A/N: Good day my dears, hope you all are well! Before reading, I just want to warn you of a few things going down in the upcoming chapter. While it is meant to be a lovey dovey holiday centered update, there will be other elements throughout; a prime example being racial and prejudicial behavior. I want it known again that I do not condone such actions (I am of mixed race as is the rest of my family btw) but it is needed for story/character development. Ok, now that's out of the way, enjoy the read! 😁
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"She doesn't fit in."
Somewhere between D.C. and Baltimore, we pulled into a very upper class neighborhood. It was the type of neighborhood that had pristine manicured lawns, wrought iron gates, flashy cars in the driveway and various country clubs that catered to golfers and tennis pros alike. In the darkness, all the houses looked the same down to the very generic Christmas decorations.
Johnny was silent the closer we got to his aunt's house. Hers was situated, you guessed it, at the very end partially over a large green hill. It was as if she wanted people to see how important and exclusive she was. I guess being married three times had its post perks.
All the lights in the house were lit up and the long driveway before us was filled with cars, the majority foreign and very expensive. Instead of going up the driveway, Johnny parked us on the side in front of the house along with a few others. He cut off the engine yet made no move to exit the vehicle. I coughed awkwardly, taking in the fog collecting on the windshield.
"Johnny-"
"Just another minute ok? And I promise we'll go in."
"I don't mind sitting out here all night to be honest," I began, my tone light. "That house looks way too imposing for my liking."
"Try living there," he replied stiffly.
"Sorry," I answered immediately, realizing how insensitive my comment was.
Johnny sighed as he removed his seat belt to turn towards me. "Don't be sorry little duck. I just have issues being home and around these people."
I smiled softly, reaching over to cup his cheek. "We all have our issues; I sure as hell do."
Johnny leaned into my touch. "Yeah," he replied gruffly.
"You've been helping with mine Johnny and who's to say I can't do the same for you," I stated, lightly caressing his cheek with my thumb.
His dark eyes were unwavering as he gazed at me. Slowly, he leaned till our lips connected. His large palms held my face in place while my own went to his firm chest. I moaned into his mouth leading his tongue to explore. I heard the click of my seat belt and soon, Johnny was sliding me across the seat closer to him. And with strength that still surprises me, he had me straddling his lap.
"You know what...I'd much rather...stay out here...too." Johnny stated in between heated neck kisses.
"But, your aunt," I was growing hot in his car and was fighting the urge to say yes to him.
"Screw my aunt," he growled.
"I hope not literally..." I replied cheekily, earning a nip on my pulse point. I gasped, grasping his shoulders.
"I'm sure you know who I want to screw right now sweetheart," his lips ghosted over my ear. His words settled in the air between us, making me pull away.
I bit my lip, a variety of thoughts ablaze in my head. "Only screw?" I asked softly.
Johnny sobered up too, his face reflecting my own worrisome thoughts. "No Lennon, that was a poor choice of words," he paused, caressing my face. "I want so much more than with you...you are worth more than just that. You understand that right?"
I nodded softly, sending him the briefest of smiles. "Sorry, I know I have a tendency to over think and assume the worst."
"Kinda, yeah." He chuckled. I smacked his shoulder, frowning at him. "Oh don't be like that little duck; it's just one of the many quirks that I love."
I blushed and hid my face in his shoulder. "You are too good to be true..." I muttered, unsure if he heard.
"That's funny, I feel the same way about you," he replied before kissing my temple. I lifted my head to kiss his cheek.
"Johnny. I think I 'like you like you' too," I giggled when he rolled his eyes.
"Ditto."
~*~
For a party that had begun a few hours ago, it sure as hell didn't appear that way; it was positively muted in here despite the live string band in the corner. People milled about quietly, exchanging pleasantries and fake laughter. Every person in the room was dressed to pristine perfection and eerily similar. Also, each person appeared to be twice my age or more.
And very white.
No joke.
I was the darkest one there and that's saying a lot coming from a person that's only half black.
I gulped as we handed our coats to the doorman and I was quick to latch onto Johnny as we crossed the foyer. In attempt to distract myself from being the only minority in the room, I took note of the gorgeous chandelier above me. I stared at the golden twin staircases with original crown molding. I marveled at the vast open floor plan and the floor to ceiling windows-
"Johnny!" Someone exclaimed. I felt Johnny stiffened beside me and I looked up to see his jaw tense. Following his line of sight, something inside me shattered.
Kayla Von Rosen was here followed by her trusty side bitch, Beatrice 'Bee' Middleton.
Kayla was currently dressed in forest green one shoulder mermaid style gown with a studded belt. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun which accentuated her sharp features. Compared to her horrid insides, Kayla's outer appearance was prim and proper like the rest of the party goers. Bee, however, was a bit more risqué with her outfit choice.
She was dressed in a gold and silver shimmering sleeveless gown that was see through on the sides that displayed a lack of undergarments. Her strawberry blonde hair was down and styled in beach waves that seemed to glow in the fluorescent lighting. Somehow she managed to make slutty look tasteful.
Once Kayla stepped closer, her happy expression faltered after seeing me. "Seriously Johnny? You brought her?"
"You see her here don't you?" Johnny snapped, pulling me closer to his side. "What I don't get is that you are here."
Kayla looked smug. "Your aunt invited me," then she shot me a glance. "Your aunt likes me, remember?"
"Because you are both deeply disturbed poisonous people? Yeah, I can see that." I made a very unladylike snort at his statement. Kayla whipped her head in my direction, daggers in her eyes aimed for me. Bee on the other hand kept silent, her eyes calculating and focused on our exchange.
"Careful now Johnny," she said looking me up and down, "wouldn't want her to get confused for the help," she smirked.
"Kayla." Johnny began in a warning tone. "I suggest you-"
"JJ!" I felt a strong force hit my side and I turned to see that it was Lily connecting with Johnny's right side. "Yay, you're finally here!"
Johnny's anger evaporated at his sister's appearance. He leaned down to hug her while I stepped back to watch the interaction. For one brief moment, I was able to forget that Kayla and Bee were within breathing distance.
"Hey Lily! It's been forever! How are you kiddo?" Kayla greeted, her voice sickly sweet.
"I'm fine, but can you go away now? I really don't like you." She said with a straight face.
"Burn!" Someone else chimed in. "Such savagery from such a small package!"
A huge smile broke over my face at seeing Nora not too far behind Lily. She winked at me before facing forward to glare at Kayla and Bee. The former's nostrils flared and her cheeks were getting blotchy. Kayla crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Nora.
"Lenora, so nice to see you as well," Nora's eye twitched at the mention of her full name. "I heard you run an ice cream shop now, must be tough."
"Well, I've had it for five years now so I must be doing something right, thanks for asking," Nora replied in a clipped tone.
"Really? Wow, that's cute!" Kayla feigned surprise, her hand on her chest. "Well good for you! It must be hard considering the company you keep!"
Nora's cheeks went pink. "My company is fine thank you very much."
"Well, you got to be careful with foreign imports nowadays! You can never be too trustworthy!" She grinned.
"I'm more concerned with the snakes that slither around my home, screwing with what I care about," Nora responded, not missing a beat. "But, they are so dumb that it's so easy to stomp 'em out," she laughed loudly.
Kayla was red now as she uncrossed her arms and stepped forward. "Why you little bi-"
"Kayla, don't." Bee stepped in, speaking for the first time since their arrival. "Be smart. Don't make a scene." Her voice was low and guarded. Cautious and clear.
While Kayla was forward and abrupt with her attacks, Bee was more calculated and manipulative. I was learning fast of both Kayla and Bee's roles in their relationship. All Kayla had were biting words that I could easily counter and roll off; Bee took her time to marinate and think ahead. And the way she was eyeing us now, I realized that I should be more wary of her.
With a final glare and a scoff, Kayla shook off Bee's hand and stomped away. Bee dusted herself before looking our way. "A pleasure, as always," she paused as her eyes rested on me, "see you soon." And with those final words, she walked away.
"That was awkwardly anticlimactic," Lily stated after a moment.
"From savage to cute in a blink," Nora stated happily. She walked around her cousins to wrap me in a hug. "Great to see you Lennon."
"Merry Christmas Nora. It's great to see you as well," I replied once she pulled away.
"You ok up there?" She asked, her hands lingering at my sides.
I nodded. "Yeah, nothing I can't handle," I smiled back, hopefully a reassuring one.
"Good! Cause we have some mingling to do!" She exclaimed. "And by mingling, I mean hiding upstairs most of the time."
"Yes! I can't wait to show you my room! I even made you a present!" Lily piped in, squeezing in between myself and Nora.
My heart swelled as I looked down at Lily. "Awe, you made me something?" She nodded her head rapidly. "That's so sweet of you."
"Okay okay, before any of that happens, I need to at least show mine and Lennon's face. Where is she?" Johnny asked.
Nora frowned, "last I saw her was near the kitchens yelling at one of the waiters."
Johnny nodded. "Ok, we'll meet up with ya'll in another hour?"
"How about a half hour?" Lily chimed in.
Johnny squinted before squatting to her level. "How about forty five minutes?"
Lily mirrored his expression before shrugging, "fine." She then hugged each of us, "hurry up the clock starts now!"
Nora shook her head. "We'll be upstairs." She pecked his cheek and ushered Lily away.
Johnny sighed then turned to me. "Ready to face the wolves?"
I scoffed. "Now why are you gonna insult wolves like that?"
Johnny laughed as he leaned over to kiss my forehead. Smirking widely, he knit our fingers together and pulled me through the crowd. Along the way, we were stopped by some of the socialites. Johnny put on a fake smile and introduced me to countless guests. Some were polite, whether it was false or genuine. Others would look at me in distaste or ignore me altogether.
But Johnny didn't abandon me nor did he blow me off. If any of them so much as attempted to make a comment, he would shut them down or pull me away. He felt the need to apologize for some of the comments and I had to be quick to explain that he had no reason to be sorry on behalf of an ignorant person.
Especially since he was close to knocking out one of his aunt's 'closest friends'.
"Good Evening Johnny! Nice to see you m'boy!" A man greeted, his grey mustache fluttering with each word he spoke. He was an inch or so taller than myself, but shorter than Johnny. The little hair that was on his head was thin and wispy that blew to the side with the slightest brush of air. I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
"Mister Ainsworth! Nice to see you as well." Johnny shook the man's hand before re-situating himself beside me. "How'd the surgery go?"
Ainsworth chuckled. "I made it here just fine, obviously!"
Johnny's teeth gleamed, his cheeks stretched wide as he pulled me forward. "This is my girlfriend Lennon. Lennon, this is Frederick Ainsworth, one of Cecilia's oldest colleagues."
I held my hand out, "very nice to meet you sir."
Frederick looked at my hand then back to us before chuckling again. My hand fell back to my side, ready for the next step in routine of the evening. "Johnny, you must be joking."
"What do you mean sir?"
"She can't be your girlfriend. It's just...not presentable. No offense."
Johnny removed his hand as he took on a defensive stance. "It is in your best interest to choose your next words carefully Mister Ainsworth."
The older man reared back, shock on his face. "Son-"
"I am far from your son Frederick," Johnny interrupted.
Frederick gulped. "Look, I understand you're young and confused considering what's happened to you recently," he began, "but please be realistic. You and I both know that she is not accepted here-"
"How's me punching you in throat for realistic?" Johnny asked, his right hand now in the form of a fist.
"Oh no no!" I stepped in. "Uhm, nice to meet you sir!" I rushed out as I pulled him from the blubbering senior. With a reluctant Johnny in tow, we reached the kitchen in record time. And fortunate for us, the area around us was scarce.
Johnny paced and muttered near the door I was blocking, ready to kill. Various dishes decorated the island behind us and something was beeping within the room. If I wasn't preoccupied with Johnny, I'd probably be distracted by how pretty and zooped up the kitchen was. Also, Johnny smashing bowl after bowl didn't help either.
I jumped as the third bowl filled with salad made contact with a nearby wall. "Johnny!" I exclaimed.
A forth item was poised over his head, ready to be slammed. He set it back down and stepped towards me. "I'm sorry little duck. I could've hurt you in my anger. Please don't be upset with me," he explained, his voice small.
I brought my arms around him, pulling him into a hug. "I scream into pillows when I'm angry...we all have our outlets." I chuckled, hoping to lighten the situation. A ghost of a smirk crossed his face only to be chased away with a frown.
"I am sorry for more than just my anger..."
"Your anger is justified, however, your apologies are not."
"Lennon, I-"
"You are not responsible for these people!"
"I am these people!"
"No! You are not!" I countered. I brought my hands to his face. "You are more than these people. So much more." I swallowed, my voice thick. "All of them combined aren't even a quarter worth what you are. You have kindness in your soul Johnny and so much heart. You may have come from these people, but they are not who you are alright?"
Johnny's eyes were watery by the time I finished. "I thought I was the one with the speeches?"
I chuckled. "I have my moments..."
Johnny groaned as he hid his face in the crook of my neck for a brief moment. "How am I worthy of you Lennon?"
"That's a question I ask myself regularly when I'm with you," I answered, my eyes searching his.
He smirked, leaning in. "Aren't we the pair."
I grinned, "The best of the best."
Thanks to my heels, I was able to reach Johnny halfway. And thanks to the mess we made, our soon to be kiss was interrupted.
"What in the holy hell happened in here?!"
Standing in the kitchen doorway, her face absolutely livid and a stark contrast to her exceptional rose-gold gown, was Cecelia Masters.
And she looked ready to smite us where we stand.
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A/N: Hmmm, I don't think I've done a good cliffy in awhile. Was that acceptable? Yay or Nay? Hehe, what else could go wrong?! But in the mean time, please do keep up with the vote/comments/faves/shares. I greatly appreciate them and all of you for reading this story. XOXO 😘