hell did I end up here? And who changed me out of my dress? Joel must have missed killing me because here I am. His aim sucks.

I stare at Ciaran. My beautiful, unscrupulous Ciaran. Didn't he say he loved the shit out of me? I run up to my room and my keepsake box sits beside my bed and the post-it note with my question to myself is laying on my bed. I know I should be mad, but I can't help but smile. I take the note and walk downstairs.

I smack Ciaran on the arm and he wakes up with a long snore.

"Oh look, you're up."

"Jolie, I-"

"You went through my box." I interrupt him. I show him the note that is stuck to my fingers.

"I thought you threw me away so I thought what the hell."

"I'm glad you found it." I say. "When I wrote the question, I didn't have an answer. Now I do. I love the shit out of you because you challenge me. You let me be me. You don't try to change who I am. After you gave me those earrings and I told you to shove them up your ass because I'm not your barbie doll, you didn't force me to be something I'm not. You sat them aside and let me do me. That's when I knew I could fall in love and not be afraid."

Ciaran pulls me onto his lap. "Dax is one of my dad's 'friends'. He told me about your night with him. At first I thought he was going to tell me everything you two did to rub it in my face. Then he told me you pushed him away and said you were in love with me. I shit you not, I punched him in the face for touching you in the first place. Anyway, I looked back on all the shit you do, the rude comments you say to everyone, the way you don't take shit from anyone and realized, yeah I fucking love her."

"I'm so glad I love the shit out of you." I smile at him.

He kisses me. It feels like a lifetime ago since I've felt his lips on mine. The spark is there and bigger than ever.

Then Belinda ruins it by coughing obnoxiously. We turn to look at her. She's not alone.

"You have a couple people who want to talk to you." She says.

Beth and Joel sit with Ciaran and I at the dining room table. Belinda sits a plate of cookies and a plate of bacon on the table. I pull the plate of bacon closer to me and start nibbling on a piece. Belinda knows me so well.

"Where to begin." Beth says nervously.

"The beginning would be golden." I say. Belinda shoots me a look. I shrug.

"I'll start." Joel says. "Tony had a meeting and I wasn't a part of it and I thought it was odd because I had been attending the meetings lately. I had one of the guys rig it so I could listen in. He was pissed off Ciaran wasn't losing Jolie. So he wanted to do the job himself. He planned to take her the night of the dance. So I decided to intervene and make you both fight, hoping Jolie would force you to take her home. I never intended for you two to split up that night. When Ciaran came back in to fight me, I started to panic on the inside. After you were escorted out, I received a text from Tony to be at the storage unit the next morning to help with Ciaran's gift and he would give me details later. I immediately called Beth."

"Can I ask something before you continue this?" Ciaran asks. "If you wanted us to fight, why did you have to show her that video?"

"She needed to be out of the picture completely for her to be safe. That was the only shot I had of that. Anyway, I called Beth and explained everything to her. I told her Tony was going to kill Jolie in the morning."

"Being slightly intoxicated already, I still made a plan to rush in on Tony in his little camera room he has set up to watch his disgusting executions. By the way, I did not know he did such a thing." Beth explains.

"Then we drank some more and she blabbed everything to me." Belinda says.

"When I entered the storage unit, I had to keep you talking to me to pass the time since somebody got there somewhat late." Joel eyes Beth. She straightens her posture.

"That's why you told me to keep talking." Ciaran's eyes widen.

"Bingo. The ding you heard was a text from Beth that she was right outside the door."

"Thank you for saving my life but this doesn't justify you being a pervert."

"What?" Beth and Belinda stimutanously ask.

"I do apologize for everything I've done. I want you both to know that after this, if we aren't cool, that's fine with me. I just want you two to be happy together."

"So where's dad now?"

"Shining the floor with a toothbrush." Beth tries to joke. "Ciaran, you know I love you."

"You're not divorcing him, are you?"

"I'm sorry. Even after everything he has done, I can't seem to leave him."

"What the fuck, mom!"

"Listen to me. Your father worships the ground I walk on and we still have much to discuss with everything and his little leader position. That being said, Belinda and I have discussed the situation. I know you won't be able to live with your father after all this and with my decision, you aren't my biggest fan."

"Are you kicking me out?" Ciaran's voice raises.

"She's kicking you out of their house and you are moving in with Jolie and I!"

My mom needs to stop being so enthusiastic.

"Are you being serious?" I ask.

"Yes! Permanently! So hopefully you don't break up because that would suck and one of you would be sleeping on the couch. And we all know it won't be Jolie. Just don't get pregnant." Belinda points her finger at Ciaran and I.

I roll my eyes. "I'll make sure to get knocked up the first week."

"All of your belongings are in the car. If you want anything else, let me know and I'll get it for you." Beth says. "You will continue to bartend for the club. We will put you on schedule like a regular employee."

"I love how you automatically think I'm going to bartend for you."

"Would you rather us give you an allowance every Friday?"

Ciaran shakes his head in disbelief. "I want nothing to do with your money. I'll keep my trust fund in a savings account and get another damn job."

On the verge of tears Beth says, "I'll start bringing in your things." Beth stands up along with Joel and Belinda.

Ciaran holds Joel back. How do I feel about Joel? He did save my life. But he touches women. I could have died yesterday. He still drugged me. Ciaran physically killed a person and I seem to not care anymore. I guess I could forgive Joel.

Ciaran pulls Joel in for one of their stupid bro hugs.

"Thanks, man." Ciaran hits Joel on the back.

"If you touch a random girl again or drug them, I will never speak to you again." I poke at Joel's chest.

"At least you are giving me a second chance." We all stand there in awkward silence. "So, are we the three amigos now?"

"No." I say in a monotone voice before helping with Ciaran's bags.

Who know when I started at a new school, I would have a boy moving in to my house? He better be on his best behavior. I'll kick his ass out in a heartbeat. Now, when can Joel leave so I can have Ciaran on my bed and more importantly, on me?