Perfect Redemption

Four: In Which She's Headed Straight For Trouble

"My sister doesn't mind."

"But I do." I grab a fistful of his shirt and snatch his car keys from the top of his bedside table. "Tell me—where's your car?"

☸☸☸☸☸☸

Half an hour later, I collapse on top of him in the driver's seat, my energy completely spent. Ben has his arms around my waist, steadying me as I try to collect my breath. I press my face against his shoulder and he kisses me ever so lightly on the top of my head, as if he hadn't just fucked roughly just minutes before.

Ben and I have been doing this for a couple of weeks now. Before I moved in Baxton's house, I had been house-hopping for months, barely getting through each night. It's a miracle I managed to have a roof over my head for this long. Sometimes, I'm not that lucky. Sometimes, I end up curled on the sidewalk, penniless and miserable.

When I was at my lowest, Belle managed to convince her parents that I needed a place to stay until I can find some place better. It wasn't easy—back then, I was just a merely acquaintance so it took a lot of convincing. Fortunate enough, they took me in for two weeks and in that time span, I managed to become good friends with Belle.

And also attract the attention of Ben, her older brother. This thing between us was bound to happen eventually. He had been suffering from a break up with his ex-girlfriend and I needed someone I can lose myself in, someone who could take away the vast amounts of pain and suffering I've been through. It's nothing serious and we promise this arrangement would be a casual thing.

Even after I moved out of Ben and Belle's house and into Baxton's mansion, I never stopped seeing him. He was my drug—I needed to get high off him so I can forget forget forget.

"Hey," he murmurs, brushing away the strands of my hair covering my face. "You okay?"

"I am now," I exhale.

"It's about Eden, isn't it?" Ben says, his voice filled with concern. He's great at consoling people, especially me. "What happened this time?"

I debate on whether I should withhold the information from him, but I should probably tell him considering I just used him for sex. So I kiss the edge of his lips and everything starts spilling out. I don't let myself cry in front of him. I hold back my tears when I tell him about the sword which I spent weeks saving up money just to buy it for him, only to have his adopted mother snap her magical money fingers and get him one.

"It's not just that," I continue on. "I have a right to demand for more time with him but they keep shooting me down. It's not fair. He's my brother. I should be able to see him whenever I fucking please."

Ben nods, understanding. "You're right."

"What do I do?" I whine.

"Do you have a social worker?" He asks me.

"Yeah. But she's shit. And I don't see her anymore. Ain't worth it." I shrug, reaching over to the passenger seat to grab my bra and tank top.

"You should start seeing her again. She can help negotiate visitations." Ben tells me with urgency.

"No, Ben. That's just it—I don't just want visitations. I'm greedy. I want Eden. All to myself," I say, attempting to clasp back my bra. He helps me into my tank top and I wiggle into my shorts. "I'm done being separated from him. My mom and dad wouldn't want it like that. They would want us to stick together."

"But what can you offer him?" Ben asks and my eyes snap at him, warning him to choose his next words carefully. "No, listen to me, Blaire. What can you offer him now that they can't? His adopted parents-they're good right? They can provide for him?"