"I get that..." Dana intertwined her fingers and walked up to him. Her scent almost knocked him out, obscuring his anger. "Koz and I... we used to have a weird relationship."
One step away from him she stood still. He wished she came closer, longing for her touch. Still he just kept looking at her, fighting off every distraction from her words.
"Kozik was a close friend of my brother, and even though I considered him as a brother too for quite some time, my feelings started to change when I hit puberty. I fell in love with him. My first love, and since it wasn't just a fling, my feelings for him ran deep. He was my best friend, I could talk with him about everything. We've shared some kisses now and then. The last time that happened, Happy invaded the room, dragged him out of the house and beat him – Kozik told me yesterday – almost to death. It wasn't until yesterday that we met again. I hadn't seen him in eleven years, Juice."
Juice did a little bit of math and shook his head, cursing. "Are you tellin' me you were fourteen years old when Kozik was messin' around with you?!" He felt disgusted. Suddenly he viewed his brother, whom he'd always respected, in a very different perspective.
"He never insisted on anything. I think I seduced him, instead of the other way around. Anyway, it's a long time ago, Juice. And I was in shock when he suddenly stood in front of me, yesterday. For a moment I was that fourteen year old girl again." She took a deep breath. Her eyes probed his face. "I should've pushed him away. But... you didn't have to hit him."
Juice sniffed. "I wack everyone who touches you like he did. He wasn't just trying to kiss you, Dana, he grabbed your ass as if it was the most normal thing in the world!"
"To him it was the most normal thing in the world! Shit Juice, you told me you were used to girls sucking your dick while you were working and now you're blaming Kozik for this? He knew I wouldn't freak out – and there was no way he could have known we were together."
"I know that now," he grumbled. "But not at that time." He took a deep breath, searching for the words to express what was bothering him since she was around. "How did you find out you no longer have feelings for him? Did you..."
"No. We've talked for hours and I didn't even think about kissing him." She took a step forward and laid her hands on his knees. It felt like months had passed since the last time she'd touched him, and a warm glow waved through his body. "The reason I needed time... wasn't because I had to choose between you and Kozik." She stroked his cheek and looked at him with so much love in her eyes he forgot how to breath. "You're so sweet, Juice. And funny, and handsome." She smiled lightly. "And a bit of a bad ass. Kozik is no match for you. No one is."
Juice wanted to close his eyes and surrender to her lips. But he knew she wasn't done talking yet. "Then why did you need time?"
She lowered her hand and bent her head, like she'd done so many times when she believed she was being a baby. "When you attacked Kozik... I saw a side of you I've never seen before. You startled me, you scared me. Again I had an aggressive boyfriend who hurt someone I cared about... and it felt... it felt like I was making the same mistakes as I'd done with Maddox."
It felt like she suddenly exhaled snow. The thought that he'd scared her, froze him to the core. "Dana..." he uttered, dazed. He stood up and cupped her face with both hands, slowly moving his thumbs across her cheeks. "I would never do something like that."
Suddenly he felt like a complete idiot for not having drawn that conclusion himself. She'd begged him to let go of her, and she'd tensed as soon as he'd touched her. He ran a hand across his mohawk. "Shit... I'm so sorry baby... I didn't knew... I would never..." The fact that she'd seen a glimpse of Maddox in him, made him feel sick. "I would never have hurt Kozik, not really. That's not who I am. You... you have to believe that!"
"I know," she answered softly. "In my head, I know that. But your actions triggered memories and I... I needed to reconsider if I really wanted a boyfriend with a dark side again. For you have one, Juice." She bit her lip. "If not, you never would have became a Son. And of course, all along I knew you had a dark side, that's why I felt safe around you. But now I've seen it too... it was a lot to take in."
He felt his stomach twitch. Had he messed it up again? "You want... you still want to move on? With me?"
"Yes. Of course I do. Deep down I know I shouldn't be afraid of you. It's just... just another fear that asshole left behind."
Relief filled his chest, with such intensity tears jumped in his eyes. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
She stayed with him. He hadn't lost her.
"It's a fear we will face together," he promised her.
She looked up to him, tears clouding her eyes. Then she wrapped her arms around him and Juice pulled her close, burying his face in her hair.
----
I know not everyone likes Dana – which is fine, real people neither are liked by everyone – but it makes me curious to your opinions! How do you feel about her? (: