#shanno leto fic

[echelonlab-blog]

Comfort Food

submitted by @lolainblue

   T/W: Describes a depressive episode. If this is going to be upsetting to you please skip this piece.

    Rylie comes into the kitchen and sets the bags of takeout down on the counter. She knows there is too much of it, there’s probably more than enough here to feed a half a dozen people not just the two of them, but she doesn’t know what might tempt him to actually eat today and so she has covered her bases. Before spreading out today’s provisions she first opens the refrigerator, gathering up the uneaten repasts from several days back. She tosses the carcasses of old clamshell packaging and their questionable contents in the trash container, noting with a wrinkle of her nose that she needs to take that out when she leaves. She tosses away the rest of the refuse she sees laying about, and then gathers a clean washcloth from the drawer by the sink and prepares a basin full of hot, soapy water, which she uses to wash down the counters and clean the few glasses left sitting out. Once the kitchen is put to rights and smelling like a tropical breeze, she finally opens the bags she has brought, setting out the food in what she hopes is an appealing manner.     “Shannon,” she calls out in the quiet house, but she doesn’t expect an answer. She calls his name one more time when she has finished and then heads back to his bedroom, where she is almost certain he is.      She finds him on his bed, in almost the same position he was in when she left him last night. She takes a deep breath and swallows, counting to ten, determined to keep the quiver out of her voice that she feels on seeing him like this. “Hey Shannon, I brought dinner again.”      She doesn’t ask how he is, she knows the answer. It’s the same one it’s been for days now, although she hopes for something better every evening she shows up at his door.      “Ry… I don’t think….” Shannon mumbles, his face still buried in the rumpled blankets.      Rylie swallows again and grits her teeth in determination. Shannon is in the same sweats and t-shirt he has been in for four days now and she can smell him from where she stands in the doorway. Enough is enough. She knows he can’t sort it for himself so it’s up to her to help get him moving.      She walks past him without another word, directly to the en-suite bathroom where she turns on the shower. She gathers everything he’ll need and lays it out where he can easily reach it and then marches back to the bed.     “All right, Up you go. You smell like a hobo and you’re ruining my appetite now too. And I picked up dinner from El Coyote so you’re not going to spoil that for me. You know it’s my favorite.”     Shannon groans and rolls over, pulling the blankets over his eyes. Rylie quickly snatches them away from him and begins stripping the bed around him.      “These sheets have got to go too. Trust me, you’ll feel much better once you’ve showered and have fresh sheets.” When he doesn’t move she stops, her voice softer as she brushes her fingers through his haphazard mop of hair. “Come on, Shan. It’s Friday. I can even stay tonight if you’d like. But I’m not going to curl up back here with you if you don’t wash up and put some fresh blankets down.”     This seems to give him enough push that he sits up and puts his feet on the floor. Rylie goes back to stripping the bed, pulling pillowcases loose as she watches Shannon stretch one muscular arm after the other, rotating his head from side to side as his muscles adjust, before finally getting up and padding across the floor and into the bathroom. She is pulling out fresh linens for the bed when she hears a plaintive cry from en-suite.     “Ry….”     She immediately drops the sheets and goes to him, finding Shannon in his boxers, standing in front of the toiletries and change of clothes she has laid out for him, a look of confusion on his face. She wants to cry, this is a particularly bad day for him and her heart hurts for what he must be going through, but instead, she gently wraps her arms around him and rests her head on his shoulder. It takes him a minute, but eventually, she feels his arms wrap around her too, and she holds him like that until she feels him start to relax.      “I know it feels overwhelming,“ she tells him in what she hopes is her most calm and reassuring voice. "Just break the tasks down, one thing at a time. All you have to do right now is take your boxers off and get in the shower”     “I’m sorry, Ry. I don’t mean to be so much trouble. You don’t have to do this you know…”      She sees that his eyes, already red-rimmed and swollen from what must have been an earlier crying jag, are growing moist with another threatening storm. She is determined to head it off. “All right, none of that. You know I don’t mind. I’m here for you whatever the reason. You’re just sick. Just like anyone who has the flu or a cold. You’d like me to come take care of you and feed you chicken soup if you had a cold right?”     “And maybe give me a sponge bath?” Shannon jokes, almost cracking a smile.      The little bit of hope that glimmer of normal Shannon gives her refuels her determination. “I think you’re too far gone for a sponge bath, mister. Now strip and get under that hot water.”     He does as she requests, not shy about disrobing in front of her. Shannon has never been shy, and it’s not anything she hasn’t seen before. They were more than friends once, although it seems like that was several lifetimes ago. She misses it more than she lets on, but she’s happy to carry that torch for him. Whether or not anything ever changes between them she knows she is more special to him than he admits as well. It’s an equilibrium that only they understand.      She stays long enough to make sure that he’s finding his way now, lathered up with body wash and sighing under the hot steam, before she returns to making the bed. Once it is made she begins straightening up the bedroom, throwing away tissues and wrappers, straightening pill bottles and gathering dirty cups, until she hears the shower cut off. She waits patiently to make sure he gets dressed without any further hiccups. He finally appears in front of her, in a fresh t-shirt and sweats with a pair of fuzzy spotted socks on his feet. He is damp and his hair is ruffled and something in her heart tugs affectionately just a bit.     "You’ve been taking your meds, right?” she asks as she waves a half-full bottle at him.     Shannon grumbles and takes the bottle from her, opening it up and popping a single pill in his mouth and dry swallowing it. “When I remember,” he confesses.      “You need to hydrate too. Take those things with water.“ She takes the bottle back and returns it to its spot on the nightstand. "Come on, there’s food in the kitchen,” she urges.     “I’m not hungry,” he tells her, letting himself fall forward onto the freshly made bed. He grabs and pillow and pulls it underneath him, tucking his knees up and rolling to the side.      Rylie snatches the pillow away from him. “Well, I am. And you’re not going to make me eat by myself so you’re going to march into that kitchen and sit down next to me while I tell you about my day. And if you’re very good and maybe eat a flauta we can come back in here and curl up in the bed and watch some movies together.”      Shannon grumbles but follows her into the kitchen. He looks over the spread she has laid out for him while she pulls out plates. “Jesus, Ry. This is too much food. I haven’t even eaten the stuff you brought yesterday.”     “Or the day before or the day before that,” she adds. “But sooner or later something will sound good to you and I want there to be food in the house for you when that happens.”     He doesn’t say anything else, just watches as she makes herself a plate and then stubbornly puts some food on his too. He gets a bottle of water from the refrigerator and drinks that while he watches her eat and chatter on, her voice filling the otherwise silent house. She makes him feel less alone in the world. She is an anchor for him, and he needs her more than he thinks she knows.     Eventually, Shannon picks up his fork and starts picking at the food, and before he realizes what has happened he’s finished a tamale and some rice. He can see that Rylie is trying not to make a big deal of it, taking his half-empty plate with what he imagines she thinks is a casual shrug but he can see the big smile that is spreading across her face. He manages to pull his wits about him for a time and helps her with the cleanup, He adds the leftovers to the burgeoning pile in the refrigerator, it’s generous interior nearly bursting at the seams with her meals. He closes the refrigerator door but stands unmoving in front of the appliance, his wavy reflection looking back at him from the stainless steel surface. The evidence of her care is there, in his still damp hair that smells of shampoo, the tidy room with a freshly made bed waiting for him, the persistent meals spilling over on their chilled shelves. The way she never scolds him but always encourages him, the way she is there when he is on top of the world and when he is an absolute mess. The way he looks forward to her laugh, and the way his world seems a little less colorful when it is absent.      “I love you, Rylie,” he says simply.     She hugs him tightly, both of them savoring the feel of each other. “I love you too, Shannon.‘      He means more than that, he is almost positive, but he knows now is not the time. “Are you going to make me some popcorn to have with these movies, or are we just going to sit around and watch them like animals?” he asks.     Rylie laughs. “I’ll make you all the popcorn you’ll eat Shanbear,” she tells him, using a nickname he hasn’t heard in ages.     He pulls the large bowl he uses for popcorn out of the cabinet and feels the first real smile he has had in weeks stretch his cheeks. He’ll tell her tomorrow, he thinks. It’s good to have something to look forward to.

[echelonlab-blog]

Bound By Ink -- Chapter 47

Disclaimer: Fiction.

Warnings: None

Tagging: @hazeleyedleto @msroxyblog @letojokerownsme @miss-shannanigans @snewsome756   @maliciousalishious   @nikkitasevoli@meghan12151977@sanellv@ambolton@bradlea23@spillinginkwithlove@alexis7215@dezmarz@pezziecoyote@whoistheprettiest@avaj99@iridescxntsolitude@pheenixpeterson@guccilowell@blondiefrommars@rowen1976@phoebehalliwell1984@thathipstaninja@darthjokerisyourfather@letsbemybatman @prettymisc@lylabell2013@mandyglam@pandaliciouz@just-me-obsessing@echelon-1969@carolinapb-me@marilyndioncre​

My stomach was still twisting in knots. Both because of the call and because of what Nadia had found out. Stephanie was really out of this world. If Mark found out she was still married, I knew it was game over for her.

But first, I needed to meet this Charles guy. I guess I needed proof somehow that Stephanie was just as awful as I deemed her to be. There was a valet waiting for us when we arrived and I realized this was a far fancier Restaurant than what I was expecting.

Shannon reached for my hand as soon as we were out of the car, squeezing it as if to say everything was gonna be all right. I took a deep breath, nodding and following them inside.

A clerk was with us fairly quickly and Nadia asked for Charles Montgomery. We followed the waitress to the table where Charles sat alone. He was looking around, his eyes not focusing on us until Nadia introduced us.

I could see the hesitancy in his moves as he reached over his hand to greet us. I wondered what the hell had that bitch said about us. We exchanged a few pleasantries with him before cutting straight to the chase.

"So, Charles, I guess we all know the real reason we're here. Our common bane of existence. Stephanie."

"She's a piece of work, that one." Charles took a sip of his soda, his hand removing the glasses he had on, a cloth coming out to wipe them nervously.

"She truly is..." I whispered. "First of all, whatever she told you about Mark is a lie. He's not in a gang and I can assure you the tattoo shop isn't a front for anything. Mark is my ex-husband and the father of my son."

"You're Scarlett, right?"

"I'd prefer Blue, if you don't mind, please."

"Of course. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Charles." I said with a smile. Poor guy really was out of it. I wondered just how much shit he had to put up with. "Why did you marry Stephanie? I mean, you guys are still married, right?"

He leaned forward, putting his glasses back on. "Yes, we're still legally married. But only because she hasn't signed the divorce papers yet. We've been separated for more than a year." He paused, sighing. "Believe it or not, she wasn't always like this. Back when I met her, she was sweet. Of course she had issues, but coming from a family like hers, even I would have issues. Over the years, she became bitter and a sucker for the money. I realized she was actually spending more than I made. Things got bad when I cut her off, the arguments escalating. That's when I realized I had to end it. Of course, she didn't take it well, threatening me however she could. I wasn't surprised when she mentioned Mark and I apologize for how I acted. I should have gone and talked to him, but I was scared... I was the one behind the audit and I truly apologize for it."

"My son, Jayce, has been endangered multiple times because of Stephanie. She has refused to let him eat when he asked her for it. She has locked him in his room when he wasn't feeling well. That ultimately led to him being hospitalized."

"Jesus!" Charles huffed. "Tell me what can I do to help."

I pondered on it. "Can you get us a copy of the divorce papers? Or anything that proves you two are still married?"

"Of course." Charles smiled, reaching over his hand and placing it on top of mine. "If that doesn't work, I will go talk to Mark myself."

I nodded, smiling at him. "Thank you so much for meeting us, Charles. I know this was a tad unconventional."

"Nonsense! Stephanie is a hell beast and I would never let a child suffer at her hands." Charles said. "Get me your address and I can forward the papers to you. Should take about a day."

"That sounds lovely, Charles. Thank you so much."

"Please, stay and enjoy a meal with me. My treat."

We ended up agreeing, mostly because apparently, he had ordered some food for us already. We talked about different subjects and I realized he was one of the most interesting and smart people I had ever met.

His act changed when he saw us for who we truly were, his fear fading as he got comfortable. I wondered what sorts of abuse he must have gone through at the hands of that merciless hag. I just hoped he could free himself from her, just like I hoped we all could.

[echelonlab-blog]

Just Like Heaven -- Part Three

                         Conclusion

Disclaimer: Fiction.

Warnings: SMUT

Tagging: @hazeleyedleto @msroxyblog @letojokerownsme @miss-shannanigans @snewsome756   @maliciousalishious   @nikkitasevoli@meghan12151977 @mindlessselfindulgence88 @sanellv@ambolton@bradlea23@spillinginkwithlove@alexis7215@dezmarz@pezziecoyote@whoistheprettiest@avaj99@iridescxntsolitude@pheenixpeterson@guccilowell@blondiefrommars @rowen1976 @phoebehalliwell1984 @thathipstaninja @darthjokerisyourfather

  “Shannon?” I asked as he continued to stare down at me, his expression cycling through shock and confusion. What the fuck? What was happening here? “Didn't you hear me?”

 “Uh, Tessa, I uh...” Shannon swallowed hard, pulling back from me.

 “Oh. My. God!” I shouted as I gave his chest a shove. Was he seriously getting cold feet? After the way he had chased me? “You fucking piece of shit!” I yelled as I scrambled off the bed, grabbing the sheet around me. “Tease good ol' Tessa until you can get your way, nevermind how bad you hurt her before. It's all fine as long as there's a good time at the end of it huh? But the minute it looks like one of us might catch feelings.... FUCK! You never fucking change Shannon, and I guess neither do I because I here I stand like an idiot, almost letting you in again.”

 “It's not like that, Tess. Please!” He grabbed at the bed but I'd already pulled the sheet off. I bolted for the bathroom as quickly as I could, desperate to get away from him. “Fuck fuck fuck, I can't screw this up again,” I heard him spluttering as he scrambled after me. “You've got it all backward Tess.”

 I whirled around, the sheet whipping at his feet as he closed the distance between us. “Really? Because it looks like you badgered and teased me into begging you to fuck me just so you could tell me no once I finally caved.”

 “I never thought you'd cave,” he said sheepishly, looking down at his feet.

 “You couldn't have said something before now? You couldn't have stopped this earlier, like before you had your dick down my throat?” I couldn't believe this was happening. How big of an idiot must I be to let him get to me again?

 “I'm the one who still has feelings, okay?” The admission fell from his lips in a jumble as he avoided my eyes. “I'm the one that's not over us. Driving you away was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I never in a million years thought you'd give me another chance. I figured if I was an asshole to you you'd just steer clear this week. I didn't think...”

 Shannon wasn't over me. That one admission shifted everything in my head, changed the entire dynamic between us. He wasn't toying with me. “If you still have feelings, then why...”

 “Do you want this? I mean really, do you actually want this Tessa? You're not going to let me fuck you and then spend the rest of the week treating me like the dirt under shoe? You aren't going to regret this the minute you have to look at me over your coffee mug in the morning?”

 It was a fair question. Did I want this or was I just so spun up on nostalgia and hormones I was letting my body make decisions that were bad for the rest of me? Was I just starved for someone's touch or did I really want it to be Shannon? Could I trust him again? I wasn't sure about that last one but I knew he was right, I had missed him and had spent the last year longing for what we'd had. Maybe we had to start from somewhere. “I do. Want this,” I told him.

 We stood there nodding at each for a moment, a tremble in my bottom lip. When our bodies crashed together again it was a different kind of urgency, a deeper emotion than the anger we had been hurling at each other all day. I let the sheet fall away as Shannon clutched me against him, my fingers tangling in his hair as I gulped in his scent between impassioned kisses, my brain still dumbstruck at this turn of events. He tugged me back to the bed, settling over me one more time, his hands urgently kneading my flesh.

  “Shannon I missed you and I want you to fuck me right now,” I whimpered against his ear. With a growl he shifted his hips, his full lips hot against my skin as he answered.

 “I missed you too, Tessa.”

   Shannon began pressing kisses along my skin, making me squirm beneath him. "Shannon, please... I need you now..."

   He shook his head, smiling at me. "I need to taste you first..." He whispered, his mouth traveling lower, taking a nipple into his mouth, biting gently.

   His fingers slipped through my folds, making me cry out as he pushed two into me, slowly thrusting as he settled between my legs. Never taking his eyes off of mine, his tongue darted out, flicking my clit.

   "Fuck... Please..."

   He licked his lips, his eyes darkening as he moaned lowly. "God, I fucking missed your taste..."

   His fingers thrust harder into me, his tongue beating down on my clit, driving me closer to the edge. "Oh god, Shannon... Right there..." I moaned loudly, holding on to his hair and writhing against him.

   His tongue dipped lower, making my head spin as he slipped it inside me alongside his fingers before licking back up to my clit, humming as I came around his fingers, my eyes rolling back at how good it felt.

   He kissed up my stomach, his fingers still inside me, riding me through my high. When his lips settled on mine, I moaned at the taste of his tongue, kissing back and reaching down to stroke him.

   "Now will you fuck me, please?"

   He laughed, playfully licking my nose, removing his fingers from inside of me. He batted my hand away, taking his cock in his hand and rubbing my clit. "Last chance to back out."

   "Shut up and fuck me..." I said, moaning loudly when he slipped into me with ease, bottoming out. "Fuck, I missed you." I whispered, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him into a scorching kiss.

   "You still feel so tight... So fucking good, Tess..." He whispered, moving his hips slowly as we both groaned in between kisses.

   I was terrified that after tonight, after he got what he wanted, things would go back to the way they were. He would turn into asshole Shannon again, not caring about anyone’s feelings and I wasn’t sure my heart could take it. We weren’t using any protection either, and I squeezed my eyes shut at the thought of what he could possibly have. It didn’t matter, not now, he was already in my mouth before this.

   Pushing the unpleasant thoughts from my mind, I moved with him, wrapping my arms and legs around his strong body. Fuck, I missed this so much, I missed him. Groaning into my mouth, he pulled my arms free and pinned them above my head. He felt amazing inside of me.

   There were so many things Shannon was good at, but this, the sex, was the best I had ever had. The way he circled his hips made me crazy and my body was quickly spiraling toward release. He stared down at me and must have known because his mouth covered mine, quieting  my moans. Shannon waited until I regained control before flipping me over. Strong hands gripped my hips, pulling me into place on my knees. He fucked me hard and fast, making it start all over again. The heat started to build again, faster this time. I could feel that rush within seconds of his fingertips touching my clit. This time the climax was more intense and I pulled away from him, my knees gave out and I fell against the mattress. He leaned forward, over me, holding me in place while he finished himself. I could feel his warm release spraying onto my back with those deep moans of his. Moving quickly, he cleaned me up and then collapsed next to me. It was silent for a few seconds, but his arms pulled me close. “I really missed you.”

   Smiling, I covered his arm with mine and snuggled happily. “I missed you too, but I swear to God tomorrow if you act like you did today, I’ll kill you.”

   He giggled, “I promise I won’t. There’s nothing to fight about anyway, you’re here in bed with me instead of down there on the cold couch.”

   “I’ll be right back.” I pulled the sheet off and sat up.

   He leaned up, watching me. “Where are you going?”

   “To get some clean clothes for tomorrow. I’ll be right back.” As soon as I started to get up, he pulled me back down. “Here, wear this,” he held up the pink panties from earlier and his t-shirt. “I’ll go down and get your bag in the morning.”

   I slipped the shirt over my head and pulled the pink thong on. With Shan pressed against my back, keeping me warm, I fell asleep fast.

   When my eyes opened, I was all alone in the room. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, smiling at the tenderness I hadn’t felt since the last time I had sex. I glanced around the room to see that Shannon didn’t bring my bag up yet. I got up, moving to the door and listening to footsteps approaching. The door opened and Shannon entered with a shit-eating grin and a cup of coffee. “Good morning beautiful,” he moved toward me, handing me the full mug of hot coffee.

   “Good morning,” I took the cup and placed it on the nightstand. Fuck, he looked even sexier this morning than he did last night. “Can you grab my bag from downstairs?”

   He moved closer, raising his shirt up and glancing down. “I knew you would look hot as hell in that. We’re all alone, they all went out.... All of them.”

   “All of them? Really? They didn't even ask if we wanted to go too?”

   Shannon laughed. “They probably didn't want to deal with us hurling insults at each other all day.”                    

    I watched him as he blew into his cup before taking another sip. The resulting heavy scent of coffee that wafted toward me set off a powerful wave of nostalgia. I remembered many mornings spent with Shannon as he sipped his beloved beverage and smiled at me over the rim of his favorite mug, the one that was still in my cupboard, shoved into a back corner behind tea saucers that I never use. Unfortunately, all my memories of Shannon were tinged with hurt, sorrow, and anger that bled over into all the happiness, the result of remembering what he had done. I realized this wasn't going to be so easy, it wasn't as simple as just agreeing to take him back or sharing a bed for a night. “What are we doing here?” I finally asked.

   Shannon's smile faded and he set his mug down. “I think that's up to you, Tessa. But if you're asking what I want, well... I'm asking for a second chance. I'm asking for us to be us again.”

   “It's not that easy, Shan,” I started.

   “I know. I have a lot of work to do to repair your trust in me. I know you don't believe me but it really was just that one time. I had had way too much to drink, and that girl just kept coming on to me. Everywhere I went, there she was, finding excuses to touch me, pressing up against me....”

   “God, Shannon, I don't want the details,” I protested

   “I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to...” he trailed off for a moment and then took my hands, pulling them into his lap and staring at me with those golden hazel eyes. “Let me try to make everything up to you. Let me show you I learned my lesson. I know I can be a real fuck up sometimes but I do have the capacity to learn.”

   I didn't want to be a fool. I didn't want to be one of those women that puts up with a cheating man because she thinks it's normal, or she is afraid to be alone, but that really wasn't what was happening here. I wasn't blind to Shannon's flaws, and I knew I deserved better than the way he treated me before. I wasn't afraid to kick him to the curb again if he so much as put a toe out of line. We had been so good together up until then. And I believed his remorse was sincere.

   “There won't be a third chance, Shannon. I need you to understand that.”

   A smile started to creep into the edges of his mouth. “So we're back together?”

   I nodded and leaned in for a kiss, breathing him in deeply, enjoying the slow pass of his tongue against mine. “Yes. We're back together. Now, where's my morning sex? You know my favorite way to start the day,” I purred playfully.

   Shannon laughed and pushed me back on the bed. “I guess I get to start making things up to you now.”

I smiled up at him as he pinned my hands above my head, his expression changing, his smile matching my own. His lips met mine in a soft kiss, making me groan into it.

   It was different from the way it had been last night. Slower, gentler. We were mapping each other's bodies again, reconnecting. He took his time with me, kissing me all over as I arched into his touch.

   We didn't speak. We let our bodies do the talking. When he finally slid into me, all I felt was bliss, holding tighter onto him as our bodies moved in perfect synchrony, our eyes locking on each other.

   The orgasm was intense, both of us crashing into the abyss at the same time, riding the waves together. I clutched him to me as he pressed his forehead against mine, both of us breathing heavily.

   I couldn't believe I had him again, after all this time. I just hoped I wasn't setting myself up for heartbreak again. I tried to push the thoughts away as he tugged my hand, pulling me into the bathroom.

   We showered together, making out like two teenagers, something finally clicking into place again. After dressing, we headed outside, walking along the snow and enjoying the scenery.

   It took me a while to notice Shannon wasn't at my side anymore. The snow hit me, making me gasp loudly as I looked back, watching him laugh, the corners of his eyes crinkling up. Laughing with him, I bent to pick up the snow, hurling it at him as we both tried to duck each other's snowballs.

   Out of nowhere, he lunged at me. I squealed, trying to get away but failing as we tumbled into the snow. His face was red and his eyes were glowing as he cupped my cheek, pulling me into a kiss. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around him, kissing back, letting my tongue meet his.

   Footsteps alerted us we weren't alone anymore, but we couldn't care less. All I cared about was losing myself in this moment right here. The feel of his body pressed against mine...

   "So, I guess this means my plan worked." I heard Dan saying.

   Shannon pulled back, his attention still on me as he shook his head, laughing. We heard the footsteps retreating, our eyes still locked on each other. Second chances didn't come easily, but I could feel this was the beginning of something great.

                              ~~ The End?

[echelonlab-blog]

Bound By Ink -- Chapter 42

Disclaimer: Fiction.

Warnings: None

Tagging: @hazeleyedleto @msroxyblog @letojokerownsme @miss-shannanigans @snewsome756   @maliciousalishious   @nikkitasevoli@meghan12151977@sanellv@ambolton@bradlea23@spillinginkwithlove@alexis7215@dezmarz@pezziecoyote@whoistheprettiest@avaj99@iridescxntsolitude@pheenixpeterson@guccilowell@blondiefrommars@rowen1976@phoebehalliwell1984@thathipstaninja@darthjokerisyourfather@letsbemybatman @prettymisc@lylabell2013@mandyglam@pandaliciouz@just-me-obsessing@echelon-1969@carolinapb-me@marilyndioncre

 As I watched Shannon furiously texting someone Nadia kept blubbering into the phone. “Nadia, I'm going to need you to calm down. I don't understand what you're trying to say.”

   “It might not have...” she sobbed, her voice breaking while she sniffled and panted and blew her nose. “I mean I didn't look so I don't know...”

   I muted the phone while I waited for her to calm down enough to make some sense. “What the hell is happening, Shannon?” I asked.

   Shannon frowned at his phone and then looked at me again, his eyes lingering on my still damp hair. “You know what? It's nothing that can't wait until morning. You deserve one peaceful night of rest.”

   “But... what?” I was so confused now. Shannon reached over and took my phone from me.

   “Nadia, hey it's Shannon. Blue will call you tomorrow morning. We're all very tired and we're going to get a good night's sleep,” he told her before disconnecting the call.

   “What the hell, Shannon? She was really upset. What if she needs my help?” I tried to take the phone back from him but he pulled it further out of my reach.    

   “No, she doesn't. It's nothing that can't wait until morning.” He patted the pillow next to him. “Come on and lay back down.”

   “It didn't sound like something that could wait until morning.”

   “It is. Please trust me, Scarlett. Let's deal with it tomorrow.”

   I crossed my arms and frowned at him. “You know, I feel like you're 'handling' me. Whatever it is, I can deal with it. You don't have to protect me. I'm a big girl.”

    Shannon sighed. “I know that. Didn't I just get done telling you how strong you are? Please. I'm just asking  you to trust me for one night.”

   I still wasn't sure what was going on but I felt like Shannon did deserve the trust he was asking for. I knew he would never do anything to endanger me or Jayce, he was always looking out for us. And I was so tired. The bath and hair brushing had relaxed me and even after the small excitement of Nadia's phone call I could feel my body getting heavy again. The soft pillow and warm blankets looked so inviting. “You'll tell me what's going on in the morning?”

   “I promise. Now come over here and lay down with me," he once again instructed.

   Somewhat reluctantly I curled up on my side of the bed. Shannon snuggled up behind me, tucking the blankets over me and nuzzling my neck. I clutch his hand, twisting my fingers between his as I tried to let my breathing slow down. “I don't know what's going on but thank you for tonight. I don't think I'm ever going to get used to the way you spoil me.”

   Shannon planted a little kiss just behind my ear. “That's not spoiling. You haven't even seen spoiling yet.”

   “Well, it's wonderful, whatever you want to call it.”

   “Shhh. Get some sleep.”

   “I love you,” I told him.    

   “Are you going to talk this much every night? I love you too. Go to sleep.”

   I don't remember much after that. In spite of the curiosity that tickled at the back of my brain exhaustion quickly won out and I was asleep in what felt like seconds. The next thing I knew, Jayce was calling to me from the bedroom door.

   “Mom? Mom, have you seen my phone?”

   I blinked and sat up, realizing I was alone in bed. “No, sorry, Jayce. We pretty much all crashed as soon as we got in. Did you leave it in your stuff from the hospital?”

   Jayce shook his head. “No. I had it on the charger but now it's not there. I'll go ask Shannon.”

   I yawned and stretched and stumbled my way into the bathroom. After freshening up a bit I went to retrieve my own phone from where I had left it the previous night but found it too was missing from the charger.

   “What the hell...”I said to no one in particular, the strange phone call from the night before returning to my mind.

   “Mom?” Jayce stuck his head in the door again. “Shannon is downstairs making breakfast and wants you to get dressed and come down. Jared and some other people I don't know are down there too.”

   What the fuck was going on? “Let me get dressed really quick and I'll be right there, Jayce.”

   I found Shannon in the kitchen reading from the foods list the hospital dietitian had given us while Jayce used his fork to push some scrambled eggs around his plate. As Jayce had warned me Jared was there too, with two men I was pretty sure I hadn't met before. I spotted our phones face down in the middle of the kitchen island. “So is someone going to tell me what's going on now?” I asked.

   Shannon sat a mug of coffee in front of me. “Okay, before we start I just want you to  know we're already handling it.”

   I didn't like the way that sounded at all. “Already handling what?”

   Shannon cleared his throat and looked at Jared, who introduced the two men sitting with him as a lawyer that worked on behalf of the band and their publicist. I was sure now that I didn't like the sounds of this -- anything that required legal intervention this early in the morning didn't bode well. “Would you please just tell me what is happening?”

   “There's been a leak, somehow. I think my phone got hacked,” Shannon said. “There were some pictures on there....”

   “Oh my god!” I exclaimed. I knew exactly which pictures he had to be referring to. After one of the first nights we had spent together, Shannon talked me into posing for a few pictures with him. It wasn't the sort of thing I normally did, I can't imagine I would have even considered it for anyone else, but Shannon had a way of looking at me like I was the most beautiful woman he had ever encountered and it made me feel sexy and confident. The pictures were pretty tame really, in most of them my hair or hands were covering the most scintillating parts, but there was one we had taken together that was a bit more revealing. I was reclining in Shannon's arms, my back pressed against his chest, one of his big hands cupping my breast while the other was between my legs. It was the only one of the both of us, and somehow I knew that was the one that was floating around out there. “You promised you would be careful with those!”

   “And I was! I don't know how anyone got a hold of them,” Shannon protested. “The good news is we caught it very early.”

   “We've already issued a takedown order,” Eric, the lawyer said. “The pictures have been removed from the original site where they were uploaded and we're in the process of chasing down anyone else that might have hosted them.”

   “But you know how the internet is. Once something is out there...” I felt sick, thinking of people that might be seeing a lot more of me than I ever intended. Well, this was certainly going to make school pickup a lot more interesting. “Oh my god, what if Jayce's friends see them?” I was mortified.

   “Wait, what about my friends? What's happening?” Jayce reached for his phone, quickly unlocking it and thumbing through the messages. I held my breath. “There's nothing here but messages about getting out of the hospital.”

   “That's good right?” I said hopefully.

   “I'm sorry about this,” Jared piped in. “Anyone we date seems to become a target. We've never had anything like this happen before, but we're going to do everything we can take care of it, Blue. I promise.”

   “I just don't understand how this happened.”

   “Neither do we but we're going to get to the bottom of it,” Shannon reassured me as he put his arms around me.

   “The bottom of what?” Jayce asked. “Mom, what did you do?”

   “Shannon and I took some personal pictures,” I said awkwardly, trying to figure out how to have a conversation with Jayce that no one wants to have to have with their 15-year-old son.

   “Mom!” Jayce exclaimed in horror.

   “They weren't that bad, but certainly nothing I'd want anyone else seeing,” I quickly explained. Got only knew what pictures his imagination was drawing for him. “I'm so sorry, Jayce. Hopefully, none of your friends will come across them.”

   “Oh my god. Oh my god.” Jayce's eyes were wide. As terrible as I felt about this I felt even worse for him. I can't imagine the embarrassment of having semi-nude pictures of your mother circulating among your classmates. All I could do at this point is pray that they hadn't drawn their attention.

   “So what happened?” I asked again.

   “Someone set up an Instagram account in your name with the pictures we had taken. The description referred to you in some pretty derogatory ways and my account was tagged. They got them taken down last night, with the slight nudity it wasn't hard since that's against Instagram terms of service. We're just waiting now to find out how far it went or if the pictures are going to turn  up anywhere else.”

   “So this might not be over?” Panic began to close in on me again. I couldn't put Jayce through this. How stupid could I have been to let Shannon take those pictures?

   “That's why we're aggressively trying to find out where they came from,” Shannon explained.

   “Someone should talk to Nadia. When she called last night she kept saying it wasn't her but it might be her fault. I bet she knows something.”

   Jared and Eric exchanged looks. “Why would she know something���” Jared asked.

   “I don't know. But the next conversation you need to have is with her.”