Before You | 18+ | ✓

23: marley

My leg hooks around his narrow hips, pulling him closer to me in the best way possible. I can feel JJ's heart beating fast under my touch and I love it. However, I still break the kiss as his nose nuzzles against mine.

"Are you okay?" He asks softly, nearly out of breath.

"I am, but I wanted to let you know that we can in fact watch a movie and just cuddle. There's no pressure, I'm just glad I get to fall asleep and wake up next to my favorite person."

His smile soothes me, but it's what comes out of JJ's mouth next that makes me laugh despite the intimate position we're in. "I'm your favorite person? Better not say that in front of Bria if you want to see me again."

I smile widely, pushing him off of me. "I take it back."

"No! You can't take that back," JJ insists, pulling me in for another kiss. I turn my cheek so his lips catch my cheek instead.

"Oops."

"Oh you're in trouble sweetheart."

I grin widely, positioning myself to straddle his hips as I take my shirt off. "Actually—I think you meant to say that I'm trouble sweetheart." My words come out confident and JJ's hands rest on the curve of my hips.

"You are most definitely trouble." He agrees and our lips meet again in a flurry.

*********

I'm awoken by the sound of banging on the front door. I jolt up as JJ climbs out of the bed, already awake.

"What time is it?" I whisper, a pit in the bottom of my stomach.

"It's almost two." He says, moving towards my bedroom door as more banging sounds. "Stay here."

As much as I want to stay here and hide, I'm not letting him go out there by himself and Bria's here. "I'm coming with you." I say stubbornly, grabbing JJ's shirt off of the floor and pulling it over my head along with his shorts. I'm not sure where my clothes is right now but if I take the time to search for them, JJ will go out without me.

"For fuck's sake, do you have any idea what fucking time it is?" Bria yells at whoever is on the other side of the door.

"Bria, who is it?" JJ asks, his entire body coiled and ready to attack.

"I don't know. They covered the peephole with their hand!" Bria smacks on the door a couple times in return. "Fuck off you fucking dick face!" She yells as the hand continues to bang.

If we knew who was at the door I think I'd start laughing at her creative insults.

"Should we call the police?" I ask quietly and JJ seems to contemplate this idea.

"We should see who it is first."

"If you call the police it's because I'm going away for murder. Some of us actually need sleep." Bria yells and JJ moves her out of the way.

"You're not helping the situation by cursing at them through the door. Dial 911 on your phone but don't press call until we know who it is." He instructs, his hand hovering over the lock.

Bria grumpily complies with his instructions, clearly understanding that while she has a temper, JJ outmatches her with strength.

I hold my breath as he flips the lock, casting a worried glance at me before opening it. Trent nearly falls into the apartment in the process. "Marley, I'm so fucking sorry." He slurs, grabbing onto the door frame.

"Trent?" I gasp as JJ turns to look at me in shock. I'm surprised but I don't know why I am. He's the only person I know crazy enough to do something like this.

His eyes turn to where I am and I can see that they focus on how I'm over here, Bria's over here, and that neither of us answered the door. My stomach drops further when Trent looks at JJ.

"JJ? What are you doing here?"

JJ crosses his arms over his bare chest, not moving an inch to let Trent further in. "I think the real question is what are you doing here, drunk off your fucking ass when you know we have a game starting at eleven tomorrow. What the fuck are you thinking?" He asks, his voice low and trembling with rage.

Oh this is not good. This is really not good.

"I want to talk to Marley." Trent says, rubbing his eyes that are red.

"No." JJ and Bria say at the same time.

"Va bene. Gli parlerò." I correct them. It's okay. I'll talk to him.

JJ frowns, clearly not liking my idea. "Non ti lascio solo con lui quando è così." I'm not leaving you alone with him when he's like this."

"Please baby." Trent pleads, wobbling where he stands.

I drag my hands over my face as I step closer to JJ as Trent wanders into the apartment; my nose protests at the smell of booze following him. Bria pops a squat at one of our barstools, scowling at Trent as she does.

"You wanted to talk to her so fucking talk."

"She's got a lot of bite JJ. Watch your dick so you don't lose it." Trent says, taunting Bria further now that I've agreed to let him in.

JJ bristles at the comment. "I'm not here for Bria," He says cooly, before glancing at Bria hesitantly. "No offense."

"None taken pretty boy."

Trent is slow to process JJ's sentence but I see the moment it clicks. He laughs hysterically, throwing his head back. "Oh this is fucking great. I knew you were a cheating bitch, but my roommate? What'd you do? Sneak out of my room and go to JJ's for seconds? I should have known that while we all thought JJ was getting busy with his hand, it turns out he was fucking my girlfriend behind my ba-" His hurtful words are cut off as JJ presses him up against the wall, his forearm pressed against Trent's throat.

"You don't talk to her like that. You don't talk to any woman like that." He hisses and my jaw is on the floor. "Marley never cheated on you. You cheated. Not her. Trent you're fucking pathetic; drunk, showing up in the middle of the night to talk to your ex, only to belittle her when you're the cheating bitch who couldn't keep his dick in his pants."

Trent taps the wall as the muscles in JJ's arms bulge at the force required to pin Trent.

"If you come near her again, none of your daddy's money can get you drafted if my family blacklists you. Don't look at her, don't speak to her, don't contact her." He says harshly. "Do. You. Understand."

He nods frantically and JJ releases him where he falls in a heap on the floor. All the fury dissipates from his face when he makes eye contact with me and I feel tears well up in my eyes.

Trent is coughing while scrambling to leave, but I see none of that as I hide my face in JJ's chest.

He's my love, my safe place, and my home.