Song for the chapter:
"Dynasty"
By Miia
AJ'S POV
I need another drink. I thought as I raised a finger towards the bar tender for another round of alcohol. Okay, how had my life gone from extremely happy to extremely miserable in a month?
I could still see the face of Melanie when I told her how I had planned her rape. I could still see the face of Derrick when he told me to stay away from Melanie. I could see the face of Jenna when she caught I and Sam in bed having sex and how unremorseful I was to her.
"Get over yourself! He didn't love you. If he did, he wouldn't cheat on you with me."
I snapped at her that night just to cover up for what I did. It wasn't the best options but at that time, there was no other way to make her feel bad and myself, better.
"You were having sex with him and all you can say is that? Are you even my friend?"
"Of course I am! That's why I did this to show you how much I want you to be strong, Jenna. You are too fucking naïve and too plain, how else did you think any man would want someone like you?! You have to learn to know the fact that everyone out there will always be in your life for one thing: To use you for their pleasure. Isn't that what Sam did to me?!"
"Bitch!"
She scratched her fingers on my face and the fact that she trims her nails perfectly at our teenage age made it easier for her to get blood gushing out of my skin.
I got furious and turned to her. "Sam will never love you! Do you think he loved you in the first place? He was just using you to get to me! Because I'm the one he wants."
"That's a lie!"
"Ask him and let him tell you everything. I'm sure he will be delighted to let you know how many times he has crowded me against the wall and gave me the best sex ever."
That was enough to make her upset and she rushed towards me like a sea witch, tackled me to the ground and made sure she gave be injuries in so many places, until my brothers came along and pulled her away from me.
"What the hell, Jenna? What are you doing?"
"What am I doing? She slept with Sam! And she can do is brag about it!"
Derrick looked at me. I looked away. "You've been sleeping with Sam?"
I said nothing.
"Answer me!"
I shook with that. He had been a lot more touchy since that night he raped a girl.
"Yes."
I said curtly.
"What the. . ."
Jamal said in shock.
"How long?"
Kendrick asked.
"A while now."
"You. . ."
Mayor said and charged towards me, but Kendrick blocked his path, holding him back. "What are you doing, get out of the way, dude."
Mayor said, pushing Kendrick aside.
"Stop this, Mayor."
"You want to hit a woman?"
"That's not a woman, that's a witch. She's been. . . Get out of the way, I need to tell her something and then go straight to that bastard and beat the living daylight out of him."
Mayor snapped.
I won't say, I wasn't scared. But Mayor had never raised a hand on a woman before. My brothers never hit a woman, but I was kind of unsure about tonight. I didn't expect him to get this angry at me. I turned to Derrick to get help from him, because he's the one who would stand up for me most times, but he wasn't looking at me. He was staring at me, but he seemed like he didn't recognise me.
He was shocked and disappointed. I lowered my gaze because I knew he was adding the rape night and now, which was my doing.
Jenna was still crying in the arms of Jamal and he was consoling her. Mayor pushed Kendrick off him and for a second, I thought he would come for me, but he stood there, looking at me and left the room.
Mayor was the kind who would give discipline when he should and I was always an object of his discipline. Sometimes, it made me think that he never liked me at all.
Derrick spun and left the room in anger.
"Ma'am?" The voice pierced into my thoughts.
I looked up to find the bar tender who looked like she was in her mid twenties. "You called me."
She said.
"Yes, I need another strong one."
I told her. She nodded.
"Make it two glasses of juice, will you?"
A male voice said and I paused to look up.
Barry pulled a seat and occupied it in front of me, staring at me like he couldn't recognise me.
"Wow. A lot has happened indeed." He said. "How long was I away and how many fun things has happened?"
I ignored him.
"You don't look too good, AJ."
"Thank you for pointing that out on the first day you're seeing me since you travelled."
He chuckled. "I like being honest."
"Yeah. Something I can never be. Now, it is getting back to me."
I said in guilt."
He was silent.
"How are you doing?"
I laughed at that. "Did you come to see if I need more life to destroy? I'm surprised that you came to see me."
"I did."
I nodded. "That's too bad. Better go back before they condemn you for meeting with the devil's mistress."
He leaned forward about to say something, but paused when the juice came.
As soon as the lady walked away, he turned to me. "What you need is an apology speech, AJ. You need to make it work out for you and everyone you have wronged."
"I can't even remember how many they are. I think I wronged a girl named Chima, a 100level student who spread news about me. And made her commit suicide."
He sighed. "That's not what I'm talking about. Or maybe you can apologize to this Chima."
I looked up at him and lowered my gaze to the glass of juice which I took in a full gulp.
"I'm the worst person, Barry. Why are you even here? My brothers don't love me, they don't. I have no friends."
"They love you, AJ. They just want you to change. That's all."
I looked up at him. "Why are you here? All of them hate me, why are you here?"
"Like I said. They don't hate you. And I came to get you home. Actually, Jamal called me to search for you. I didn't think I was going to make any progress, but I had to look here."
"The city is big. You should have looked under the third mainland bridge. I could be there."
I shrugged.
He smiled.
"Why did you sleep with Jenna, Barry?"
He stared at me for a brief second.
"I. . . I don't want to talk about it."
"I want to. Something to take my mind off what is going on right now. So, why?"
"I was in love with her."
That hit hard and it stung. I never expected him to say that to me. I don't know why but I felt hurt by that word.
"You were . . . in love with her? But you were with me."
He nodded. "I know. I'm sorry, I just. . .I used to think Jenna had changed back then after Sam. But when I spent time with her in Canada, I realised otherwise, no matter how much she tried to make everyone stay away from her. I guess I saw the better side of Jenna and it made me fall for her."
I felt me eyes sting. I blinked it back. "Wow. And you decided to cheat on me with her? Didn't you think of how I would feel when you did it? Did you think she loved you too?"
"I'm sorry, AJ. I really am."
"I want you to tell me the truth, Barry. Forget about me being hurt or whatever, just tell me everything. At least you can do that for me."
"I can't. . ."
"Tell me, Barry."
I cut in.
He looked hesitant.
"When I was dating you and seeing Jenna, I knew it was wrong. I tried to tell you about it but, I couldn't. Maybe I was a coward but I just couldn't find the balls to tell you."
"Did Jenna love you too? Does she even care about you?"
Barry shook his head. I felt relieved because for once I could still make sure she didn't love him back.
Maybe that was selfish of me, but then I didn't want to be the loser here.
"She wanted to use me to get back at you for sleeping with Sam."
I scoffed. "Typical."
I muttered.
"AJ, you have to talk to them. Especially Jenna. You both need to iron things out. This has to stop. All of us are way damaged than we think."
I looked up at him. "I have to ask you one more thing."
He said nothing.
"Did you ever love me? Even once? Did you have any feelings for me for once? Or was it all about Jenna?"
He sighed. "I love you, AJ."
I was close to being glad about that, but he looked like he was about to say something else.
"But?"
I asked.
"But not like that."
"What about now? Do you love me like that?"
He held my faze for a brief second. Then looked away.
"No. I'm. . .I'm seeing someone now."
I can't start explaining how that slap stung like hell. But I must say. . .
Karma is a big fat bitch!
Lolz.
Karma can be the cruelest bitch in the entire universe.
So, Diva is finally lonely.
Please don't forget to vote and comment.
Love,
Mireya💕