#of course named Stephan first like the good boyfriend he is

[masonjarsmoments]

Andis English sounds different?? Like better than usual? Did he used the off season to work on his pronunciation?

[sanoiro]

5x01 - Really Sad Devil Guy - Spoilers & Speculation

  Warning! There is always a possibility that certain scenes might have been mixed up under their non-respective episodes.

I’ll be clear about all this. Do not copy and paste the speculations, If you have found the original accounts from where the bts come from use yours do not get any of the photos from here. This post was NOT written to aid fandom spongers but in order to have fun with some dear friends and as a courtesy to the fans who come across my posts. I’m not a news blog nor a source and I’ll not be treated as such.

Written By: Jason Ning Directed By: Eagle Eglisson

Jason Ning has written/co-written the episodes:

1x03 - The Would-Be Prince of Darkness

1x06 - Favorite Son

2x05 - Weaponizer

2x16 - God Johnson

3x04 - What Would Lucifer Do?

3x11 - City of Angels?

3x14 - My Brother's Keeper

3x20 - The Angel of San Bernardino

4x03 - O, Ye of Little Faith, Father

4x08 - Super Bad Boyfriend

5x01 - Really Sad Devil Guy

Cast: Tom Ellis as Lucifer, Lauren German as Chloe, DB Woodside as Amenadiel, Lesley-Ann Brandt as Maze, Kevin Alejandro as Dan, Scarlett Estevez as Trixie, Rachael Harris as Linda Martin and Aimee Garcia as Ella.

Season 4 Recurring Characters: None Officially Announced Guest Cast:

Erik Aude...Rod

Kelsey Chock...Kirby Jones

Patrick Duke Conboy...Club Guy

Joël Dupont...Lux patron

Mark Elias...Vincent Gill

Chasten Harmon...Megan Garner

Brian Majestic...Neighbor

Sierra Nowak...Emily

Jose Stephan Perez...Club Guy

Behind The Scenes Videos:

5x01 Locations:

1) LUX - Party

2) Precinct

3) The Yacht - Party - Maze (stunt) - Ella - (Ella & Maze) - Mr DOB? Money Lucifer?

4) The House - Night with Lucifer & Maze - Morning with Chloe Detective - Baby Shower - Girl

5) The DTLA Penthouse - Morning Lucifer - Night Chloe Sting  (Green Screen)

Due to the confusing titles we have ended up between friends to retitle them and this one is ‘The Gambler’ episode. The reason behind the name is because the case is taking place mainly in a high profile gambling establishment but also sets forward a very interesting concept for S5. 

Everything is a gamble and you need to be aware of what you are about to throw on the table. In my belief, the cards at our leads hands are misleading and sometimes some of them do not know what the power of the cards they hold. Pity that it’s not a card game though but a through of the dice with many unknown sides to the players. No God does not play dices with the universe as Neil Gaiman explains in Good Omens but how much of what is going on can be blamed on him? Not much in my humble opinion.

As you already know after all these years BTS is not easy on the contrary they are confusing and frustrating to no end… So stay cautious and try to have fun rather than search for definite answers. These answers may come only when the season P1 drops and if I managed to spot something correctly we were fortunate.

The first episode as Ellis said will clarify why Lucifer returned to Earth but unfortunately, we can only speculate as the bts do not give us a definite answer but we know one thing, do not expect Lucifer and Chloe to meet too soon in 5x01. For the most part, it seems like Lucifer tries to avoid her and for a very good reason. As Henderson said you cannot expect to lock an alcoholic to a liquor store for 20 years and do not have a regression.

The beginning of the episode will most probably take us to… Hell. The reason for that speculation is Ellis’ birthday cake. Yes, Ellis is an executive producer and usually, by now 5x01 should have wrapped as an episode its post-production so we assume that that scene takes place in the first 5-10 minutes of the first episode of S1.

If the scene of that cake is not one of the S5 first scenes then probably is a cut scene from Chloe wondering how Lucifer is doing and the answer is well… he is delusional. According to Boris’s speculation we might get a similar scene like the beginning of S4 but this time it’s Chloe who works and the files pile up as well as the boxes around her office... Some bts suggest that might be actually happening but we simply cannot be sure. 

We might also spot Gaudium on that cake but I would assume he appears like that because the delusion has not yet dropped so his real form might be a wonderful CGI. Henderson always wanted him somehow in the show so that would be the perfect time to do so…

So what has caused Lucifer wanting to get to earth? Again we do not know but it might be somehow related to the case Chloe will be working on. Of course, that relationship might not be obvious but more like the case of 5x04 where Lucifer’s connection to the case Chloe was trying to solve was purely accidental due to Eve.

Now the writers did tease that Lucifer will see a familiar face in Hell and many have speculated over that. When I heard it for the first time I thought it was Dan and I still hold that opinion mainly because Dan’s arc is more or less similar to the one of Charlotte. If a character is going to die in S5 I do expect it to be Dan even if it is for a little while, something that will lead to bigger problems later on and perhaps it will be the reason on why he needs the matching bracelet he wears with Lucifer and which appears in 5x03.

If that face is not Dan then who else could it be? Father Frank? In Hell, you may ask? Well, he felt immense guilt over accidentally killing his family and the boy’s family at that car crash so that’s where I place my next bet. In any case that familiar face is probably who shakes up things and causes Lucifer to seek something on Earth. 

My calculations on how long Lucifer is in Hell give out a 6 month period which has been confirmed and my speculation was based on that due to the babies that play Charlie :D. So what has changed 6 months later on Earth?

As we know from Lauren German fools everyone into believing she is doing well and she is supported by Maze and why not Ella. In 5x01 there is a bts which shows Chloe at a LUX party with Maze but Maze is dressed in leather and Chloe in work clothes. In the time of Lucifer’s absence, it was hinted by DB that Amenadiel has taken over LUX but fear not as LUX is the same place it always was and Amenadiel tries to imitate Lucifer’s dressing code and kind of entertainment in the establishment. At the same time if you notice the fridge at Linda’s apartment it has some photos with Amenadiel, Linda and Charlie so the domestic life is going well on that front as well for him.

^If it’s Amenadiel it fits with the rehearsal if not then Lucifer and Chloe reunite earlier but I believe it’s Amenadiel. 

Moving on as you know each episode has a case! Episode 5x01 features many different locations but I’ll start from Maze’s clothes at LUX. We do not know if the LUX scene is early in the episode and I would assume it is not. Maze’s clothes at LUX are seen in two locations LUX and at a boat where she is accompanied by Ella yet that’s not the murder scene.

^That’s the main pattern I saw at LUX day of the extras wearing. 

^Josh’s photo is upside down ;) 

^Just a speculation but does LInda visit LUX? No idea. 

After LUX day which lasted for over 13 hours I believe it lasted in total for about 15-16h... So it’s  big scene. 

^Chloe shot and Lesley Ann waiting to enter the scene

Ella’s shirt is also one of the reasons why I believe that’s at the beginning of the episode as later on, she wears a yellow and then a blue shirt during the episode. 

The murder scene takes place at a downtown Penthouse - not Lucifer’s - which acts as an illegal gambling establishment for rich players. If you have watched the movie Molly’s Game you will get what I mean. So let’s assume that murder happens there, the LAPD investigates the scene but afterwards, when Chloe is at the precinct she turns to Maze for some reason or Maze drags her to LUX. 

Note that Lucifer looks angry perhaps even dejected according to the available bts

^No Green screen so do not expect something supernatural to happen just Lucifer infuriated giving a verbal point of how pointless everything is I presume. 

Now call me a weird but there is a possibility of Ella being at the playing table BEFORE the murder case... or perhaps who could be the last person to see in Hell? Ella even for a fraction of a second? No idea again just a wild speculation...But I do not think that’s it... not entirely at least.. Aimee was well dressed at the following photo there... In my other speculation, Lucifer tries to get people to help him without involving Chloe at all.. Yet note that the dates they were posted on social media were different so we cannot be sure

Now if Ella does help with the case is it too farfetched to hope that she will spill the beans about Candy to Chloe in 5x01? Dad I HOPE SO!. 

Afterwards, we see that Maze and Ella track down a rich guy on a boat. Maze is wearing the same clothes she did at LUX and I would speculate that the yacht belongs to Lee (The yacht is called the Lightbringer and is a known in L.A. yacht to rent for events etc.) with all the money he got OTHERWISE it was Lee who got killed and is the familiar face in hell and a close relative (his son?) took his fortune. You see a young black guy was hired as a guest so it is possible to assume that. There was a script page as well a blurry one but we do not know if the name was Les or Lee.. Here is the thing though... There was also a guy who looked like Jeremiah aka Lee in DTLA but I do not know if it was during the murder -if it happens there which if it does then fitting! or if he was there for his usual encounter with Lucifer...- 

Now about that yacht...

Now at that yacht we have Maze kicking some not so pretty behinds and we do not know how it goes from there unfortunately but I would assume that Lucifer and Maze are reunited early on that episode perhaps around the first quarter or so.

While everything happens Lucifer visits the DTLA Penthouse - Gambling establishment and he seems pissed possibly because his money was the reason Lee was murdered if we support that theory?

From there we also have a location that was shot at the WB ranch, the place where FRIENDS shot their intro scene at the fountain and which was sold by WB yet they can still use it for the time being.

At that ranch, there is a small town set which has some middle-class houses. In one of those houses, there was a baby shower for a baby girl I suppose and is where Lucifer seeks more answers. I do not know if someone bleeds or something but they had to wash the street afterwards. The scene happens at night and Lucifer again is NOT pleased. Along with Lucifer I believe that there was also Maze and I do not know if Maze was also there in the morning shots that follow with Chloe but she had her stunt with her and her presence at the stages suggest that she may have been at the precinct as well with those clothes but that’s a speculation. 

Lucifer’s car at the lot in the main WB lot not the ranch. 

Now do be careful as Chloe's visit in the morning might be before Lucifer’s one at night we just do not know exactly at the moment. 

^You can see Lucifer in the middle of the shot. 

^I believe that’s in that house at night. 

^Maze Lucifer and the Guy?

According to the guest's clothes I suspect that Chloe gets there in the morning and then Lucifer at night as he wears the exact same ones...

At this point my belief is that perhaps Maze helps Chloe, then Lucifer gets involved without Chloe realising he is there or perhaps that’s the point she sees him and Maze along with Lucifer get into a fight. The suspect might have run or perhaps Lucifer and Maze protected Chloe unfortunately we cannot know what exactly is going on. 

A third speculation at the same timeframe is that Maze is reunited with Lucifer at the penthouse and they start working together from that point. The follow Chloe perhaps even save her from the suspect as he runs and then both return at night to confront him. 

Now there is also a morning shooting scene there or perhaps even two as we do know that Chloe as a Detective goes to ask the guy some questions while Lucifer has some action scenes at that point.

Ellis’ and Lesley-Ann’s stunts were there and took care of the scene which needed to be delivered yet, in my opinion, there was no meet up there. I do not know if Chloe managed to take a glimpse of Lucifer or not but I assume that at that point she knows Lucifer is back but he still avoids her to spare her the pain as he probably believes he will have to go back to Hell once his quest finishes.

Fast forward we go to the last part of the episode which takes place at the DTLA Penthouse at night where Chloe appears to be on a sting operation, pretending to be a player and I would also assume that Ella is at the van guiding her through that. At the same time though we have Lucifer and Maze trying to do their own thing and Dan somewhere in the middle.

We know that it’s the final scene as there are police cars at the scene and my speculation is this.

Chloe is at the sting operation, Ella helps and Dan is also involved close by at a car. Lucifer and Maze try to gain entrance and we have a Green screen used and some wires as they were shooting two different scenes and one of them had Ellis suspended I believe from the wires. No idea if he was trying that the human way or Lucifer had enough and flew up there yet at some point the suspect break free and goes to the street.

The last part of the episode is divided in two parts. The sting operation and the second painful part

^ The building on the right with the helicopter landing space is the where the penthouse is located and the middle of the street in front of Hope park is where the conclusion of the episode was shot with some other additional scenes. 

Two scenes were shot for the first time. One of them was Lucifer? lying, being levitated, using human means to climb to the penthouse? Who knows but there was a green screen behind him. Perhaps he was in the penthouse and was pushed or trying to avoid Chloe he opted to fall off? No idea. 

Now at the same location, we have Ella with a messy ban like she was really into the game she might have been instructed to Chloe to play at the penthouse.

Maze’s outfit makes me wonder if Maze decided to also go undercover to help Lucifer or even Chloe we will know once it drops I’m afraid. Yet it looks like she is along with the girls at the end of the episode. 

Also see javiergame4 ‘s BTS ON REDDIT AND POSTED ON IGMUR BTS

At the end, I think that the guy who Lesley-Ann was hugging was the culprit and the one who starts a chain of events. 

I do believe that Dan who might be in the car waiting for the sting to end up trapped with the culprit in the car and to be eventually be throwed outside the window. 

Of course, that is one interpretation as there is also the following bts Lucifer in front of the car and then the car seems to have turned so either Lucifer is the cause for the guy’s, perhaps Dan’s injury or the reason why he is paradoxically saved. Perhaps both. You can see teh green screen be used which may suggest a car chase or something which Lucifer puts into a halt. The second car I believe is Chloe’s. 

^The guy ends up on the street

But someone in white seems to protect someone so we do not know what is going on. If Lucifer protects Chloe, if some power comes forward and saves Dan. 

^The person in white next to the ambulance

My opinion? Chloe indeed needs help and Lucifer comes forward in a scene that reminds me a bit of Lois and Superman in Superman Returns meaning that it might be him saving her that exposes his return from Hell to her. 

Chloe, Ella - see the bun behind Chloe, and Maze in front of a dead body bag coroner bed. 

Also Chloe appears to be in front of the guy who gets injured... Again we assume this is the end of the episode... But someone eventually DOES die as we know from the body bag and again I would assume that it is Dan. Do not ask me why I insist on that so much but I have this gut feeling he will have a short experience with Hell which will allow him to seek a second chance like Charlotte for when Death reclaims him once more. 

Now if Dan does die for a while and Lucifer has a hand in his revival it would also explain why in 5x03 or even at the end of 5x02 we have Dan and Lucifer wearing the same amethyst bracelet... Also why Lucifer cannot really leave again for the time being... 

Additional info

We do know there is a woman guest with lines on the boat and the DTLA penthouse so I would keep an eye on her for the case.

Aimee Garcia was showing off Ella’s pens for the season and I have to admit that the screwdriver caught my interest for an obvious reason…

So has Amenadiel visited Lucifer at Hell? According to D.B.’s interview where he said that the character is currently busy so he has not, consider that Lucifer changing to a full Devil body in front of him may have not been the best memory he has of his baby brother. So in a way, Amenadiel might be deep down calm that the pieces have fallen into their place. He is of course sorely mistaken…

[writingkeepsmewhole]

The Turning Point

This is part 12 of Vampire Princess. This is also day 7 of my 365 fic challange.  Fic Summary: Caroline goes missing.

Damon x OC Octavia 

Warnings:Blood, language maybe

Taglist. I’ll gladly add you: @problematicpastry @butifulsoul125 @tina8009 @panicatangelica @bcfangirlthatswhy @accidentallyoffensivesworld  @kpoplover1306-depressedgirl315​ @toxic-pineapple​ @captured-memory

Part 1   Part 11

When I woke up Damon was gone but I expected as much. I didn't feel guilty or embarrassed about last night. But I still feel a knot in my stomach as I climb out of bed. 

Last night's events playing over my head as I got dressed. Elena left me in the woods but she didn't know I was even there. It was Stephen who left me for dead. I didn't get a chance to work out what to do about it when someone knocked on my door. Remembering that I locked it I walked across the room and opened it. My clone standing on the other side. "What?" I ask walking back to the dresser. "What's wrong with you?" Elena asks walking in my room. "Nothing." I say pulling my hair up. "Where were you last night? Why were you with Damon?" "Does it matter?" I ask sitting on the bed to pull on some boots. "Yeah I needed help with Bonnie and you weren't there." "Actually I was, ask Stephan he'll explain." I say walking past her while pulling on a jacket. I walk down the steps and out the front door ignoring Elena calling for me. I was mad at her maybe I shouldn't have been but I was. I needed more time to think about what I was going to do. Damon was gone that's for sure. Everyone seemed to have a place and I felt lost. Forgotten. I jump at the car horn I was standing on the corner them waiting for me to cross. When I look up. I'm shocked to see my history teacher getting out of his car. "Octavia?" he asks surprising me with telling me apart from my sister. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine." "You want a ride?" "Umm okay." I say moving to get in his car. I didn't realize I was cold till set in his heated car. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asks me again after a few minutes of silence. I nod and look at him. He had worry lines in his forehead but despite that he seemed young to be a teacher. "I just have a lot on my mind." I say not knowing how to explain it even if I could. "Something at school or at home?" "Home I guess." "Octavia you don't have to tell me. But I want you to know you can talk to me. I won't tell anyone if that's what you're worried about." He says as we pull up to school. "Thanks I'll remember that." I say forcing a smile. "Thanks for the ride." Getting out of the car I start my day trying my best to not think about anyone or anything.

  By the time school was over I knew I couldn't avoid Elena any longer. I wasn't surprised when she yelled at me from the window of her car. Sighing I got in her glaring at me. "What?" "What? That's all you have to say to me?" "Yeah." I say looking out the window us still on the side of the road. "You have been dodging me all day." "I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to talk to anyone." "Even Damon?" "Don't." "Don't what?" "Don't bring him into this. He has nothing-." "He attacked Bonnie. He almost killed her. I had to tell her the truth she knows about everything now." "Good." "Good? Her life is ruined." "Don't be dramatic she's fine so are you. You know about vampires big deal." "What's wrong with you?" "What's wrong with me? I went to help my friend and my sister left me in the woods to die." "Stephan-." "He lied. Yeah your righteous boyfriend lied." "Wait, are you a vampire?" "Don't be ridiculous. No I'm me, see-." I say holding my arm up my charm bracelet still there. "Vervain hurts the undead last I checked." "So Stephan made a mistake." "He left me to die. Damon saved me." "That's why you brought him home last night?" I let out a frustrated huff and start to get back out of the car. She stops me grabbing my arm. "Look I'm sorry I'm not sure what he did or didn't do. Your alive that's all that matters." Sighing I drop the conversation knowing she's not going to listen. "Lets just go home." "Okay." She says starting the car and pulling back on the street.

 When we got home I started to head to my room but I stopped seeing Jenna staring at the TV. "What happened?" I asked sitting my bag on the floor. "Nothing." "Something happened." "When did you get home last night?" She asks looking up at me. "Umm I don't know late why? Am I in trouble?" "No I understand. But Logan came over last night as well." "Logan?" Elena asks her eyes meeting mine. Vicky killed Logan or so we thought. "What did he say?" "Insulting me mostly." "Aunt Jenna what exactly did he say?" "Nothing he just wanted me to let him. Which I didn't of course but- Hey where are you going?" She asks as Elena heads out the door. "What's with her?" She asks looking at me. "No clue she doesn't tell me anything anymore." I say smoothly but I knew what was going on. Logan was a vampire and he was most likely going to cause a lot of harm for someone. That someone being me or Elena. "I'm gonna go take a nap." I say smiling at Jenna then heading for the stairs.

Once in my room I thought about calling Damon to tell him about Logan but decided against it. He was most likely long gone by now and didn’t want anything to do with this place. Why would he? The last chance he had to be with the one he truly loved was gone. I don’t know what I would do if that happened to me. It was hard enough to lose someone but losing someone knowing you could have saved them must have been horrible.

I throw my phone on my bed and shake my head. I didn’t need to be thinking about Damon, or anything for that matter.

I settled myself with picking out something to wear to the career fair in a few hours. Why they didn’t have it during school I’ll never know. By the time we left I was dressed in jeans from this morning but put on a ripped up tank top all the ripped parts having lace under it. Leaving the leather jacket on and my hair I busied myself with giving myself a dramatic smokey eye. 

 I walked around the school gym different tables dedicated to different jobs. None of them grabbed my attention. I didn’t know what I wanted to be. I probably wouldn’t know by the end of school either. I tried to look busy and interested, smiling at anyone I made eye contact with. When I watch Elena follow Stephan I rolled my eyes. She was still wrapped up in him and probably would be for a while. 

I’m pulled from my thoughts by my phone ringing. My stomach clenching when I see Damon’s name on the screen. Before I can let my nerves set in I answer it. “Hello?” I ask walking out into the hall. “Octavia, that you?” Damon says sounding out of breath. “It’s me, what’s going on?” My heart stops when the line goes dead. “Dang it.” I say feeling fear sink into my jut. Something was wrong I knew it. Before I start to panic I get a text it an address. “I hope your okay.” I say as I run to Elena’s car.

 I go to the address it taking me to some warehouse in the middle of nowhere. “Hello?” I call getting out of the car. “Damon?” I say walking up to the steps. The air was silent, making the hair on my arms stand up. Pushing the flight response from my brain, I open the door to the building the smell of something rotting hitting me in the face. “Damon?” I call walking into the room. The copper smell of blood so strong I can taste it. “O.” Someone grunts making me turn to see Damon laying on the floor. Clearly hurt. “Oh my gosh Damon!” I say rushing to his side and dropping to my knees beside him. “What happened?” I ask looking at him, dark splotches of blood covering him. “Logan happened.” He groans trying to sit up. “You've seen him?” I ask helping him. “Have you?” “No, Aunt Jenna said he came to the house last night.” “Must have been before we got there. I didn’t-.” He is cut off by a scream as he digs his fingers into his leg. I don’t have to ask him pulling a piece of wood and dropped it to the floor. “What was that?” “Wooden bullets, apparently Logan had a gun full of them.” He says digging out another one. I watch him start to sway his eyes closing you. “You need blood.” I say helping him sit back up. “You offering?” “That’s why you called me here right?” When his eyes meet mine I feel my face heat up. “It’s fine let’s get these bullets out of you first.” I help him pull each one out him letting out a curse as we went. When his wounds don’t close I know he truly needs help. “Here.” I say holding my wrist out to him. “I’m fine.” He grunts out standing up on shaky legs him wobbling a bit. I quickly stood up and grabbed his torso steadying him. “Your not fine you need blood so take it.” I say looking up at him his blue eyes digging into mine. “Why?” “Call it returning a favor.” I say lifting my arm to once again offer it to him. He looks me up and down but takes my hand. Lifting it up to his mouth I hiss in pain as he sinks his fangs into my forearm. His now red eyes meet mine his face covered in black veins. A shiver runs threw me of fear or excitement I didn’t know. I hear him gulp it making me blush and look down. Damon pulls away from me not looking as weak as he did when I first walked in. “Don’t be embarrassed princess we both know your not that type.” He says lifting my chin meeting his blue eyes again. “So your eyes turn red.” I say not wanting the subject on me. “You didn’t know that?” He asks cocking his head to the side. “I've fed from you before.” “It was dark and against my will. I didn’t really get to examine your anatomy.” “Would you like to?” He asks a smirk on his face. I don’t get to answer that the sound of onf the warehouse doors siding open stopping me from doing so. I don’t have to ask what is going on Logan suddenly in front of us. “I thought I smelled fresh blood. I didn’t think you would-.” He’s stopped by the sound of a gun going off a wooden bullet shooting into his chest. It’s followed by another and another as Damon shoots him over and over. “Doesn't feel nice does it?” He asks shooting the last one in Logan’s leg. “You’ll pay for this.” “Oh looking forward to it.” Damon says kicking him then turning towards me. “Let’s go.” He says gently pushing me towards the door. Once outside we get into Damon’s car him taking off. “What just happened.” “I pissed off a new vampire.” “Why? I mean, how did this happen why not kill him?” “Did you want me to kill him?” He asks looking over at me my words getting caught in my throat. “If you must know he must have had vampire blood in his system when he dyed and I didn’t kill him because it’s all a part of the plan.” “The one to win over Caroline’s mom?” “That’s part of it.” He says the conversation replaced by the wind flowing threw the open windows. I watch the world pass as he drives us closer to what I can only guess as my house. Knowing I’m running out of time, I try to think of what I want to say to him. “I thought you left.” I say not knowing what else to. “I was going to.” “Why didn’t you?” “I have my reasons.” I nodded knowing he’s not going to tell me the ache in my heart not wanting the answer anyways. I knew it wasn’t because of me, so there was no point in even getting my hopes up. “I want to keep an eye on things around here. For a few more days.” “That’s good to hear.” “Now now Octavia don’t tell me you would miss me if I left. I’m the bad guy remember.” “I know.” I say still looking out the window, us not speaking the rest of the way. 

 When we pull in front of my house, I start to get out of the car but stop when Damon grabs my wrist. “Wait somethings going on.” He says cocking his head slightly listening to the inside of my house while sitting in the driveway. Ringing feels the air him looking down at his phone. “Get out.” He says hurting me. “Go inside don’t invite anyone in.” He says as I got out of the car. Not understanding what's happening, I go inside to almost bump into Elena her quickly pulling me into a tight hug. “Hello to you too.” I say hugging her back. “Where were you? Where did you go?” “I..- What’s going on?” I ask not knowing how to answer that question. If Stephen thought Damon was out of town I wasn’t going to be the one to rat him out. “Caroline is missing.” “What?” I asked shocked and scared. “What do you mean she’s missing?” “She was at the school earlier and now she’s gone. Hey what happened to your wrist?” She asks looking at it. It had a dark bruise in a not quite smooth circle. “Nothing, not important.” I say pulling my sleeve down. “We need to do something to help find Caroline.” “Her mom told us to wait here incase she shows up.” “Is anyone at her house?” “No, why would-.” “I’m gonna go over there.” I say turning to open the front door. “Why?” “Incase she comes back home.” I say like it’s obvious. “I got my phone I’ll be fine.” I say walking out onto the porch, I jump and scream when Stephan appears in front of me. “Don’t do that!” I yell smacking his chest only resulting in hurting my hand. “I’m sorry.” He says softly as if not to scare me. “Yeah yeah, your forgiven.” I say side stepping him. “Did you find her?” Elena asks walking outside. “Not yet, I’m sorry.” “Stop apologizing.” I mumble walking down the steps. Taking Elena’s and my car I drive over to the Forbes house to see that it’s dark inside. Knocking I don’t expect and answer but mainly do it to be polite. When no one comes to the door I get the key under the mat and unlock the door. You think since Caroline’s mom is a cop she would pick a better spot I didn’t mind at the moment. Walking in I closed the door behind me wondering if that would stop a vampire. I made a mental note to ask Damon or Stephen later. I made sure to turn on the living room and kitchen light just incase Caroline came back and also so her mom wouldn’t try to shoot me.

I sat in the kitchen for an hour or so until the doorbell rang. I ran to the door and pulled it open shocked to see Stephen there but my thoughts quickly going to Caroline her weakly laying agent him. “Oh my gosh what happened?” I ask knowing that she got kidnapped but the blood in hair worried me. “Logan had her, do you think you can get her cleaned up before her mom gets back?” He asks handing her over to me careful not to come in. “I uh sure?” I ask earning a nod and him quickly turning to disappear. “Still doing that I see.” I say pulling her into the house and helping her into the bathroom. “What happened?” She mumbles looking up at me. “It’s okay you're safe now.” I say not knowing if she was compelled to forget. “Let's get you into a nice hot bath.” I say helping her do just that. She sits in silence curled up as I wash off all the blood. I couldn’t help but look for Damon’s bite marks them seeming to have never existing at all. I look down at my own wrist it a bad bruise dark purple and black. I was in the middle of doing that when the front door opened. “I’ll be right back.” I say calmly to Caroline and stand up. I walk into the living room to see Caroline’s mom. “She’s in the bath.” I say pointing to it with my thumb over my shoulder. “She’s okay?” She asks quickly rushing to the bathroom. “How did you get in?” She asks looking up at me crouch down next to the tub. “Key under the mat.” I say shrugging. “Thank you for taking care of her. You can head home now if you want?” “I can help you get her into bed.” I offer. She smiles and nods her eyes misty. “Likes, I’d like that.” I smile and nod back having no idea what is going on in her mind right now.

After Caroline was tucked in bed and asleep I left. It was well past 3 but I didn’t care. The roads where clear and the town quite. Rubbing the back of my neck I think about everything that happened today. My best friend was kidnapped by my aunt's ex who is now a vampire. Yawning I look down to turn on the radio not wanting to fall asleep driving. When I look back up I let a scream and slam the breaks seeing someone standing in the road. I cut the wheel as hard as I can, instead of turning the car flips over throwing me into the air and into the roof. I hear the sound of shattering glass and crunching metal. Feeling my head crack the roof I let a whimper my seat belt choking me. I turned to look at the road scared I hit the person I watch their body move on the black top. I hit them they were lying on the ground. I take in a frightened breath when I watch them stand up. Logan, it had to be Logan coming after me for what Damon did to him. I try to get out to move my leg penned in. I fought harder the closer Logan got my head pounding worse with every passing second. I tried to open my eyes wider when I started to see stars to blink away the fuzziness but that was all in vain everything going black. My last thought being I was going to die.

[daddysfangirls-marvel]

Shove your Opinion

Request

Pairing: Loki x reader 

warning: language, cheating, fluff

words: 2067

Prompt: 5) “ I’m going to need you to take your opinions and shove them up your ass, m ’kay? m ’kay” @meyoko10

Summary: Number 5 reader with loki. Angst, a dash of fluff, and maybe a smidge of smut 😋 like maybe the reader is dating a guy (but he is a cheater and she doesnt know it) and loki is jelly because he secretly likes her  and knows his secret. Idk something like that...lol

Prompt

There was something there she didn’t know what it was she didn’t think it was love but she knew it was something special. She would hope it was or would form into love. But it never did not when they went on all their date or when they moved in with each other. it was just a feeling but for so long she dependent on that feeling in their relationship that she didn’t even notice when it fainted. Them being together just became so normal she didn’t remember a time with him so she kept the relationship going.

Then Loki came along. Thor returned one day and brought his brother, Loki, along with him. At first the others weren’t to please with his arrival but Thor said he changed so (y/n) stepped up and give him a chance that no one else would give.

“Hi, I’m (y/n)” 

“Loki “ He was hooked the first time he saw her. She was so beautiful and just her eyes caught him. Beautiful sparking (c/e). He wanted more.

“I think we’ll be great friends” she said and she was right. The two instantly became best friends and the others warmed up to him as well but they never got what (y/n) and Loki had. They went on missions together, they had movie night, game night, book night, days for the library, tea times, days for walks in the park, days for a chill in a coffee place, sleepovers (but she’d never tell her boyfriend that). They spent so much time together there were points were (y/n) forgot she even had a boyfriends.

The more Loki spent time with (y/n) the more he got to know her the more he fell in love with her. She was just so fucking perfect the more time he was with her the more perfected she was. He fell head over heels in love with her and he wanted no one else.

“That was amazing” Loki said as (y/n) closed her book. The two were picking book series to read that were turned into Tv show or movies so they could watch them afterwards.  (y/n) picked Harry Potter while Loki choices Game of Thrones. Seeing as Harry Potter was movies and both the book series and movies were done they started with that first. They had just finished reading the Chamber of Secrets.

“And tomorrow we shall watch the movie”

“This is just the second book and I’ve already gotten so attached to these character” Loki said hugging the book to his chest

“Oh my darling their 7 books and 8 movies”.

“8 movies” Loki gasped 

“the last book was split into a two movies. Game of Thrones has 5 books though the author says he has plans for seven. There’s also a total of 7 season to game of thrones. Game of Thrones is much longer than Harry Potter … which is why I haven’t seen it. Please there so many characters and families and every episode is like an hour “

“if it each a pain why are you..?”

“I’m not going to let you grieve over fictional characters alone and I hear a lot of people die in game of thrones”

Loki smiled he didn’t know what to say she was doing something she didn’t want to for him. Loki was about to thank her when her phone went off. He rolled his eyes immediately knowing who it was. Nick, was (y/n) boyfriend and Loki loathed him with a passion. It was so much passion it was an art.

“Hi hi” (Y/n) said answering the phone. Loki noticed how her smile became small “work...okay.... sure... I mean ….sure ….30....m’kay kay bye bye  ” (Y/n) stood up from the couch.

“He calls and she runs”

“don’t be like that. I’ll be back tomorrow and tomorrow after work we’ll watch the movie” (y/n) blows him a kiss as she walks away.

“why are you with him” Loki asks suddenly standing book falling to the floor. (y/n) turns are a bit startled she recovered and walked over towards him. 

“He’s my boyfriend. I’ve been with him for almost two years. I was hoping we’d have a future together and I’m stilling looking for it” she picked up the book he dropped and put it on the coffee table next to her abandon book.

“he’s not good for you” Loki said and he knew. Loki was the god of lies and could tell when a person was lying even when they weren’t in the room. When Loki first meet Nick he knew automatically that he was a liar there was something off about him and he was hiding something. But recently Loki found out Nick was unfaithful. But he didn’t know how to bring the true to (y/n) every time he even mentioned her boyfriends name she was gone or didn’t want to hear it.

“Loki, thank you for worrying but I’ve got this” (y/n) said as she headed for the elevator again.

“(y/n) please just listen-” 

“no Loki. Now I’m going home we’ll forget about this in the morning.... Good night Loki please sleep well” and with that (y/n) left out the tower and left Loki to his own thoughts.

-

“Finally “ (y/n) groaned as she slumped off the jet dragging her bags. It was a week long mission but with more effort they ended it in 3 days. 

“That was awful” she groaned 

“At least it got done” Steve said “ (Y/n) you should  stay the night and go home in the morning it’s late and you’re exhausted”

“Nah, I’m going to back to my place. I’m back sooner than expected … I’ll surprised Nick. see you later you guys” Loki chased (y/n) a bit into the elevator she sighed as he got in with her. She knew what was coming.

“Maybe you should stay we could start Game of Thrones since we finished the first book. We could have a sleep over.” she looked a him a bit annoyed “one episode that’s all I’m asking for one episode one hour”

“Loki?...what is it what’s wrong?” she asked 

“I... I feel like something is wrong. I’m not actually sure what it is at the moment but I feel like you should stay … please” 

“Loki if something goes wrong I’ll come back okay? it that okay?” (y/n) said patting his shoulder. As the elevator door opened on the garage floor she blew him a kiss and went about her way home. Loki sighed for some reason he knew she would be back.

-

(Y/n) quietly put her keys into the door. It was around 2am and it was a Thursday and Nick had work in the morning so there was no possibility of him being awake or so she thought. As she quietly moved setting her bag down and her keys on the coffee table next to his laptop she was about to head to her room when she heard a noise.

Creeping up to the door she placed her ear on the door her eyes widen when she heard moaning a females moaning. Giving him a chances she made up and excuse. Porn he was watching porn on his laptop. But then she remembered his laptop was on the coffee table and those moans were sounding really realistic. 

No longer giving it any doubt (y/n) opened the door and there her boyfriend with their next door neighbor riding him into the night. After getting a look (Y/n) didn’t giving them a second glance and went to their shared closet. 

The couple on the bed finally noticed (y/n) when they heard the clock of a gun. They both screamed as they saw her standing in front of the closet.

“Relax” (y/n) said as she tossed her gun on the dresser and opened the drawers and started putting her clothes in the duffle bag she got from the closet. 

“Baby, Baby, baby,  please just lets talk okay lets talk”  Nick said as he stood up covering himself with a pillow well the girl looked around the room for her clothes.

“don’t baby me don’t lets talk me I’m done. I come home after a long ass week of working my ass off with no sleep what so ever to see  (Y/n) boning this red headed bimbo in the bed I BOUGHT. Fuck you you slimy cheating fucking fucktard.”

“ You know what. Shut the hell up you’re going to hear what I have to say. You don’t think I know about you and that Loki guy. You guys have been close for months you’ve probably been hoping on his dick for day one. You guys are way to close to not be fucking.” Nick said as if he caught her in some act as if they were even.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. Of course I’m close with Loki he’s my partner we work together. In my line of work if I don’t have some one watching my back I don’t come home and guess what the guy you’re accusing me of fucking has been watching my back and making sure I can get home to you. So yeah we’re fucking close he’s taken bullets for me while all you’ve done is STABBED ME IN THE BACK” (y/n) shouted as she packed her bag.

The neighbor, Stephan, stood up dressed down and raised her hand trying to get their attention. “ I’m sorry to get in between your relationship but in my opinion you guys should-”

(Y/n) quickly picked up her gun from the dresser and pointed it at her “ I’m going to need you to take your opinions and shove them up your ass, m ’kay? m ’kay” she tucked the gun in the back of her waist band and finished packing as Nick and Sarah tried to talk to her.

“Fuck you and Fuck you I’ll be back for my shit tomorrow. Have a nice fucking life. Enjoy his 5 inch marker” And with that she grabbed all she could what was hers and left. It wasn’t until she was in her car and driving that she finally broke down. She had to pull over and let everything out. Crying a hot mess on the side of the road. When she finally calmed down again she drove back to the tower at a much slower pace.

-

Loki sighed as he finished the episode for the first episode it was pretty dramatic and had a lot of nudity like a lot. There was a sudden knock on his bed room door. “come in” The door opened and in stepped (y/n) she had bags in her hand and she was sniffling. Coming in she immediately shut the door dropped her bags and crawled under the covers with Loki cuddling into his sides.

“you were right....he was unfaithful. I should have stayed with you. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you” she began to cry in his shoulder.

“Hey do not shed tears for that pig. He is not worthy of your tears he does not deserve them.” Loki said as he wiped her tears and kissed her forehead. “ I just finished the first episode of Games of Thrones... a lot of nudity”

(y/n) sniffled “ is there any sex?” 

Loki chuckled “ Yeah but I don’t think you’re going to like it “. He rewind the episode and started it from the very beginning again. They watched in silence for a moment. 

“Sarah has a fiancé wedding is in a week”  (y/n) said “ I have cameras all over the apartment. I’ll be sending a video to her fiancé, his family, and her family”. Loki turned and looked down at her for a moment before roughly kissing her she smiled into the kiss.

“Have I ever told you how amazing you are”

“A girl likes to hear it more than once.”

Request tags and/or stories up to anything (within reason)

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[thedramalovesme23-blog]

I Just Went for the Open Bar

Flashback three summers ago. I never thought that love, at first sight, was a thing. But one summer night at a wedding, I started to believe in it. The actual date was June 7th. I know this because I looked on my instagram to see the picture I posted. I really do think that the best nights you have are the nights that you never expect to be the best nights.

It all started at a wedding with my ex-gay friend, Stephen. Stephen and I are no longer friends because his current girlfriend doesn't like me. She thought that Stephen and I had some “sexual tension”. Yep... I don't think she knew that I friend-zoned Stephen for about two years and had zero interest in her boyfriend.  However, this was before she came into the picture. Stephen needed a date for his friend's wedding. Of course, I wanted to go. I’m all about the weddings. OPEN BAR. I went knowing that I wouldn’t know very many people there. But I didn’t care, Stephen was such a good friend that I wasn't worried about not having fun. Stephen is another significant guy that I feel like I lost. Even though I didn't have loving feelings towards him, I still really cared about him. It hurt to lose him to a girl that didn’t like me because she didn’t like our friendship.

Anyways, I am in the lobby of the reception. It was cocktail hour. I was with Stephen and his twin sister. I was stuffing my face with appetizers and in walks Stephen’s friend Greg, his girlfriend, and a DREAMBOAT. He was obviously the third wheel of Greg and his girlfriend.  He had dark hair, eyes, and skin. He was also very clean cut. He had it all going on. As soon as I saw this dreamboat, my heart was pounding a hundred times a minute. Let’s call this dreamboat Joe. Joe is also friends with Stephen. He lived in Georgia at the time and I never met him before. I heard of him, but never thought anything of it. He was also in the Army. As to why his name is Joe, G.I. Joe! When we were introduced to each other, I swear it was love at first sight. We totally were staring into each other’s eyes wondering where each other just came from.  It is also important to know that Joe’s dad was our landlord AND he was the landlord because it used to be Joe’s grandma’s house. YES! Isn’t it crazy? But also kind of creepy at the same time. My roommates said that they were going to get kicked out of the house because Joe and I were going to live in the house.

At the time my two roommates were Brooke and Khloe. All three of us became friends later in college and continued to be friends after college. Of course, we had our share of up and downs like any other roommates. However, they are still and will always be so important to me. Brooke is this little blonde bombshell that you can’t help but love. She is also one of the most caring people I know. However, she is never afraid to speak her mind, which I admire about her. This partially because I am a person who is sometimes scared to speak my mind. Then there is Khloe.  Khloe is classy and elegant. She always looks beautiful and never even realizes it. I swear the only time I saw her look bad was when she had a temperature of 101 and was on her deathbed on our couch for two days. Khloe has such a kind heart. I don’t know if she has ever been mean to anyone in her life….I swear.  Khloe and Brooke were the best support system I could ever have through this Joe phase. Later I’ll tell you the story of how Khloe came home one night to find me in my shower towel crying with mascara running down my face. That’s just an example of the bullshit they had to deal with. 

The reason I became friends with Stephen is because of Brooke. Brooke was dating and is still dating, Stephen’s friend/roommate, Evan. Therefore, I got into this mess because of Brooke. Hahaha kidding.  I get myself into my own shit shows. You will also read about another one of Evan’s friends that I decided to date. Yes, it’s a problem I have. I don’t mean to date these guys! It just happens.

Ok, back to the wedding. After I chatted with my dreamboat for a while,  I go to the bathroom and text Brooke, “HOLY SHIT JOE IS HOT.”  She replies something along the lines of “ yes,  I know.”  Brooke met him a few months prior. I remember she mentioned him but once again, I didn’t think anything of it. The guy lived in Georgia, I didn’t care. But little did I know, I was about to really care.

After dancing the night away with Stephan, Joe, and their other friends, it was time to go our separate ways. I did NOT want to say goodbye to Joe. Joe and his other friends planned on staying at the hotel that night. I remember Joe telling me that he was leaving in two days to go back to Georgia. As he hugged me goodbye, he said he was sorry that he wasn’t going to be able to mow our lawn. (He said this because I told him how much I hated mowing the damn lawn). When he said that it melted my heart for two reasons. 1. The idea of watching this cutie mow the lawn. 2. The fact that he would actually mow the lawn for us. Finally, Stephan and I met up with Brooke and Evan at the local bar by our house. I remember telling Brooke how much I had the hots for Joe and I wanted to see him again.

 The next day, Evan decided to invite a group of people at our house to watch the Cavs. The Cavs were in the playoffs at the time. Evan invited all of his friends including Joe he did not for me. I know he did. I remember I was supposed to go home that day to visit my family. Well, you can guess I didn’t go back home. I told my parents that I was too hungover from the wedding. That was a lie. Sorry, mom! This was chance to see Joe again. I WAS NOT going to pass that up.

Joe and our other friends came over that night. I don’t remember in the Cavs won or lost and I didn’t really even care that night. I was too focused on my dreamboat. The game was over and everyone was starting to leave. But Joe was not ready to leave yet. . Somehow we ended up in the kitchen talking. It was just the two of us for a while. I had the feeling that he was going to pull the trigger and ask for my number. Then in walks Khloe. As soon as she walked in, I know she was thinking “fuck” I just ruined this moment. Hahaha.  Not only was thinking “fuck”, I was also. As soon as she walked in, I could tell Joe got nervous. He eventually said his goodbyes but never asked for my number. I remember feeling a little bummed. I wasn’t sure if I was going to see him again. But that was definitely not the last time I was going to see Joe. ….

[palaceathena-blog1]

The real start of all this bullshit (3 and 2)

Now I don’t know about you, but I think love love is the most interesting love... if that makes  any sense.

3

So for this I’m going to start at the very beginning of my lovelife, even tho at the point where I’m going to start it was almost non-existent.

So I’ll start at the beginning of a new school year, at a new school. In germany you mostly have to switch schools after the 6th grade. So this was at the very beginning of my 7th grade. About my school: you have to know that our classes are mixed from the 7th to the 10th grade. And since I started school about half a year earlier then mosts children did, I was the youngest in my class, damn I was the youngest in my whole school (it’s not a huge school or anything, but still...)! And I’ve just started making friends and getting to know the teachers, there were rumours about a boy in my class but a grade above me haveing a crush on me, Phil. And I mean at first I was like “Yeah sure it’s probably just because I spend some time with him.” But then at the first birthday party from some girl in my class a really nice other girl, which is still kind of my role model, took me aside and asked me if I knew that Phil had a cruch on me and I just said something dump like “If he does he would probably just tell me...” and yes, I really belived it... So school went on and we continued to be friends and I made some other friends for example I met a boy, Lion, also a grade above me, who I thought was really cool and we often talked, which was really nice and I had a really good time always thinking about what could happen when I would be older. Three quaters through the school year Phil asked me if I would like to go to a movie with him and I was really happy that he asked, but at that time I would have never thought of it as a date. So we saw this actually pretty cute childrens movie with that dog who is adopting a boy (now it sounds weird). And we had fun watching it, but afterwards we just talked a bit and... went home. I mean he was living really nearby so I could have just went with him to his place for a few hours, it wasn’t even late yet... but I didn’t. I went home and just thought of it as a nice day I spend with him. I mean I didn’t tought of it as anything like a date because I was twelve, I didn’t wanted to have a date and think about boys or/and girls already in this way. So I just acted like nothing happend, because for me nothing really important happend. In one of the last schoolweeks we had our class trip and I realised that I’ve been on a date with him, mostly because of older friends and my big sister, and I thought maybe something could happen now between me and Phil. And we hat those typical game nights at the class trip. When we played “Werewolf” outside and Phil and me lay side by side, when we played truth or dare we had to lie in each others arms and he kissed me on my forehead, but other then that nothing happend. In the next autum I was invited to his birthday party (I also was in the year before but nothing impotant happend there so I left it out) and we saw a parody of “The Hunger Games” which I didn’t really like, but he liked it so I said I did too. Of course almost everybody got piked up by their parents, but because the movie was somehow shorter then expected the parents weren’t there when the movie was over. So everybody called their parents to tell them that the movie was already over. And so we stood outside the movie waiting for our parents to get us and slowly got fewer. Phil stayed till every single one was gone and then went home by him self (cus his place was just a short walk away, remember? Not cus his parents were dicks). I some how was the last one to get picked up and when I looked out of the window to look at him he kneeled there with his arms up like he would be singing or making a proposal or something like that, it was of course in a joking way but I didn’t only laugh because it was funny but also because it was cute. And about a week later I wrote him a text. And he wrote back. And we texted all night long, untill I fell asleep. And then the next morning. This went on to and over the christmas holidays and a few weeks after that. Until I asked him if he could imagine being my boyfriend. He said that he would only have a relationship if he was in the 10th grade, which he would be in half a year. And so I said ok, we’ll see then. I didn’t know he was writing with Cat, one on my best friends, too and she asked him almost the same thing a few days before me. His response was the same to her as it was to me. I kept writing with him, but it went from every 10 minutes to once an hour to once a week to only about school stuff. The rest of the year went pretty normal, exept for the class trip once again. And of course we played truth or dare, where I got my first kiss (not a real kiss tho, more like a “pressing lips on lips without doing anything”-kiss). Actually my first kiss was with one of my best friends, Destiny, and the second one whith the gay guy and only the third one whith Phil, but for me this was the only one that counted. I was so happy because of it and on one day I got to wear his pullover because he left it in our room and it was a really good time. But when I was in summer vacations a best friend of mine wrote me. Frini. She texted with Phil and he said that on that class trip he hoped that he would get to kiss her. And some time after the school started again they became boyfriend and girlfriend, whithout telling anyone. Which they definitely should have done. But I didn’t tell anyone about the other things either so why should they?

2

That best friend of mine, Frini, she was just half a year in my class when this happend. She came to my school from a more demanding school where she didn’t like it anymore. She was cute, good in french and after a really short time she was in the cirkel of my best friends, my girl gang. I pretty much started this group together with Destiny. A quater year into the 7th grade the first girl came to us: Rose. She was at first shy and cute but when we got to know her she got weird and cute and thereby fitted perfectly. We had lots and lots of fun for about half a year. Then we heard that another girl would come to our class, but that she would be one grade above us. So we were exited, but we thought that she wouldn’t fit in our group. Well we were proven wrong. About as wrong as the awnser “Russia” to the question what the capitol of Europe is. Cat was and still is a wonderfull person and we had even more fun together. At the start of my 8th grade a new row of 7th graders came into our class. One of them was Juno, when we first heard the name we weren’t sure if it was a boy or a girl, and she was lively and funny and brought even more light into our group. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t all fun. We got angry with each other and had fights and everything but I mostly remember the good, funny and sunny times. So my 8th grade started with another best friend and she brought others in our class to us again . Rob, the gay guy with incredibly soft cheeks and Stephan his best friend with his games and tv shows. And a few weeks maybe before Chistmas Frini came. With this the circel is closed. And no one in the world could have stoped us six. At the end of the school year we had a few fights more alongside with a few more experiences. We didn’t break up, no. But we met in smaller groups. Maybe Rose, Cat and me or Rose, Cat and Frini or Rose, Frini and me, like on the Halloween we celebrated at Frini’s house.

And on this point I will continue another time.

Please don’t mind my typos, I’m not perfect.

[thel0neydr1fter-blog]

Fifteen Weeks of Vampire House Chapter One: The First Look (Draft)

It’s the fifth of September, the start of school, the day after Labor Day. Classes went by in a blur. There were new faces, new buildings to learn, and the like, but I just felt numb. My boyfriend had dumped me “For my own good,” which resulted in me moving to an entirely different school, halfway across the country.

My fingers twirl a blob of pasta as some girls I met in physics talk about how hard they are going to party tonight, even if it’s only a Tuesday.  I’m barely listening but a few names and out of place words take life within my ears. Elena, Damon, Stefan, Katherine, Vampire House.

“So are you going?” Katie, one of the girls, asks. My mind, unable to focus on anything other than “For my own good,” restricts me from answering for a moment, resulting in half a dozen piercing glances.

“uh, where?” I finally ask, completely unsure of what they are talking about.

“Are you serious?” Katie asks, with surprise in her voice. I know you are new, but you’ve got to have heard about Vampire House.

“Nope…” I state awkwardly, hoping that I could get out of whatever I was getting into before it was too late.

“It’s only the biggest party house on campus, Trish, one of the other girls, answered.

“Yeah,” Katie agrees. “It’s owned by the Salvatore brothers, Stephan and Damon, it’s a house a bit off campus where there are no rules, tons of cute boys, or girls if that’s your thing, and of course, completely untouched by the cops.”

The entire group of girls stare at me, apparently looking for some degree of excitement. “Yeah, I really don’t think tonight is a good night,” I answer. “It’s the first night of school and I don’t think it’s a good ide- “

“Shut up,” Katie says plainly. “Anybody who is anybody goes to Vampire house for their first day of school bash. Not going would be social suicide, and you may be a junior, but you’re also a transfer student, so it’s your first day here and you have a lot to do to prove yourself.”

The other girls nod their heads at Katie’s words, making me feel self-conscious and trapped. As if the only way I’m ever going to get out is to say that I’ll go to Vampire House, and whatever ridiculousness that holds for me.

My brain starts to whirl into hyperdrive, considering any and every way I could get out of going. But then as I can’t seem to find the right words, new thoughts begin to take form. Maybe something different will be good for me, I think. After all, I never really was much of a partier and me and my boyfriend, or I guess now ex-boyfriend, typically spent our time inside. I guess that’s what happens when you are together since freshman year of high school, things kind of just slow down.

“Okay, but only If I can leave after an hour,” I reply with a half-smile.

The girls cheer at my agreement, no doubt relishing in their victory in capturing me with their web of peer pressure. Hmpf, I think, and you said I had no peers of my own, referring to a statement my ex, Sam, would often make about me.

After their victory, the girls had just talked about what they were going to wear, who they were going to try to sleep with, and more importantly, whether or not one of them would get to be a part of Vampire House this year.

I eventually got to leave and left to get ready. Katie stated that her and the other girls would meet me outside of my dorm at ten after they were done pregaming. They tried desperately to get me to come for that too, but I somehow got out of it.  I stood up, walked out, and waved goodbye as I began dreading what would most likely proof to be one of my biggest mistakes ever.                                                           *** “That’s what you are going to wear?!” Katie asks, screaming, as I walk through the double doors of Barringer hall and make my way over to her and the other girls. I look down at my jeans and tank top, and light jacket, ready to argue, but then nothing comes out. Looking back at them, I notice that they all wear some version of tight, short, and skimpy.

“Whatever,” Katie says, seemingly okay with getting a nervous glance in place of an actual response. “More guys for us, I guess, she says, sending both herself and the rest of the group into a fit of laughter.

I find myself wanting, wishing, no, needing, to leave, but the words don’t come and my feet begin to move, almost robotically, with the group of girls and towards what was ambiguously called Vampire House.

We make our way down a big hill, and pass over a rather small bridge, on our way to the house. The girls babble incessantly, but I live within my own thoughts and curiosities, responding with only nods and quick smiles.

As we leave the bridge and get closer to the road we are supposed to turn on, I notice something peculiar.  Two Rows of police cars, one for university police and the other for town police, are parked on either side of the road that led to the house.

“I thought you said there weren’t any cop cars? I asked, looking more than somewhat worried at Katie.

“Oh, yeah, well, there aren’t. Not actually at the house or anything. Damon and Stefan hold some weight around here, so no cops actually dare to be on their property, but these annual parties are a great way for them to catch people as they leave. They even caught me once my freshman year. Now I just make sure to stay the night in one of their many rooms. It’s a lot safer and you don’t have to worry about having to call your parents on the first day of actual classes, you know?”

I had already felt reprehensive, but something new begins to creep over me as I consider Katie’s words. “What kind of stuff is going on that they need that many cop cars for?” I ask reluctantly, as I begin to wish that I had just stayed home, no, just stayed back 300 miles East with Sam. He had pushed it on me that I leave and try to find someone or something that could “actually make me happy,” but maybe I shouldn’t have gone so easily. “Oh, you know, endless body shots, coke, orgies, this

party has it all. But hey, don’t be scared. You can stick to whatever level you are comfortable with. We never do much besides drink, smoke, and watch the dumber kids who are more than likely going to be facing a jail cell in the morning.”

I smile, feeling slightly relieved. Well… At least until Katie opens up her mouth again.

“Plus, we all know the real reason we came here tonight, for a chance of joining the xxx clubhouse Vampire House truly becomes outside of their normal parties.”

“Yeah, rumors are going around that this is totally going to be the year they take a couple people in” Trish adds. Other girls seem happy, but I can’t help but feeling like I’m in a nightmare that I just can’t wake out of.

We make our way by the cops and walk down the long, winding road towards what will most likely be the end of me. After about three minutes, I begin to hear the blaring music. Having expected some sort of metal or screamo, the obviously top 50 playlist releases some of my fears.

The house comes into sight after another minute or so. Immediately, my fears both drop and double. Before me stands a huge mansion with what seems like every light turn. The building is made up of brick, but the sides are made with a different kind of stone, and the front contains six large pillars. Last but not least, the yard spans from the start of the house, all the way to where we are currently standing.

“The party is outside?” I ask as I now notice hundreds, no thousands, of college students spread out on the lawn. Kegs are abundant, people are making out where. Suddenly, all of my previous fears now seem irrational.

“Oh, this isn’t the party,” Katie clarifies. “This is the first part of the screening process. Everyone hands out here for a couple of hours or so and then Damon, Stephan, Elena, and Katherine hand pick who they want to go hangout inside. Then, at some point in the night, one or more of them will come and talk to you. If they like you enough, and if they decide to start letting people in this year, you get to be part of their group. That’s when all the fun begins,” Katie said before flashing a wicked grin.

“But what if I don’t want to?” I ask, slightly relieved that I can probably leave after an hour or so.

Well, you came here, so you kind of have to. If you leave before your time, you will have insulted them and their home, which would result in total social suicide.

“Yeah!” Trish excitedly adds. I knew a guy freshman year who was supposedly chosen after having sex with Katherine and the others and was never seen again.

“Wait, what?” I ask, terribly afraid and slightly intrigued.

“Yeah that kind of stuff happens. Plus, since no one really ever gets in, and the fact that the four of them are so private, kind of makes us rely on the results of their parties and the rumors we here from people that either got in to the final stage or stalked them to find out what they are up to.”

“Okay, and… What do those rumors say?” I ask as my interest raises slightly higher.

Katie looks like she’s about to answer, but Trish beats her to it. The other girls are still mostly quite, besides some light banter about the party before us. “Well, the first thing is that they are swingers, and that they… they share each other,” Trish informs us through a light laugh, a nervous smile, and a face as red as a tomato.

“It’s called being swinger Trish, come on grow up,” Katie replies, somewhat pissed off.

“Fine, whatever, but imagine being part of that? They are all so flawless and beautiful.”

“Yeah, because they are vampires,” Emily, one of the other girls, finally spoke up. “Think about it, they are rich, mysterious, the cops don’t go near them, everyone likes them, and their skin is flawless, pale and flawless. That’s probably a little more important than that they may or may not have sex with one another and potentially others who may join.”

“Oh shut up Emily,” says Kate, obviously annoyed. You don’t know anything. I’m the only one who has ever made it past the first hour, so how would you know?” My eyes are glued on the two people talking in front of me, the noise of the crowd seem to fade away as I focus on the conversation in front of me.

We slide over to a spot on the lawn as Emily waits to answer again. “Come on, are you blind? No one ever sees them in classes or even out during the day. They are downright beautiful like I said, and the cops won’t even touch them. What else do you need? Have you ever even seen twilight? Or any other vampire movie for that matter.”

“Whatever,” Katie replies, obviously done with what Emily has to say. “I’m getting a drink,” Katie says simply before taking off towards the nearest cooler full of alcohol. I attempt to turn around, but her light touch pulls me forward, away from the others. I follow behind her for a while, but she doesn’t seem in a rush to get a drink.

After about five minutes of walking we are smooshed between countless people, right in front of the entrance to the building. “What are we doing here?” I ask nervously. I thought we were just getting a drink?

“Oh, no, I was sick of that group anyways. We are the only two that have any potential, so I brought us here. This spot is how I got inside in the first place.” “Alright… But why me?” I ask, unsure.

“Honestly?” Kate asks rhetorically. “You are hot, presumably innocent, and according to what you told us earlier, have only been with one guy.  I’m pretty sure that at least Damon will be all over you.”

Suddenly, the air seems to feel ten degrees colder. A great gust of wind picks up and reminds us all that September means the start of fall and the start of fall means much colder nights.

“And what delicious, seemingly new to campus, snack have you brought me this year?” A smooth, yet powerful voice questions. I look up and see a beautiful man of average height with sleek, dark brown hair, cold, animalistic, eyes wrapped up in an obviously expensive suit. Standing right behind Katie. His arms rest on her hips, gently but assertively.

“Oh Damon, I knew you couldn’t resist seeing me again eventually,” Katie teased. I begin to feel uncomfortable as look at them.  He seemed like the very kind of person I had always shied away from, and there was clearly something going on. I made an effort to try and slip away, but he was suddenly beside me and one of his marble looking hands flashed out and spun me around so I was facing him.

“You’ve got it all wrong,” Damon said loudly enough for the two of us to hear, but quietly enough for it to die amongst the clamor the cacophony the party created. “I saw this unfamiliar beauty and knew I must have her.” Damon added fiercely, even if just for the night.”

“Stop it Damon,” another male voice calls out nearby. This man, no, this guy, is taller than the Damon, his hair darker and wavier, his eyes stormy blue. He’s wearing a suit, but his shirt underneath his jack was is dark blue and seems to bring his whole ensemble together. For the first time in years, since Sam and I first started dating, something begins to creep up within me. It goes against everything I’ve ever believed in, and it makes no sense, but I know right there that a part of me wants him and wants him to want me.

“Cut it out Damon. No need to fly around like a horny bat claiming every new, fine looking co-ed you lay your eyes on. Where are the manners?” My new problem says, confronting Damon, who moves away from me, and towards Stefan, ever so slightly.  His voice is deeply smooth with a slight edge to it, making me both want and fear him.

“Whatever, brother. But I was only looking out for both of our best interests. As you and I both well know Katherine and I graduate next year, leaving you and Elena alone. I wouldn’t want that, and you sure want to find a replacement for Katherine. Plus, if I went after the same old trash from previous years we’d never get anywhere. I was just doing some preemptive shopping.” Damon replies as he stalks off, most likely towards his next target.

I turn around and Katie looks offended. When I turn back again Stefan is closer, staring seriously into my eyes.

“I’m so sorry for my brother’s forwardness and rudeness. He can get out of hand at times,” Stephan says as he bows apologetically. “You are both invited to the next part of the gathering and I imagine that I’ll be seeing you.” Stefan turns around and effortlessly takes off and vanishes into the crowd.

“Holy crap… Katie says, her confident smirk returned to her face. “Not only did I just get invited back, but you are in too. Oh my god! I can’t believe it!” Katie screams as she jumps up and down. I smile and act excited, which might not be as much of an act as I think, but I can’t help but notice a sinking feeling in my stomach.

[anavoliselenu]

Mile high chapter 14

I finally got an inkling of where I was as Justin rushed to me, cradling me into his chest. “What’s wrong, Selena? What can I do?”

I gasped in several breaths before I could speak. “Shower. I need a shower. I need to wash the blood off.”

He didn’t ask anymore questions, getting us both into the shower in a flash. He turned the water directly onto me, and the cold water that hit me for just moments before it began to warm helped bring me a few steps further away from the dream.

Slowly, my broken sobs turned into gasping breaths as I became clean in the water, my mind moving further and further out of the nightmare realm.

“Can you talk about it?” Justin asked. His voice was so vulnerable with his concern for me that I couldn’t resist him.

“It’s the same old dream about my mother’s death. I was in that room, not three feet from her, when it happened.” I felt the floodgates open, and I told him everything, every gory detail, of both the dream and the horrific event. He didn’t speak at all, just made sympathetic noises and gave me reassuring touches while I spoke. I was surprised to feel much better when I’d gotten it all out. It had actually helped to tell him about it.

He helped me out of the shower and dried us both off. We lay in a nak*d snuggle on the bed with only a sheet covering us. He was on his back and had pulled me almost on top of him.

I rubbed my cheek over my name on his chest as he stroked my wet hair back, arranging it over his arm.

“You’ve done all you can. You told the police everything you saw. It’s not your burden anymore, Selena.”

“Yes, I know. I haven’t had that nightmare since that other time, over a month ago. I think it was learning about her, his wife, that got my mind back into that dark place again. I need to tell her what he did, to warn her. I don’t know the woman, but she deserves that much. Lord, I don’t want to speak to her. I don’t want anything to do with her.”

“You could always just send her an email, or hell, a letter. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

I mulled that over. It seemed so cowardly to be afraid of a simple phone call. “I’ll call her tomorrow,”

I decided.

His arms tightened on me, his hold becoming almost painful. It was comforting to my twisted senses. “I need to stay in New York this week. Will you come back to be with me on your first day off?”

I thought about it. It didn’t take me long. “Yes. Do you mind if I invite Stephan? You have plenty of room, after all.”

I had felt all of the anxious tension leave his body when I agreed to come. “We have plenty of room,” he chastised. “And yes, of course. Invite Javier, too, if you like. Or anyone you want, for that matter. I’ll have to work quite a bit anyways. I’ve been putting some important meetings off that need tending to.

And god only knows what a mess my New York management has made of things on the Manhattan property. I would feel better if you had someone to hang out with while I’m working. I wouldn’t want you to get bored, though you do have a studio set up for painting downstairs. I never had time to show you. We never seem to have enough time. How many days can you take off this week?”

“I can fly into New York Monday morning, and take a flight back on Thursday. I can take a week off from working overtime.”

I began to wonder if Stephan could work his own overtime with Javier, instead of me. My boyfriend was filthy rich. It seemed silly not to at least keep my days off.

My stance had changed so drastically from just a week ago that I felt almost dizzy with it. Instead of intending to continue my life exactly as I pleased, I found myself wanting to compromise to please Justin, and of course, to see more of him.

He gave me a soft kiss for my concession. “I would love that. Thank you.”

I sighed, plunging in deeper. “It seems ridiculous to work overtime anymore, everything considered.

My straight time can more than cover my mortgage and food, and you bought me enough clothing to last a lifetime. I’m going to see if Stephan will work his extra shifts with Javier. I’d be willing to bet he won’t mind the idea.”

“Thank you,” he said with quiet sincerity. “I’ll make sure to make it worth your while.”

I burrowed against him, feeling good. Good about him. Good about us. “You already have.”

“You make me so happy, Selena. I never knew life could be this good. I’ve been alone for so long, since my parents died, really. But I don’t feel alone with you. I feel like I have a family and a home again. You’re my home. All of the dark shadows seem to disappear when we’re together.”

I placed a kiss on my name over his heart, feeling myself drifting off. I didn’t even know what time it was, but I wasn’t worried. I knew Justin wouldn’t let me oversleep. More and more, I just trusted him.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

I couldn’t stop yawning as I got ready for work the next morning. Justin woke up with me, in spite of the ungodly hour. He was alert but quiet as we both got dressed. He wore an elegant pale gray suit. It was so pale it almost looked white at first glance.

He paired it with a brilliant turquoise dress shirt with a stark white collar. A skinny tie as white as the collar hung to his pale gray belt. The pant legs were very narrow and fitted, and he’d chosen faded gray lace-up dress shoes. The full effect was devastating. Only Justin could have pulled it off.

He approached me from behind as I shrugged into my uniform dress shirt. He held up a tiny silver object in front of my face. It took me a moment to place it as a small lock. “May I lock on your collar now?”

I stiffened, but tilted my head forward to give him access. “Yes,” I said.

For better or worse, I had made my decision.

He locked it on quickly, placing a soft kiss to my nape. “Turn around,” he told me. I did, and he was holding the key on a chain around his own neck. He tucked it under his shirt as I watched. “There will be security at your house. Please cooperate with them. They’re there to keep you safe.”

I just nodded. I knew better than anyone that I wasn’t safe, and I was grateful for the extra protection.

He rode in the town car with me to the crew hotel. He gripped me tightly to his side and buried his face in my hair. “This is harder than I thought it would be, letting you go like this,” he murmured into my hair.

I rubbed a hand over the spot over his heart where he’d etched my name. I knew that the action comforted us both. “It’s only for a few days.”

“Call or text me when you land, and again when you’re safely in your house. I’ll worry if you don’t.”

I nodded, the motion rubbing his face against the back of my hair.

“I can’t kiss you goodbye, Love. If I start, I know I’ll never stop.”

I nodded again. I understood the odd sentiment. Instead, when the car stopped in front of my crew hotel, I held his elegant hand to my lips, kissing the palm and then moving my lips over the faint thin scars on his wrist, placing a soft kiss there as well, and then moving my lips back into his palm, allowing myself just a moment to nuzzle against it.

He made a soft little sound in his throat that made it so hard to get out of the car. He caught my hand as I was about to move away and copied the motion on my own wrist and palm. It was sheer agony to walk away from him. I didn’t look back. I knew that would only make it worse.

Only Stephan and Javier were in the lobby when I walked in, Stephan in his uniform, Javier dressed business casual in a lavender dress shirt and beige slacks.

I was five minutes early, I saw as I checked my watch. Stephan grinned when he saw me, striding over to hug me tightly. “I missed you, Buttercup.”

I hugged him back, just as tightly. “We have so much to talk about, but I needed to ask you and Javier something.”

Javier approached us rather cautiously, as though afraid to interrupt our reunion. “What’s up?” Stephan asked.

“How would you like to stay in the swankest pad in New York for our days off this week? Most likely we’d fly in Monday morning and stay until early Thursday.”

Stephan’s grin grew even wider. “I can’t think of anything I’d love more. I take it this means you and Justin are working things out?”

I nodded, smiling and looking up into his eyes. I let him see all of my happiness but none of my troubles. It was what he deserved.

Javier cleared his throat. “Um, so, did you mean just for Stephan, or…”

I gave him a friendly smile. “I meant for the two of you to come, if you want to. Justin has an obscene amount of room, considering that it’s in Manhattan.”

Stephan cleared his throat, shooting Javier a positively wicked glance. I could have sworn Javier blushed just a tad even through his lovely pale mocha skin. “Javier and I only need one room regardless.”

I blinked. That was moving incredibly fast, for Stephan. I took it as a good sign. He seemed to be more comfortable by the minute about being in an open relationship with a man.

“I had one more thing I wanted to talk to both of you about. I’ve decided to stop working so much overtime and just stick with my regular shifts, for the most part. I hope you don’t mind losing your overtime partner.”

Stephan didn’t look in the least perturbed. “About damn time, Selena. I figured you would be catching on to that soon enough. I already asked Javier if he wanted to be my new overtime buddy. He’s doing some trades to share our days off, so it should work out perfectly.” As Stephan spoke he stroked a hand over Javier’s jet black hair.

Javier closed his eyes, as though savoring the light touch. I didn’t know if it was just the only thing I knew with my limited experience with relationships, but it looked to me like Javier was clearly Stephan’s submissive. The way he closed his eyes, his hands in his pockets to keep from touching back, just reminded me so much of an act of submission. Stephan’s hand moved down to rub at a spot on Javier’s thin, straight shoulders. Javier let out a pleased little moan. I thought they were beautiful together.

“The crew bus is here. Let’s load up,” Stephan said, releasing Javier.

We filed out, handing our luggage to the driver, who loaded it into the baggage compartments mounted along the bottom of the mini-shuttle. “Five more coming,” Stephan told the driver, climbing inside.

Stephan and Javier took the backseat, and I sat on the row just in front of them. “Selena, be our lookout,” Stephan said rather cryptically. I turned to look at them. I was as shocked as I’d ever been by what I saw.

Stephan had a flushed Javier pinned down on the bench seat beneath them. He was straddling the smaller man and giving him a very intense, very heated look. He held the other man’s wrists pinned tautly above his head. As I watched he bent down and kissed him. It was not a casual kiss but a rough one, and I knew dominance when I saw it. My shocked gaze flew out the window as I suddenly realized that I was the lookout, and that I actually needed to do the job considering the things going on in the backseat.

I heard Stephan murmuring something to Javier, and I could hear that whatever it was was muffled against some part of the other man’s skin. “Selena, do you suppose you could manage ten minutes without me on the flight?” Stephan addressed me. “I know it’s going to be hectic, but I would really appreciate it.”

“Of course,” I answered without hesitation.

“See. I told you she would. Three hours, tops, and I’ll take you again. I’m not that much of a tease,”

Stephan said in a low voice to Javier. It made me blush down to my toes, but I stayed alertly watching out the window.

“You are a tease,” Javier muttered, sounding sullen. “Three hours is forever.”

I spotted the pilots in the lobby. “Pilots incoming,” I said, sounding a little panicked even to my own ears.

Stephan sat up, releasing Javier. I glanced back at Stephan. He grinned at me shamelessly. I couldn’t help it. I grinned back. Javier looked more perturbed but still happy. His blush was like a happy glow around him. His words hadn’t shown me that, but his face did. He gave me a shy smile. “Sorry,” he muttered to me.

I smiled back. “Don’t be sorry. I’ve never seen Stephan like this. I think you guys are beautiful together.”

That made him truly glow. Javier had it bad. It took one to know one, and I knew that lovesick look because a certain Mr. Beautiful had the same effect on me. I was relieved to see it. I wanted Javier to feel that kind of love for Stephan. He wouldn’t want to hurt someone he loved that much.

“Quit making him blush, Selena. That’s my job,” Stephan said, ruffling Javier’s hair affectionately.

Sure enough, Javier blushed harder.

I turned around, shaking my head with a strange smile on my face. I had never seen this side of Stephan, didn’t know he had it in him.

The Saturday morning flight into Vegas was hectic, as it always was. Stephan took his ten minutes with the meeting with Javier in the bathroom that I had expected. Both men emerged looking flushed and happy. We all grinned at each other like fools before Stephan and I got back to work and Javier returned to his seat.

Stephan and I clutched hands as we landed, grinning at each other. We didn’t say much, just enjoying the moment.

I texted Justin as we taxied in.

Selena: Just landed in Vegas. How r u?

Justin: Fine. Keeping busy with work, but still missing you like crazy.

I hesitated, then just said to hell with it.

Selena: I miss you too.

Justin: Call me when you get to your house.

I put my phone away after that, since I’d be contacting him again soon enough.

The drive home was a jovial affair, with Stephan and Javier smiling about just about everything. My expression matched theirs. I couldn’t seem to help myself.

I was met at my front door by the security guard, Paterson. A woman I’d never met before was standing beside him, looking grim. She was short and stocky, and I knew at a glance that she was a tough woman.

She had dark hair held back in a short, no-nonsense braid. Her face was round and pale, but her eyes were hard and assessing. She didn’t wear a scrap of makeup, I doubted she ever did, and her mouth was set in a grim line.

Her body could have been bulky or just big-boned. It was impossible to say with the baggy, short- sleeved mens button-up shirt she was wearing over wide-legged slacks. She was like the agents, in her own way. Just looking at her made you think of law enforcement.

Paterson gave me a polite nod as I approached my front door. I could feel Stephan hovering behind me.

I didn’t have to ask to know that he wouldn’t leave until he knew I was settled into my house, safe and secure. He had done so ever since the attack.

“Ms. Karlsson, this is Blake. She’s new to the team, but I’ve known her for years. She’s the best.

She’ll be your personal bodyguard detail for public excursions. It’s been very clearly brought to my attention that I had overlooked your security in public restrooms.”

I flushed, recalling the incident in the restroom. Of course Justin would take extra measures after that. I should have seen it coming. I nodded to Blake. “Nice to meet you, Blake,” I said. I wouldn’t protest the extra security. I certainly couldn’t argue that I needed it.

She nodded back solemnly. “A pleasure, Ms. Karlsson.”

I wondered if I could get her to call me by my first name. I had sort of given up on trying that with the security after Clark. He’d stubbornly refused in spite of my prompting.

“Please, allow us to secure the house before you proceed inside,” she said solemnly.

I nodded, unlocking the door and going inside to punch in the security code. Both Paterson and Blake sucked in a breath when I stepped into the house first. I saw how I had erred, and apologized. The least I could do for my bodyguards was make it easy for them to do their job. “I’ll get you guys some copies of my keys and give you my security codes to make it easier.”

Paterson cleared his throat, but it was Stephan that spoke. “I already did, Selena. I got copies for them, and for Justin.”

I imagined that they were all holding their breath, waiting for me to throw some kind of tantrum, but I wasn’t unreasonable. Stephan might have been a tad premature, but it was only a convenience at this point. “Thank you,” I said. I thought I heard all three of them let out relieved breaths. What has the security team been told about me? I wondered.

Paterson and Blake asked me to stay near the front entrance while Blake hovered near me and Paterson did a rather long search of the house. I was too distracted by the new additions to my living room to care much. A Mac with a large screen had taken residence in the spot where my old computer had been. I just stared at it for awhile, blinking, my tired mind blank. “What happened to my old computer?” I asked out loud.

Stephan answered. “It’s gone. That one has everything you need. I wiped the other one and put everything on this one for you. Justin asked me to do it so he wouldn’t have to hire a stranger to go through your computer.” His voice held a sheepish apology.

I sighed, becoming more and more resigned to Justin’s constant need to buy me things. “That was nice of you. Thank you.”

“You aren’t mad?”

“It seems silly to get mad about getting a new computer, doesn’t it? I’m growing accustomed to this sort of thing.” I looked at Stephan as I spoke.

He grinned at me. “It was no trouble at all. Justin bought me one, too.”

I thought of all the things I needed to tell him. There just hadn’t been any time. “I have so much to tell you. Will you come over tonight?” Javier had already gone to Stephan’s house and was waiting for him.

The two men seemed inseparable. “Can we get a little while to talk, just the two of us? Then we could have dinner with Javier, unless you two want to be alone.” It felt awkward to have to request his exclusive company, but I told myself to get used to it.

He gave me a chastising look. “Of course. I’ll come over right after a nap. Just text me when you wake up. And yes, we’ll all have dinner. At my place. I’ll cook. I’ve missed you, Selena. I know I need to get used to it, but just a few days without you is tough. You never have to ask when you want to spend time with me. You give me the time and the place and I’ll be there. Always.”

I moved to him, and he opened his arms. I walked right into them, barely aware that we weren’t alone.

His words had touched an emotional chord in me. “Go get some sleep. As you can see, I’m in good hands. I’ll text you when I wake up.”

He kissed the top of my head. “Good night,” he murmured. I walked him to the door.

Blake was studying me when I turned back into the room. She quickly schooled her face into a carefully blank expression.

“All clear,” Paterson said as he strode back into the room. He addressed me, “If you have any problems, any problems at all, one of us will be right across the street, in a black SUV, at all times.”

“I have a spare room. I don’t mind if you guys want to sleep in there. There’s only a twin bed, but it’s better than sleeping in a car.”

Paterson and Blake shared a look, but not before I saw the surprise in both of their eyes.

“Thank you for the kind offer, Ms. Karlsson,” Blake said.

“I’ll discuss it with Mr. Cavendish,” Paterson said.

Of course control freak Cavendish would have the rule that he had to approve all decisions.

Paterson cleared his throat. “Mr. Cavendish has also asked me to tell you to please answer your phone.” Paterson’s voice was carefully polite, but I’d have been willing to bet that Justin hadn’t been when he made the request. My phone was buried somewhere in my flight bag and I dreaded seeing how many calls I had missed since I’d left the plane.

“Excuse me, please. I need to go take a nap,” I told the two security guards awkwardly. I wasn’t used to having staff, and my first instinct was to treat them as guests in my home.

They both nodded rather deferentially, as though it had been taught to them amidst all of the other training they must have been through. “As I said, we’ll be just outside. And my number is in your phone, under ‘Security.’”

I thanked them both politely before I went into my room, shutting my door gratefully behind me. I meant to call Justin, my mind was on him even as I got half undressed and fell facedown on top of my covers.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

A barrage of strange noises woke me up. It took me long disoriented minutes to sort them all out.

The most persistent noise came from my bedside table, in the form of an Ipad I hadn’t even known existed. I recognized the thin object, but I certainly didn’t know what one was doing in my bedroom, or how I hadn’t noticed it before I went to sleep. I had passed out rather quickly, I remembered. It was letting out a loud chiming noise, over and over again.

I decided that wasn’t my biggest problem as someone knocked, rather frantically, at my bedroom door. I felt fear curl in my stomach until I realized that any real threat would hardly be knocking at an unlocked door.

“Yes?” I called, my voice still full of sleep.

The door burst open and Blake stood framed in it. She had apparently taken my yes as an invitation to enter. Her eyes darted around my room, looking for threats. When she deducted that there was none, her eyes shifted to me. She quickly looked away uncomfortably.

I realized that I was basically nak*d, wearing only a pair of panties and one errant stocking. I had managed to pull a corner of the covers over most of my torso in my sleep, thank god, but it was obvious that I was nearly nak*d underneath.

A muffled sound from my flight bag drew my attention briefly, and a I realized that my phone had been going off constantly, just like the the mysterious Ipad.

“What’s going on?” I asked Blake. I figured she had to have a better idea than I did.

“Mr. Cavendish has been unable to get ahold of you. He was…concerned. He said you were supposed to contact him when you got to your home, and you did not.” Her voice held a world of condemnation, as though forgetting to make a phone call were the worst sort of offense.

I studied her. She wore only a tight navy T-shirt and athletic shorts, her shoulder holster and gun clearly visible. I realized that instead of being stocky, as I’d originally thought, her figure was solidly covered in stark muscles. I couldn’t remember ever seeing a woman quite so ripped up with muscle. She could have been a female body builder.

“I just sort of passed out. I guess I was more tired than I realized.”

She sighed heavily. “Well, please call Mr. Cavendish now. He’s more than a little upset.”

Before I could respond, a shirtless and disheveled Stephan appeared behind Blake, looking distraught.

“Are you okay, Selena? Justin just woke me up. He’s frantic, says you were supposed to call him hours ago and he hasn’t been able to get ahold of you. He’s got me feeling guilty for falling asleep before making you call him.” As he spoke, Stephan brushed past Blake to my bed. He climbed in with me wearing only his boxers, stroking a hand over my hair. I thought Blake’s eyes were going to bulge out of her head.

“That is highly inappropriate, Mr. Davis. I would ask that you please remove yourself from Ms.

Karlsson’s bed.”

I gave her a baffled look. Stephan’s was downright unfriendly. “Stephan is my adopted brother,” I explained to Blake, even though we didn’t owe her an explanation. Still, I didn’t see the need for her to get the wrong idea. And he really was my adopted brother, if not technically than at least emotionally.

She looked relieved. “That is a relief. Still, I will have to report this to Mr. Cavendish. Just so you know.”

I shrugged. Stephan leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. “I’m going back to bed, Buttercup.

Call Justin before he gets on a plane.”

Stephan left, but Blake still hovered in the doorway.

I began to get annoyed, as much with Justin as with my stern bodyguard. “I got it. I’ll call Justin as soon as you give me some privacy.” I felt rude even as the words left my mouth, but she just nodded and left.

I opened the pumpkin orange case of the chiming Ipad, sitting up as I did so. I was startled to see myself topless for an endless moment before an image of Justin, dressed in the suit I had said goodbye to him in that morning, and with a huge window with a killer view of New York in the background, took over most of the screen. He looked wild, his hair disheveled as though he’d run his through it impatiently. The curl of his pretty mouth gave me a good idea of his dark mood.

“Why didn’t you call me when you said you would? And why are you topless?” he asked. His tone was harsh, and I saw not an ounce of softness in his angry face.

“I fell asleep before I realized it. I didn’t mean to. I had no idea I was so tired.”

“You said you would call. Are you toying with me? Is that what this is? Do you like to drive me wild?”

I let my annoyance show clearly on my face. “That’s ridiculous. It’s exactly what I said, and you’re overreacting. Obviously I was fine. You have this whole place patrolled day and night. What did you think had happened?”

His jaw clenched hard enough that it looked like it hurt. “I don’t know. And not knowing is worse than just about anything. You might have been mad at me again, or freaked out that you’d agreed to live with me. Perhaps you were leaving me again. And in the back of my mind, I was even worried that your father had somehow gotten ahold of you again.” He didn’t bother to hide his vulnerability during his little tirade, and I felt myself involuntarily softening towards him. It was a talent of his.

I sighed. “Oh, Justin. I’m sorry I didn’t call when I said I would, but I wasn’t being deliberately hurtful. I was just more exhausted than I realized by the time Paterson had finished searching my house. I barely got undressed before I passed out.”

His face went a little slack and I saw his gaze shift down to my nak*d br**sts. They’d been uncovered when I’d sat up in bed. He swallowed. I felt a surge of unadulterated lust shoot through my body. “I see that. I’m sorry I overreacted. You’re more precious than my own life to me, Selena, and knowing that you’re safe and sound is my first priority.”

I felt my face, hell, my whole body, soften. He said the sweetest things to me, the most romantic things.

I tried to remind myself that he’d never once told me that he loved me, but still I felt that raw emotion for him like a drug to my system.

“I miss you,” I told him softly.

His lids got very heavy. “I can’t wait for Monday. Is your bottom half as nak*d as your top half?”

I couldn’t help it, I blushed. “Are you in your office? On a Saturday?”

His pretty mouth twisted into a wry smile. “Yes, though I’m quite alone. The hotel industry is a seven day a week business. Don’t change the subject. Shift the camera down for me. I want to see what you’re wearing.”

I blushed harder, but I did as he said. It was just more natural to obey him than to fight him when he spoke like that. I showed him my lower half, my lap covered in a thin blanket, my one stockinged leg clearly exposed. I couldn’t see his face anymore with the way the screen was angled. “Take off the cover.”

I removed it, showing him the tiny scrap of nude-colored underwear I wore. I heard his guttural moan of approval and let my legs fall open.

“Use the magnetic cover to prop the Ipad up on your bedside table. Point it at the bed.”

I did, seeing him clearly again. He had rearranged himself as well, pushing his chair far enough back from the desk so that I could see his lap.

He was still fully dressed but I could see his stark erection tenting his pale gray slacks obscenely. As I watched him he opened up his pants, using both hands to pull his nak*d c*ck free. It sprang out and up with a little bounce that made me gasp.

He shifted, pulling his slacks down far enough to give it total freedom. He unbuttoned the last three buttons on his shirt, pulling it open wide. He threw his long thin white tie over his shoulder and out of his way. I had an unobstructed view of his hands as he stroked himself. “Take off your panties and lie back on the bed.”

I obeyed, my face turning pink all the while.

“Prop yourself up on the pillows and open your legs wide. Wider. Open yourself for me. Perfect, yes, just like that. Push two fingers inside of you. Deeper. Yes. Reach a hand up to cup your breast. Knead around it, but don’t touch the nipple.” As he spoke and I acquiesced to his demands, he stroked himself with hard, almost brutal thoroughness. “You’re so beautiful, Selena. Every inch of you is perfection. I can see the moisture between your legs. It’s the hottest f**king thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Stroke yourself harder and faster. Imitate me f**king you.”

“It’s not the same,” I gasped, stroking myself faster and faster. It wasn’t at all the same as him touching me, a sad imitation in fact, but I was still getting close to orgasm, more from his voice and the sight of his beautiful hands on that perfect c*ck than from what I was clumsily doing to myself.

He gave me a pained smile. “I know it’s not. Not even close. We shouldn’t be separated like this. Not ever. But we’ll work with what we’ve been given. Now move that hand on your lovely tit down to your clit. Yes, perfect. Rub very soft, small circles on it with your finger. Tell me when you’re close, my love. I could come on a dime, and I want us to go at the same moment. Mmm, there, shove those fingers in as hard and fast as you can manage. If we get separated like this often, we’ll have to get you a vibrator for your house. Or a dildo that’s a perfect replica of my dick.”

His voice and his words brought me closer and closer to the edge as I watched him work himself so roughly with his hands. The sight of him touching himself was incredibly erotic to me. “I’m close,” I gasped to him.

He bit his lip as he wrenched at himself. His neck arched but his eyes never left me as he came into his hand with a rough little groan. The sight of him coming in spurts that hit nothing but air brought me with him, and I gave a little whimper as my orgasm took me. It felt good, but nowhere near as intense as where Justin usually brought me. I sat up and watched in fascination as he cleaned up the mess he had made, giving me a self-deprecating smile all the while.

“Was it good for you, Love?” he asked, his eyes tender in spite of that smile.

I wanted to cry for some strange reason. I didn’t want to analyze the urge at all, but I couldn’t help but worry about how much I was coming to depend on Justin. I felt an addictive need to be near him. “It was good. I loved watching you touch yourself, but it all just made me want you with me even more.”

His face changed so drastically that I blinked. There was a calculation there now, and a resolve that made me tense. “We don’t ever have to be apart. You could work from home, and have a career with your paintings. I won’t rush you, but it’s something I’d like you to start thinking about.”

I tensed up even more, and he held up a conciliatory hand. “I’ll drop it, love. Paterson tells me that you offered to let Blake sleep in your spare room. Are you really okay with that? For security purposes it would be ideal, but I want you to be comfortable in your own home.”

I shrugged, and his eyes moved down to my br**sts. He began to tuck himself back into his slacks, making a visible effort to tear his eyes back up to my face. I wasn’t totally comfortable with it, but I thought that with all of the other bizarre things I would need to grow accustomed to, it was a very little thing in the scheme of it all.

He gave me an almost grateful smile. It looked a little off on his too perfect face. “Thank you. That will help me to sleep better when you have to be away from me.” I shifted as he spoke, sitting cross- legged and pulling a corner of my bedspread over my lap. His smile changed to a smirk. “Take the blanket off your lap. I love the one stocking, by the way. You really passed out, huh?”

We chatted for a long time, both of us in a lighter mood by the time he finally had to get back to work. I wondered how my heart could be both light with happiness and heavy with love at the same time.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

I was heading from my bedroom to the kitchen, clad only in a robe, when I heard a commotion at my front door. I moved to see what it was before I could think better of it. I blinked at the unexpected sight that greeted me.

A strange, middle-aged woman stood just in the front doorway, Paterson behind her, Blake in front. She had hair dyed a garish red, with overdone makeup that couldn’t disguise the drawn look of her too thin face. She looked how I thought a retired showgirl might look, with a thin body and too large br**sts that seemed to hurt her posture.

Her spine stiffened when she caught sight of me. Her eyes were neither friendly nor hostile, but held a desperate sort of appeal that I couldn’t understand showing to a complete stranger.

She addressed me right away. “I’m not here to hurt you, as these people seem to think.” She held up a plain white envelope. “I just wanted to give you this. There are some things you need to know. I would have told you before, but your father wouldn’t let me contact you. Now that he’s disappeared, I saw no reason to delay. Please, just read this. I can see why you wouldn’t want to talk to me, but this isn’t about me.” Her speech was a little desperate, and I recognized the nervous fear that seemed to sit on her shoulders, a fear that she had to live with every second of her life, living with my father. I remembered it well.

[sandy2p]

(or i wouldn't mind meeting liz too! I'd just like to rp really. You're really cool and i'd love to get a chance to if you want!)

you’re gonna make me cry lol

love to rp with you soon :3 and here’s Liz’s info. Of course, things can change here and there due to aus and stuff:

Elizabeth Hirsch is her full name and went to high school with Arthur and all of them. Jewish, and as such she doesn’t eat pork but makes exceptions on rare occasions. She’s one of those shy kids that are really intelligent and she loves reading due to her father being an author and journalist. She also likes to swim and is on thr swim team. Appearance-wise, she’s 5'4, long and curly brown hair, and freckles that cover her face and her entire body. Also one of those girls that are thin no matter how much they eat. Also a giant nerd. And she had the biggest crush on Arthur but never acted on it because she thought he’d never feel the same way she does so she satisfied herself with being his friend and that odd fountain of wisdom. Like the neighbor from Home Improvement lol. She wants to be a national park ranger because she loves nature and finds national parks an important part of society and beneficial to the wild.

So sad news is that after they all graduated high school, she leaves earlier than intended to college because she doesn’t know how to deal with goodbyes. Gets into an internship despite her age and grade because she’s that good and is basically being trained how to navigate the wilderness, interact with wildlife, and all that cool stuff. She gets a boyfriend through all this named Stephan, who’s pretty okay at first but he’s a fuck and is going behind her back with another girl named Cecelia. Liz suspects donething at first but tells herself she’s just paranoid all the while regretting never talking to Arthur before she left for closure.

On an assignment/scavenger hunt, a really bad storm happens and Liz, her bf, and the side chick are separated from the rest of the trainees and they lose their compass and map via mudslide and just end up deeper and farther from ranger stations. they also run out of food very quickly and there’s oddly no wildlife where they are.

Stephan and Cecelia, going crazy out of hunger, attack and kill Liz (she tries and fights back; she manages to bite a chunk off Stephan’s hand and swallows it in the fray before they kill her).

The dark thoughts that emanated from the bf and side girl awakened a wendigo spirit that had been slumbering for quite a while, feeling an odd sense of pity for Liz and offers her a chance for vengeance by making her like him. She accepts and becomes a wendigo, killing Stephan and Cecelia and eating them as her first act.

there’s more to this story, but to sum up things, her bff is another type of spirit and brings her food/offerings, which quell her hunger and keep her sane, which is why a lot of rps that don’t take in the past with clairvoyant machinist’s Arthur don’t involve him in danger of her hunger.

-this for others eho’d like to rp with Liz as well :y

[anavoliselenu]

Mile high chapter 6

“Then come.” He led me by the hand back to his bathroom.

The shower was a short, if intense, affair. Justin washed every inch of me, but that was all. I tried to return the favor, but he just kissed me, washing himself. He slapped my ass when I was clean.

“Out,” he ordered.

I was dressed before he was dry.

“I need to grab a few things, if you want to go back to your art studio,” he told me.

I left the sight of all of his nak*d flesh with more than a little reluctance.

I went to the computer, sitting down. I hated to have to look at tabloids, but unfortunately they held what I needed for the painting I was planning. It took me a minute to find out how to even go online with the new operating system. I typed in the name Justin Cavendish with a little feeling of dread.

Looking at tabloids had not been a good idea for me lately, but I really wanted that picture.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I braced myself for the onslaught of unflattering pictures and headlines I was about to see of myself. I wasn’t disappointed.

A few phrases stood out. ‘Cavendish’s new Vegas Vixen’ and ’Trashy Man-eater’ caught my eye as I tried to get quickly to images.

The images didn’t hold the picture I wanted, and I sighed with resignation. I would have to delve deeper into the search.

I paused on a picture of Justin, dated just last week. He was alone, in a suit, looking so much more solemn than any of his other red carpet shots.

I clicked on the picture. It had been taken at a charity event in New York last week. He had none of his usual charm for the camera, instead posing almost coldly. His eyes were impatient, when he usually had a camera-ready smile. I wondered if I had been the cause for his change. If so, the tabloids had probably been running wild with the idea. They hated me, and loved the idea of a love match between Justin and his best friend’s sister, Jules. I tried to just ignore the many old images of Justin and Jules as I went back to my original search, scanning carefully for what I wanted.

I froze at one particular headline. ‘Justin Cavendish’s New Love has Countless Other Men on the Side.’ I clicked on the link before I could think better of it, wanting to see what on earth they could mean. I blinked stupidly at the pictures in the article.

One was of Stephan and I, walking hand in hand on a sidewalk. I recognized that I was in Miami without having to read the article, though I read the horrid thing anyway.

According to the article, Stephan was my long-time boyfriend, and we were scheming to get a piece of the Cavendish fortune.

I scrolled down in disgust, scanning for other pictures. There were several beach shots of Damien and I, and I flushed at some of them. In one, we lounged by the pool. Damien was giving me a very warm look while I lay with my eyes covered by shades, a little smile on my face. It didn’t look anywhere near as innocent as it had actually been. Looking the picture, you got the impression that he was staring at my br**sts and thinking naughty things about me.

Another was of our walk on the beach. His hand was on my elbow, his eyes tender. The way his face was angled towards me… He looked very nearly loving. I was blushing, as though flustered by him, I thought. According to the article beside it, he was a steamy lover that I’d been stringing along. I flushed with anger at the blatant lies.

They’d even caught a picture of Murphy and I. We were walking beside each other and laughing. The article claimed here that I was a shameless seductress who had too many men ensnared to keep track. I regretted reading the trash before I’d even finished, but finish I did.

I scrolled back up to the shots of Damien and I. They looked so much different than what had actually been going on, and I wondered why. The look on his face, perhaps? Or the dark shades I wore, that made my expression so inscrutable?

I was still staring at the disconcerting pictures when Justin returned to the room quietly, approaching my desk with his slim laptop in one hand.

He raised a brow when he saw my expression. “Why do you look like a deer caught in headlights, Selena?” he asked, his voice amused. He glanced at my computer screen as he got closer. I didn’t close the window, thinking that hiding what I was looking at would be worse than just confronting it.

Justin’s face tensed instantly when he saw the photos of Damien and I. I was struck with a thought. He had seen these before. He wasn’t surprised by the outrageous photos, merely infuriated by them. The conversation we’d had about him hating the beach suddenly made a lot more sense. And his elevated hostility towards Damien.

“Th-this is all garbage,” I told him, feeling strangely defensive. “Damien and I were just hanging out.

You know that, right?”

He studied me, his face painfully solemn. His entire demeanor had changed since he’d glanced at the pictures.

“Yes,” he answered finally. “I know as well as anyone how they can take a made up story and run with it. But it still hurts to see you together like that. Damien obviously cares for you, and wants you.

Personally, I think he’s in love with you. My only comfort is that if you wanted him, you would have accepted him before you ever met me.” He studied my face, his very serious, before he continued, “And I confess, the thought that you’ll choose him if you ever decide to go vanilla has disturbed me.”

I blinked at his outrageous little rant. “Of course he’s not in love with me. You know we’ve never even been on a date. And I’m not even quite sure just what going vanilla means, but I don’t think of Damien as anything but a friend, even without you in the equation.”

I wondered, not for the first time, what on earth Justin could be insecure about. But even the thought was wrong. I just couldn’t put Justin and insecurity together, even with the proof of it in front of me. The whole idea was absurd. No one in the world could compete with him, in any way. There’s no room in perfection for insecurity, I thought.

He sat down in the other seat at the large desk. He was a good four feet away there, still. He opened his paper-thin laptop, going to work without another word.

“Are you upset?” I asked him quietly, needing to clear the air before I could move on.

His mouth tightened, his fingers already working on his laptop. “I am managing both my unreasonable hurt and my unfounded jealousy. I’ll work it out.”

I stared at him for awhile, trying to determine how best to proceed. I finally decided that if I wanted to work something out myself, something that nothing could be done about, I would want to be left alone to do so. So that’s what I did.

I returned to my search, moving on from the inflammatory article, wanting to forget that the horrid thing even existed. I tried to ignore all of the headlines that drew my unwilling attention, and all of the photos that piqued my curiosity.

I went through webpage after webpage before I finally found what I was looking for. I made a little humph of relief that I’d located the prize.

My noise got Justin’s instant attention. I clicked to print out the picture as he rose, looking over my shoulder from behind.

“What’s that for?” he asked.

I turned to smile at him. “I’ve wanted to paint it from the moment I saw it, a few weeks ago,” I explained. “Is that okay with you?”

He blinked at me, but nodded his assent.

It was a picture of him when he was fourteen, at some red carpet function. He was posing for the camera, but it was a far different pose from the polished one he had adopted as an adult. His dark blond hair had just brushed his shoulders even then, perfectly coifed, his dusky skin perfect. His face was solemn and serious, his turquoise eyes haughty and fierce. He had been no more than a child, but the man he would become shone through every arrogant line of his face.

It fascinated me, how his strong character shone at such a tender age. I wanted to make it into a portrait shot that he could hang on some fireplace mantle at one of his many estates. Perhaps it could be a legacy for his children.

“You were like a baby supermodel,” I said as he went back to his seat.

He shot me a wry smile. “I detested the way I looked back then. I thought it made my business associates take me less seriously. Typical fourteen-year-old reasoning. It didn’t even occur to me that being fourteen did that all on it’s own.”

I studied him, trying to hide the sympathy I felt for a fourteen-year-old Justin, who’d had far too heavy of a burden to bear.

“I wish I’d known you back then. I bet we would have been friends.”

He gave me a warm look. “Me too.”

“You weren’t homeless, but you didn’t have anyone, like I did, to turn to for comfort. I think I got the better deal.”

He gave me a sad little smile. “You may be right there.”

I took the printout of the photo across the room, beginning a rough sketch, loving all of the new supplies.

He’d thought of everything I could possibly need.

“Oh, I forgot,” Justin said. I glanced back at him. He was holding my phone. “Your reception isn’t great out here, but Stephan has been trying to get ahold of you. You can call him from my phone.”

I realized belatedly that I had forgotten I’d even had a phone since we’d arrived at the ranch.

He carried the other phone to me, already set to dial Stephan. I pushed the button, thanking him.

An excited Stephan answered after one ring. It took me a long moment to piece together his hyper chattering.

I blinked, glancing at Justin. He was working intently at his computer.

“It even has the white grill and the black racing stripe that I was obsessed with. It’s like he took every piece of information he ever heard me say about my dream car and just ordered it.”

Stephan had been going on and on about the brand new Dodge Challenger that Justin had delivered to his driveway for several minutes, before I got a word in.

“That’s amazing, Stephan.” I listened as he added several excited details. “Yes, Justin is unerringly thoughtful. I’m so happy for you.”

I couldn’t get a word in for another solid five minutes while Stephan went on and on about his extravagant gift. Finally, he asked to speak to Justin, wanting to thank him personally.

Justin took the phone from me with good grace, smiling as he told Stephan, “It is the best way I could think of to thank you for watching out for our Selena for all these years. I’m indebted to you.” He paused with a laugh as he was obviously interrupted by a frenzied Stephan. “I’ll tell you what. Let’s schedule a meeting when we’re both in New York. I want to discuss a few business matters with you.” Justin listened politely to the response. “That will work fine. Yes, I’ll do that. Okay, have a good one, Stephan.” With that, he hung up.

I eyed him suspiciously. “What are you up to now?” I asked him ungraciously. But I just knew that he was somehow meddling in my life.

He shrugged. “Stephan is your family. I want to take care of him. And I do feel strongly indebted to him for the way he’s protected you. Also, I’ve found that it pays to be on his good side.”

I studied him, wanting to be annoyed at his interference, but I just couldn’t. He had found something that made Stephan so happy. How could I help but be thankful to him for it?

“Thank you for doing that for him,” I finally said. “He’s been obsessed with the new Challenger since it came out. And his obsession for old muscle cars goes way back. There’s not a gift in the world that he would love more than what you’ve done.”

He just smiled at me, shrugging like it was no more than the most simple of gifts to give someone their dream car. “And what would be your dream car?” he asked me.

I gave him a warning look. “Don’t even think of it. I have a car. I bought it with my own money, and I like it just fine.”

He didn’t let up, even with the clear warning in my voice. “Eventually, you’ll realize that what’s mine is yours, and when you do, you can buy whatever you like. I want you to start growing accustomed to the idea.”

I took deep breaths as he spoke, trying to calm the panic that bloomed inside of me at his words.

Was he trying to take over my life? It was a dark, terrifying thought for me.

“I can’t,” I told him on a gasp.

His expression became more closed off, but his tone was as steady as before. “I understand that you need time. I’m trying to give you as much time as I can bear, Selena.”

My eyes widened at his words. Clearly, the man was deranged. “We’ve only known each other for a month, and most of that time we weren’t even in contact with each other. You call that giving me time?”

His expression, his voice, didn’t alter. “The lack of contact was not of my choosing. And I’ve always been decisive about what I want. When I see it, I take action. This is just how I am. I am trying to be patient, but I have no reservations about what I want from you, what I want our relationship to be. I am trying to respect the fact that you don’t feel the same. I’m just asking you to start growing accustomed to the idea of living together.”

I took several deep breaths, watching him sitting so calmly behind his desk. “I don’t know that I can ever give you what you want. I’m almost positive, in fact, that I can’t.”

His gaze hardened, but his voice was very even. “And I am determined to convince you otherwise.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

We didn’t speak for a long time after his pronouncement.

I didn’t know what to say to him. He couldn’t know me well enough to understand how impossible what he wanted was for me. I could give him control in bed, but I was utterly incapable of giving him control over the other parts of my life. Doing so would trap me. And I knew too well that I couldn’t be trapped and helpless ever again. It had almost destroyed me as a child. It had most certainly destroyed my mother.

I began the prep-work for my painting, but I felt a little too distracted to work at all efficiently. I sketched for nearly an hour before Justin spoke again.

“I spoke to the manager of my L.A gallery recently. She’s very excited about your debut. She and my New York manager actually had a little tiff over who would get your showing. Due to the desert landscapes, we leaned towards an L.A showing. She will start putting the showing together as soon as you give the go ahead.”

I just stared at him, dumbfounded. The idea of showing my work was still a foreign concept to me. And so much had happened since he’d had samples of my work shipped to his galleries.

“I don’t have to attend the showing, do I?” I asked, the thought daunting and unwelcome.

He looked genuinely surprised. “Well, no. I suppose you don’t have to. But why wouldn’t you want to?”

I gave him an exasperated look. “The press hates me. They will crucify my work if they find out it’s attached to me in any way. I would prefer not to use my own name for the work, as well.”

He looked troubled at the thought. Those exquisite eyes of his were raw with it. “I’m so sorry you’ve been dragged into this media circus of a life. It’s my fault they hate you. The things I’ve seen printed about you…it makes me feel murderous.”

I held up a hand at his tirade. “Fault isn’t the issue. We need to deal with the issues at hand, not whose at fault. And you have to admit that my showing won’t be helped by the media attention my name and appearance would bring to it.”

He flushed a little, though I couldn’t tell why. “Please just consider attending. You deserve to take pride in your work, and to get credit for it. I would love it if you would allow me to escort you to the event, but by all means take some time to think about it. I’ll have Sandra prep your work and hold off on the date until you decide what you want to do.”

I nodded that I understood, but still dwelled on it as I worked. If I was brave, I would just go through with the ordeal. It wasn’t as though I’d be forced to read the horrible reviews about my work.

I was so distracted that I made a mess of my initial sketch, finally having to just toss it and start over. I could hear Justin talking quietly on the phone or I would have turned on some music to relax. Finally, I put in some headphones and played the music on my phone, tucking it into the pocket of my jeans. The picture started to come together after that, the sketch much closer to the image I had in my head of what I wanted.

We worked for hours like that, in relative peace and barely speaking. We worked for so long that I even began the painting process, which sometimes took me several sessions to advance to. I liked to have a very good sketch, usually, before I broke out the paint.

I wasn’t sure what it was, but suddenly, I just felt a change in the air, a shift of energy. The hair on the nape of my neck stood on end, and I turned slowly to look at Justin. He had his phone to his ear, but he watched me. His eyes were…haunted, as though he’d just learned of a loved one’s death.

I moved to him, removing my earbuds. He just watched me, not taking the phone from his ear.

“Thank you for the update.” He just listened for a long time. “Yes, it is. Keep looking into it. And double your search efforts.” He hung up after that, but watched me almost warily.

I perched on the desk facing him, his laptop near my hip.

“What’s happened?” I asked, knowing with a certainty that something had.

“My investigators just found out from the police that your father has a warrant out not just for assault and battery, but also for murder.” He just stared at me for a long time, a torment in his eyes that was becoming familiar to me. Those dear eyes.

I cupped his cheek, bracing myself. “Yes, I know,” I told him reluctantly.

“I let a murderer lay his hands on you,” he told me in an agonized whisper.

I cupped his face in my other hand, as well. “That’s an unreasonable way to look at it. I’ve known he was a killer since I was fourteen, long before I knew you, and he’s laid his hands on me many times since then.”

He blinked at me, as though my words were beginning to register past his shock and fear.

“You knew he had killed someone?” he asked.

I nodded, my mouth tight, my chest aching. “I’m the one who reported him to the police, though I was nearly a decade too late. It was my mother that he killed. I was the only witness. I was standing close enough to touch her when he did it. I lied to the police for him for all these years. But after this last attack, I realized that I couldn’t live like that anymore. I can’t run anymore, even if it means he kills me, too.”

His eyes were so panicked and vulnerable that, unwillingly, I felt my own fill suddenly with tears. It was hard to believe I’d gone years without crying before I met Justin. But the things he made me feel had opened a floodgate, and the damned thing wouldn’t close.

I continued, wanting to get it all out. “I felt so guilty, for all of these years, for dishonoring her memory, for helping her killer run free, but inside I was such a scared child that I just couldn’t go back to the police. After he killed her, they just took his word at face value, never even interviewing me in a separate room from him, and I knew that he would kill me if I told. I was absolutely certain that not even the police could stop him. Even years later, when I hadn’t had contact with him at all, I tried to go to the police, but just got cold feet every time.”

I brushed his hair out of his stricken face with a soft touch, wanting to comfort the things I saw in his eyes so clearly. It was such a reflection of my own torment. His soul was a mirror of my own. Perhaps his insane claim that we were made for each other wasn’t so very far off the mark. I had known him for such a short time, but sometimes I felt I could read him so perfectly, so naturally, that it astounded me.

“You can’t bear the burden of protecting me from my father,” I told him gently. “No one can. And you couldn’t have known that he would seek me out to threaten me to stay silent, because you didn’t know about my mother, of course. But you are responsible for helping me to find the strength to finally tell the truth. Thank you for that.”

It nearly broke me when one lone tear rolled down his cheek. “It just keeps hitting me, over and over again, that I really did come close to losing you forever. I can’t bear the thought.” His voice was a rough whisper. “And he’s still out there, loose, so you’re essentially in as much, if not more, danger than ever.

I’m glad you got to finally tell the truth, but it still terrifies me what that truth might mean for you.”

I traced the tear down his cheek, catching it right at his perfect jaw. He didn’t seem bothered by the tear. He was so much braver than I with his feelings, I knew, but he still managed to surprise me with his depths.

I tried to put myself in his shoes briefly. If his uncle was still alive, and capable of hurting him, even killing him, but just lay in wait for the right opportunity…It would make me insane. But could Justin feel for me what I felt for him? I just couldn’t picture it, even though he obviously felt at least something.

Neither of us seemed capable of working after both of our emotional outbursts.

We ate dinner in silence. It was a spicy chicken chili. I ate quickly, polishing off the comfort food without tasting it properly.

We went to bed early, Justin mentioning that we needed to rise early to get a proper ride in, beating the worst heat of the day.

I got ready for bed with little comment. I felt as though I hadn’t slept for days as I lay on his exquisitely comfortable bed and closed my eyes. I sighed in contentment when I felt Justin wrapping himself around me.

I swiftly drifted into a deep and peaceful sleep.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Justin woke me up with a light kiss on the forehead. I blinked awake, surprised to find him already dressed in clean riding clothes and leaning over me. He began to dress me without a word.

My riding clothes were much different this time. My tight pants were made up of a thin black material, not much thicker than tights, and reached just past my knees. I took note of the fact that he didn’t bother with putting any panties on me.

He worked snug, thigh-high black chaps onto each of my legs slowly. I touched the soft suede material, running my fingers over it.

He was arranging the chaps over my riding boots when he spoke. “The full chaps are normally worn with jeans. I’ll pack a pair, for the ride back.”

I digested his words, my mind going to dark, sensual places with it.

He pulled me to my feet, dragging my thin shift over my head in one smooth motion. He ran his tongue over his teeth as he studied my nak*d torso.

I had to stifle the urge to cover my bare br**sts. Clearly, I was not as comfortable with casual nudity as Mr. Beautiful.

He zipped me into a thick sports bra, pulling a tight, thin shirt over my head.

He braided my hair, keeping his hands, disappointingly, to himself. I was still turned on at his every motion.

I closed my eyes as he spread sunblock over my face very carefully. The man thought of everything.

He slapped my ass, hard, when he finished. “Let’s go for a ride, Love,” he told me with a wicked smile, taking my hand.

The horses were saddled and ready when we got to the stables. It was the first time I got to see Justin’s stallion.

He introduced me to Devil by handing me an apple, and a warning. “Careful, he bites.”

I fed the huge beast carefully, admiring his exceptional coat. I ran my fingers over his blue-black mane.

His coat was a blueish gray color, so dark it shone in the sunlight like blue fire. His fur got much darker at his face, nose and feet, almost black-tipped. He seemed like a stallion out of a fairy tail, his coat too astonishingly colored to be real.

“He’s amazing,” I told Justin, running my hands along his smooth neck. Another horse butted my back from behind. I laughed when I saw that it was Princess.

“She’s jealous.” Justin wore an indulgent smile as he ran a hand along Princess’s neck.

I had thought she was an exceptionally tall horse, but she was almost short compared to Demon. I patted her, as well.

Justin handed me another apple to give to the friendly palomino.

Pete was nearby, but kept a careful distance. He had obviously been the one to saddle the horses for us, but was wise enough to stay away from his boss after the episode of the day before.

He had merely nodded politely as we had passed him in the stables.

I had nodded back with a small smile.

Nevertheless, Justin’s hand had tightened significantly at the small exchange.

Impossibly jealous man, I thought to myself, but kept my own council.

“Demon is a rare blue roan thoroughbred,” Justin told me, feeding a carrot to the oversized stallion.

“I didn’t even know that horses could be blue,” I told him with a sheepish smile. I really didn’t know a thing about horses, I was quickly realizing.

“Normally it’s just an expression for a bluish tinge to a horse. Demon is a truly unusual shade, though, almost more blue than gray.”

“An outrageously beautiful horse, for an outrageously beautiful man,” I told him with a smile.

He tugged on my braid, tilting my head back. His eyes were hot as they looked into mine. “Whatever keeps you around, Love,” he said, fitting a sleek black helmet carefully onto my head. I saw with no surprise that it exactly matched his own.

He worked black leather gloves onto my hands, patiently working them on, tightening them at the wrists.

“You know, I’m fully capable of dressing myself,” I told him, but I knew it was pointless. I knew that he loved to tend to me, no task too insignificant for his attention.

He just smiled in response, kissing my leather clad knuckles. He worked on his own gloves next, and I watched, transfixed, as he worked them onto his powerful hands. His fingers were long and elegant, but so very strong. I watched his tan hands disappear into the black leather, and flushed, remembering the feel of those gloved hands punishing me.

He saw my stare and gave me a wicked smile. “You remember these?”

I nodded, still watching, captivated, as he worked on the gloves. Even his hands were an obscenely tempting sight to me.

“I love your hands. So much.” My voice was already breathless.

He threw his head back and laughed. I was captivated by the sight. Even his smooth, golden throat was perfect, and I wanted to bury my face there.

I had to stifle the urge. He was obviously on a schedule this morning.

He gave me the warmest smile as his laughter faded.

He gave me a short, sweet kiss, and lifted me by the h*ps to mount the Princess. I mounted how I had been taught, swiftly trying to position myself into the seat correctly.

“Perfect,” he told me, unhooking the lead rope attached to Princess’s bridle and roping it over the fence post.

I felt a wonderful little thrill as I got to watch the amazing sight of Justin vaulting up onto Devil in one smooth motion. He was such an elegant man, but his strength was astounding. Muscles bunched under his tight shirt, his breeches snug enough to show the cut of his thigh muscles as he moved.

He passed me on his horse, pausing to finger my collar, apparent just above the neckline of my top.

“I should get a lead rope for this, as well,” he murmured, clicking his horse to go.

“Follow me,” he ordered, as he rode to the gate that Pete had just opened without a word.

I followed, Princess moving into a brisk walk with the slightest pressure of my heels.

He led me into the thick woods, the barest hint of a trail guiding our way.

I admired the scenery as we walked, trying to move with the horse and keep my seat nice and smooth. It was so peaceful and calm there. The trees covered us in cool shade, and it was early enough that the weather was perfect for a long ride.

The forest always made me feel that I had been transported to another world, another time. The solitude, the serenity, had my mind drifting into fantasyland. The pine trees were incredibly tall there, the foliage thick and little purple wild flowers dotted the ground whimsically.

It was almost jarring when we passed out of the thicker forest and onto a trail pronounced and wide enough to be a small road. Justin stopped there, waiting for me to reign in beside him.

He sent me a sidelong, wicked look. “How do you feel? Are you sore?”

I just shook my head. I sucked in a breath as he brought a gloved hand to the waist of his skin tight pants.

He laid his reigns on his horses neck, giving a firm command for Demon to stay. Then he proceeded to undo the thick buttons on his pants, folding them down and under his thick manhood. It jutted up proudly, already so thick and hard that my mouth watered at the sight. He shrugged out of his shirt in a smooth motion, tucking it into one of his chaps.

I just drank in the sight of his gleaming golden flesh, always amazed at his perfection. The muscles of his chiseled bronze abs were visibly working as he sat his horse. Somehow, his legs being covered, and being on horseback, made his nudity all the more obscene. And unbelievably hot.

He gave me his wicked grin, and I nearly melted. “Come here,” he ordered.

I obeyed, my horse sidling towards him eagerly.

He snatched me up, swinging me to straddle him in a seemingly easy motion. My eyes were on the hard play of muscles in his magnificent arms.

He perched me just in front of him, almost on Demon’s neck.

“Don’t move,” he ordered, pulling a rather large pocket knife from his boot. He worked me onto his thighs, until I was just inches from his jutting cock.

I sucked in a startled breath as he used the knife on the waistband of my pants, cutting towards himself.

He cut to a few inches above the saddle, putting the knife back in his boot. He ripped my pants the rest of the way off. The initial sound of ripping made Demon start, but Justin calmed him with a few soothing words, still ripping away, until I wore only the chaps. My sex looked profoundly bare and obscene, surrounded by black suede chaps and nothing else, my top half still completely covered.

Justin reached behind me, rearranging the reigns, untying them to make them longer, and wrapping them around his right arm. He was giving Demon free reign, controlling him with his legs, as he’d said he would teach me to do.

He used firm hands on my h*ps to lift me up and poised me on the tip of his erection. He touched my sex with only his cock, moving his h*ps in small circles to spread my growing moisture onto his eager tip.

I moaned, jerking my hips. I wanted him to impale me so badly, just a quick thrust to ease the ache.

He did, his head jerking back to look up at me, his jaw clenched at the excruciatingly tight fit. He thrust straight to the hilt, and I melted around him.

“Oh, Justin,” I cried out with feeling. Even with him full inside of me, I still ached. My h*ps jerked in a request for movement. Justin clicked, and Demon began to walk. Justin moved with him, an expert rider, each movement of his h*ps a little thrust inside of me. My legs almost dangled behind his, my body had submitted to him so completely.

We watched each other as he moved inside of me, the movements half thrusts that left me gasping for more.

“Do you want a posting trot, Selena?” Justin asked, his voice a growl.

I thought of the exaggerated movements of a posting trot. Oh God, yes, I wanted tha t.

“Yes,” I moaned.

“Beg me for it,” he said, in a strangely calm voice. How was he not more winded?

“Please, Mr. Cavendish, bring us to a posting trot.”

He just tsk’d at me impatiently. “That was a sad excuse for begging, Selena. Now you only get the sitting trot.” He clicked Demon into a trot, keeping his seat. He sat the trot so smoothly, it barely increased his thrusting from the walk.

I moaned at him in distress, gripping his shoulders now. I needed more. I needed the deep thrusting that I had so quickly grown addicted to.

Our eyes never strayed from each other, his intense turquoise gaze imprinting itself on me inexorably.

“I beg you, Mr. Cavendish,” I tried again. “Please, f**k me at a posting trot. Please, please, please.”

His eyes smoldered at me, and he clicked the horse into the faster trot. “That is the tone I was looking for. Hold on, Love.”

He lifted me higher, his posting trot thrusting him into me with the longest, hardest strokes. I was close to screaming within seconds of the new rhythm.

“Come,” Justin growled, his eyelids heavy as he watched me. He impaled me hard and to the hilt as he spoke, and I fell apart in his arms. I was gasping, back in the ride again as he pulled out of me, dragging along each sensitive nerve. I was in a fever dream as he continued to thrust. I came again to his harsh command. And yet again, before he found his own rough release, shouting my name, his eyes going from hard and commanding to tender as the rapture took him.

He kissed me, still buried deep inside of me, as we floated back to reality, Demon slowing to an aimless walk.

I broke the spell several minutes later when I pulled back from his long kiss. “Have you ever done that before?”

His eyes shuttered, and I knew I wouldn’t like his answer. “Made love on horseback?” he asked.

My eyes narrowed, taking immediate exception to his wording. He seemed to me to be splitting hairs.

“Fucked someone on horseback,” I corrected.

He flushed, and my vision went a little red, knowing his answer. “I’ve f**ked a woman on horseback before, but it wasn’t like that. It was far more technical, almost clinical. It was more about seeing if it could be done, for me, than the actual doing. And I was barely an adult at the time.” He studied me, his eyes wide as he read the iciness that was blooming there. “Please don’t try to demean what we just shared.”

d