Candy Store, Nate Jacobs & Maddy Perez

lexi's play iii: the aftermath

lexi's play: the aftermath

After the play and her night with Nate, Vera was stuck to his side. On Sunday morning, Nate woke her up with a kiss. "Morning."

"Morning." Veronica stirred in bed, "I need a ride to Rue's house. I promised her I'd meet up with her."

"That junkie doesn't care about you." Nate, planted kisses down her neck, "Not like I do, beautiful." Great, back to the constant gaslighting. The touch she once begged for, now made her sick to her stomach. "We can go to that diner you like..."

Vera pushed her hands against his chest, attempting to get out of bed. Nate caught her wrists and pinned her back on the mattress, pressing his weight onto her. After a few minutes, Vera stopped struggling and he rolled back to his side of the bed,  wrapping his hands around her waist in a bruising grip. "Because you've been so good I'll order those waffles you love."

"What about you?" She rubbed the back of his hand across this cheek affectionately. "Aren't you hungry?" Nate smiled down at his girl. "Don't worry about me. Let me take care of you. I missed you so much. We have all day." They went for another round after breakfast, when Nate noticed the strawberry stuck inside of her bra. He coerced her under the guise of her clothes being dirty then stepped into the shower with her, groping her until her body was drunk with pleasure. Then he shoved a plan b pill down her throat for the second time. He didn't want to use a condom on Veronica. Besides, a month ago, she was virgin so she wouldn't know the fuckin' difference. Her naivety turned him on the most. SSure, she was smarter than Cassie but she had the same child-like innocence in her eyes. Both of them had just enough to make them pliable.

He loved Veronica but part of him wondered if he only used Maddy and Cassie as placeholders since Veronica wouldn't consensually have sex with him. He liked Maddy's personality but she was always a bitch, yelling at him and shit. Veronica fought with him, but it was more like banter and she chose her words very carefully because if she didn't, he'd punish her. She was too scared to say anything about it. The thing about Cassie was she wasn't scared of him. She was in love with him, but he didn't want her. she was just a good fuck.

The sinister intentions behind the play only showed Nate that Vera was just as dark and twisted as he was. And he'd have to tear her down again and again until she realized he was in charge.

Overall, he thought her performance was Oscar worthy just like the one she put on for the past month pretending she was in love with him.

But to fully understand the impact our reactions to the play had on Lexi and Veronica, we must look at where we were during the play.

Veronica already knew how Nate reacted; he left a literal mark on her neck to remind her. However, she didn't know Nate had a plan far beyond getting her. He wanted her, sure, but he also wanted power. And the only way he could have that power was to take down the source of his pain.

His father.

Nate pulled his truck to a stop in front of one of his dad's construction sites. He downed a beer before jumping out and slamming the door. He didn't bother to knock because in the back of his mind he knew Cal was expecting him.

"Enough with the dirty dad joke." Cal was surrounded by people he was obviously fucking. One of them was the first to notice Nate. "Who is that? You know him?"

He screamed over "I CAN'T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEAD" PLAYING obnoxiously loud on the radio. Nate cleared his throat. "You're not even gonna give me a hug, Dad?"

"That's your son?" a guy whistled.

♪ Just to be there in your arms ♪

"Yep." Nate grabbed a solo cup. "Got all the best parts of him."

"Think I know what part that is." Everyone laughed at Cal's dirty joke except Nate. he kept eye contact with his father, cold and calculating. "You know what I think we have in common? When we both get off on hurting other people. What do ya think?"

Cal sighed, "You wanna talk about this upstairs? Is that why you didn't bring your little girlfriend?" NATE, "No. she's actually performing tonight."

"She's always been talented." Cal said. "Good for her."

"Yeah... So, you, uh, livin' here now?"

"Uh, for the moment, yeah."

"Ya happy?"

"I'm figuring it out." Cal's friends chuckled at the tension between the father and son. Nate was obviously uncomfortable. "Are you happier?"

Cal cleared his throat, tracking Nate's gaze to the group of unfamiliar men. "Why don't we go talk about this upstairs?"

"It's a simple question. "

"Yes... In some ways."

"That's not fair." - CAL: "I know."

"You don't get to ruin our lives."

"Isn't that what you did to that poor girl?" Nate stopped, "I'm taking care of her. But you never took care of me so you don't get to ruin our lives and then, just... move on and get to be happier."

"I've made a lot of mistakes."

Nate nodded, humming in agreement. "When I was... eleven years old... I found these videos of my dad f*cking hookers in a motel room. You know, for the longest time, I had this recurring nightmare, just over and over... and in it, he was f*ck' me the way that he f*cked them. Did I ever tell you about that, Dad?"

"I think it's time that... uh, that everybody go." Cal said calmly. "Um, um, I need to talk to my son. "Oh, God. [WHISPERS]: Good luck. - Bye. - See ya, buddy.

"I spent my whole life tryin' to protect you. I got" Nate said, "And instead of loving me, you f*ck' hated me for it."

"I'm not proud of the person I've been. I know that I've hurt you. But you also hurt Veronica."

"I don't wanna hear it." Nate cut him off. "You don't know how hard I try to protect her. you wouldn't know anything about that."

Cal was speechless for a beat. Nate had never really communicated his emotions effectively. Maybe Veronica was a good influence on him, even if he was hurting her. "I tried to keep it separate. I failed. I f*cked up, Nate... but I love you. I love you. And I should've protected you, I should've kept you safe, and I didn't. I didn't. And there's nothing I regret more."

"I don't want your apology. I just want revenge."

"What does that mean?"

Nate opened his hand revealing a flashdrive. "What is that?"

"It's everything."

"Everything." Police cars started pulling up, sirens blaring. "Nate... don't do this." Another car door opened and shut. "Nate, look at me. Do not do this. Nate, don't do this. I'm, I'm, I'm begging you." Cal begged. "Don't do this."

"You are... who you are. I don't think you're ever gonna change." Nate walked away, stopping only to greet the officers. "Chief Greenwood? He's in here."

"Thanks, Nate. Appreciate it." Chief Greenwood bound his father in handcuffs. "Cal, you're under arrest. Put your hands behind your head. Both of 'em."

Once they bound Cal's wrists, Nate left to share the good news with his leading lady. He could finally have his happy ending with someone who'd never leave him. it didn't matter if she was staying out of fear. What mattered was that he had her.