Hey so I know the last chapter was shortish so I hope to update fast.
I had SATs this morning from 7:45 all the way to 1. I'm exhausted and my brain is fried but I felt bad for the short update so I'll try and power through for you guys <3
Warning though, will be grammar issues.
Venus's POV***
I went to bed that night regretting all that had just gone down. I guess Demetri wasn't all to blame. I should have stopped him, and never should have let him come into my home, and allow him to see my so vulnerable. I tried that once and it didn't work out, and yet here I was repeating the same mistake.
I think what was killing me the most was that I had vouched for Demetri against everyone. Moira, Will, and even Marge. They'd warned me time after time that he was dangerous; that I must stay away and isolate myself from him. What did I do? The exact opposite.
The realization dawned on me that I'd been played. But I still wasn't sure how. Demetri didn't get sex from me - afterall he's the one who stopped us from continuing the journey. What was he into? Emotional destruction? The sick bastard. I hated myself for letting him play me and disregarding everyone else's cautious words.
I scrubbed the table, slowly and lackadaisically. I lifted my hand to swipe an untouched section of the table and my bones felt heavier than usual and I didn't try my best to wipe every section.
I wiped my hands on my dress and looked out the window. Outside was a gray, solemn sky and not a single ounce of sun peaked through the dark clouds. Great, the outer world represented how I felt on the inside.
I turned around and slowly stalked towards the kitchen.
On my way in, I ran into Brooke who was snacking on some fries.
"Hey," She addressed. I nodded towards her and forced a way too painful smile and began to fill a cup with soda. Maybe I was in the need for caffeine. I glanced at the soda dispenser. Nope. I would need something a bit more powerful : coffee.
I set down the half full glass and went to the coffee machine.
"Um, are you okay?" Brooke asked me as I put the sugar in before the actual coffee. I blinked a few times before sighing at my oblivion.
"Just tired." And it was the truth. I hadn't slept a wink last night since Demetri left my place. The look in his eyes as he told me he didn't want to have sex with me, or whatever it was that he meant, came to the battlefront of my mind. I felt frustration and sadness hit and it bothered me that I was so affected by his measly presence. Plus he also got to see the most intimate parts of me, and that was also humiliating.
I felt like a used wash cloth. Sad, lumpy and left alone to dry.
"It's been a slow day. The weather outside makes me tired too."
I didn't reply to her, just nodded. I could see her pick up another fry and lift it to her mouth.
"French fry?" She asked. I turned my head and she was holding out a big, fat stick of yellow with a huge glob of red hanging off the tip. I smiled and grabbed it before putting it in my mouth. It tasted better than I thought. When was the last time I'd eaten? I think it was before Brooke's party.
"Well, no one is here, let's eat. I can whip something up in the back kitchen."
"You can?"
"I'm young but I know how to cook. Burger sound good?" She asked. I raised an eyebrow but I was broke and food was hard to always afford, so I easily obliged.
"I guess so." But it came off as a question. I'd snapped at her not that long ago and gotten drunk at her party and she was willing to make me a cheeseburger for reasons I couldn't fathom.
I followed her into the kitchen where it lay lifeless with the exception of us walking in. Dennis had fallen asleep in a small little office in the back of the kitchen so he wasn't in the way nor would he be that much of a problem either way.
"So," She started as she pulled out pans and such. My mind flashed to Demetri pulling out cake batter and pans at that other diner he took me to.
"Did you get dumped? I don't - by any means, mean to sound uncaring but I've seen that look and it's usually because a dog died, or a boy was a dick. I don't think you have a dog," Brooke said, pulling out a frozen patty and putting it on a pan. I stared at her way of cooking but ignored it.
"You're quite intuitive."
"You have to be when your just a teenager looking after your brother." I searched her face for anger but she seemed to have accepted whatever fate she'd she'd been entrusted to and just continued to eye the patty.
"What's that about, if you don't mind me asking?" I didn't want to talk about Demetri or any sort of boys at this time. At least not right now. Maybe if I knew more about Brooke I wouldn't dislike her as much as I did for reasons I didn't understand.
"My dad wasn't home much since he's so invested in his business and it was just me and my brother."
"Your brother? Aiden or something right?" She smiled and chuckled.
"Close. Alan. He's a bit younger than I am, 15 actually. My mother wasn't around either, she passed from cancer two years ago, so with her and my dad gone it was just me and Alan."
I felt my heart lightly pang for the girl. I guess who both understood what being alone meant, just in our own ways.
"After our mom, Alan started to ditch school more and more and got into some bad things, getting involved with bad people. All that drama. But one day, things got real bad so my dad moved us to a boarding school for two years. Alan likes it, I can tell. But I wasn't big on life there exactly, so I wanted to stand on my own two feet for a while. So I came here."
And as little she gave me, I had a better understanding of her. Having to take care of a troubled younger brother must not have been easy. I wonder if she had time to grieve after her mom's passing.
"And what about this boy of yours, hm? It's a give and take thing, sharing information," She said, flipping the patty. I smiled and sat on the counter like Moira often times would. I guess I could tell Brooke. She didn't seem judgmental. Obviously I'd leave out some details.
"I liked this guy everyone told me not to like. I went against all their warnings and in the end they were right. I'm just mad at myself for not listening to them. Of course, I'd never say that to their faces."
She seemed to have been thinking as she placed some cheese on the sizzling patty. "I'm sorry to hear about that. Maybe he's still into you."
"Yeah? Then you should've seen the way he bolted out of my house last night." It left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Hm," She was still seeming to be thinking.
"Well, I know this may not be the best way to go about things, but everyone has something that makes them tick."
"I'm not following." I really wasn't. She slid the patty onto a nearby plate.
"Well," She turned to me with a devious smile. "With this boy, or man, I'm going to have to suggest the jealous thing."
I frowned. Wasn't that for kids?
"I know it sounds like it's for immature kids," my thoughts exactly, "But, hear me out. Just try it, a fun experiment. In the end, it's a win-win. You get to have a date with someone random and enjoy a nice free meal, all while making your man jealous and regretting being a dick."
Her idea was starting to sound more appealing than it should have. Maybe something like that could work. But, would he even feel jealous? How would he know I'd been out with another guy? I started to feel the affects of a scheme coming on. Something about it was too tempting to resist.
I didn't enjoy just letting others fuck me over. Maybe if I still meant anything to him at all then this plan could work and he would feel the caustic effect of my going out with another person. I wonder if he'll regret that night and if he'd come crawling.
"I just might."
And I did.
-
I got off work the second Moira came in with an all too familiar frown on her face. As I walked out, she grabbed my elbow.
"Hey, what in the hell happened to you last night?" Moira asked with concern. Her eyes were wide as well as wild, a look I've seldom seen on her face. It reminded me of when I'd eavesdropped on her at and the others at the party.
"I..well..." Great, how would I get out of this one?
"Don't just disappear like that okay? Don't you know anything?"
"What?"
Moira dropped her head in frustration and let out a sigh.
"A girl went missing the other day."
"Missing? What happened?"
She threw her hands up in the air. "Kidnapped probably! All I know is she was last seen in the forest a few miles from the diner, so obviously I freaked out when I couldn't find you! She was on the news this morning."
I frowned, feeling my bone shake lightly. It was odd thinking about an awful thing happening so close to my home now. When I left Chicago I left all the trouble behind, and I could only pray I wouldn't find it again.
"Well, I'm okay. Sorry I didn't say anything."
"You damn well should be," She snapped as she tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. "And now you're about to be walking home at night in the dark. Honestly, could you get anymore stupid?"
"I don't have a car Moira," I groaned.
"I'll walk her home."
I froze and my breath was trapped in my throat. My fingers went rigid and my heartbeat was the only thing I could hear. Moira looked behind me and scoffed. I wasn't ready to turn around and face the music. Hell no, if anything I wanted to turn it off and throw every radio into the ocean where it would fizzle out and die.
"Not my first choice, but I'll take that over kidnap," Moira said with an eye roll. I gulped and forced myself to breathe. I was in control. I had to be cold to him, but just enough to make it seem like I didn't care.
I lightly turned my head and saw Demetri with his hands in his pockets. He wore a hoodie and some jeans, simple, yet he still managed to look like perfection. Damn him and his genetics.
I avoided his eyes and just stared right below, his nose, his cheeks. Anything but his eyes.
"Be careful," She said to me before walking into the diner. I was now left alone with the one who had been weighing on my mind all day.
"I can walk myself."
Instead of walking towards him, I took the longer route and went sideways rather than into the parking lot.
"Don't you know someone just got kidnapped the other day?" He said with a condescending tone. I ignored him and picked up my walking speed. I made my way to the curb and kept walking. He followed, like I had a feeling he would.
"Are you going to keep ignoring me?"
I ignored him.
He stayed quiet as we continued to walk.
"Venus, I want-"
"Don't care."
"Venus-"
"Not caring."
"Damn it, stop," He seethed before grabbing my arm and thrusting me backwards.
"Get the fuck off me!" I hissed. I wrestled my arm from him but he kept his grasp on me.
"I'm trying to apologize-"
"Shove it up your ass and save it for another girl!" He wasn't letting go as I continued to squirm against him. I knew he was getting frustrated at my fight, but I wasn't giving up. I wretched my arm from him and continued to walk fast pace towards my street.
"Venus, I'm just asking you for a chance to-"
I whirled around and balled up my fists. His eyes were slanted and I knew he was angry and frustrated at my stubbornness.
"You don't get a chance. You had it, you missed it. Too bad, so sad so stop following me."
"I couldn't Venus, you shouldn't get involved with me."
"Yeah, no kidding," I gave a dry laugh and continued to walk with him following behind me.
"But I still want to."
"Oh?" I turned around with raised eyebrows. He grabbed my forearms and stared at me with ferocity. I wanted to bend, but I didn't. I wanted to say yes let's go suck face, but I couldn't.
"Yes."
"Well in that case," I whispered and stood up on my tip toes. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I leaned towards his lips, and grazed mine against his. I could both hear and feel his breaths against me. My heart hammered against my chest. Dammit, why did it always do that when I touched him? Or he touched me? I had to snap out of it. So I did.
"Buy yourself a blow-up doll."
And with that, I turned around and began to walk home. I wanted to laugh when I saw his face, but I had to play it off like a badass! This time when I walked, he didn't follow, and I'll admit that my heart did sink a bit.
Another filler chapter. Sorry mates. It is a bit short but better - I hope - than the last chapter. I'm so tired, MAYBE tonight I'll write again, but who knows? I'm going to hang out with a couple friends? *Gasp* "Woah, B, you have friends?"
IKR!
So for you youngens reading this book and don't know what a "Blow up doll" is ... I'm about to taint your minds. Basicallllllly it's a doll that you *cough* blow up *cough* and um, stick yo . . . reproductive organ *cough* into it for *cough* um, happiness. OKAY ITS A SEXUAL THING DAMMIT.
So sorry if that's weird for you young spring chickens.
Anyway, thoughts on the chapter?
MIGHT DO A POV IN BROOKE'S EYES in the next chapter but if you'd rather see Venus, then sure why not lolol.
So I'm thinking I want to let you guys vote for the next POVs. I'll give you an option each chapter and you vote and the one with the most votes will have a POV scene in the beginning of the book.
Tonight's Vote is between . . .
Venus OR Brooke
Vote and comment your answer!!