Chapter 15 #2
“What difference does it make?” I snap. “Does it make you feel better for me to know you feel sorry? How does that help me?”
He’s frozen for a minute as he gapes at me before finally snapping his jaw closed. “I guess it doesn’t.”
“No. It fucking doesn’t. So, just keep that shit to yourself.”
“You’re right,” he mutters, and I huff.
“Of course, I am.”
“I was being a smartass,” Abel snaps.
“I know.”
We both look up to the sound of footsteps.
“You two certainly get right back into it right away, don’t you?”
I groan, and Abel’s lips twitch. “Go the fuck away, Gabe.”
“This is my house too, you know. You can’t just keep kicking me out of all the rooms because you wanna be alone with your boyfriend.”
“He’s not my fucking boyfriend!” I snap, and Abel winces.
“Fuck buddy?” Gabe tries, and Abel snickers when I growl. “All right, all right, yeesh. Always so testy.”
“You’re gonna think…”
“You didn’t even make enough for me, dick!” Gabe accuses as he walks over to the stove and sees the empty skillet, devoid of any food. I lift a brow and smirk.
“That’s what you get. Make your own food.” And when Gabe rushes over and tries to steal my last piece of bacon, while I ward him off, Abel takes it from my plate and shoves it in his mouth, earning two loud, “Heys!” from the both of us.
“What?” he says, mouth full of food. “Didn’t want it to fall onto the floor.
” And then, he grins and walks over to drop his plate into the sink.
I watch his bare legs as he walks away. “I’ll be right back.
” And then, he’s gone up the stairs if the tell-tale creak is anything to go by.
I listen to his footsteps as he makes his way into my room, and all the while, Gabe stares at me.
“You’ve got it bad, dude.”
“I know.”
“Oh, good. I was afraid you were in denial.”
I huff. “I am.”
“Oh, shit,” he mutters. “This isn’t gonna be good.”
I think about Abel, half-dressed in nothing but a cum-dried black thong and my sweatshirt. “Nope.” I pop the “P” and shove to my feet. Gabriel rolls his eyes.
“Try to keep it down, will you?” He grimaces. “It’s early.”
“Fuck you,” I snap with a grin that shows all my teeth as I make my way up the stairs to my room, where I find Abel sitting on my bed, legs spread as he types away on his phone, brows furrowed in concentration.
I lean against the doorjamb and cross my arms over my chest as I stare at him, eyes roaming over the length of his tattooed, scarred legs. The light blonde hair covering them. The way they go on for days, even though he’s short as shit.
When he finally notices me staring, he looks up and flushes. “What are you looking at?” he snaps.
“Just some ugly runt,” I retort with a smirk.
“Oh, so nothing new, then.”
“Nope. Same old, same old,” I reply as I slowly enter the room and push the door shut behind me. It creaks as it closes, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin. I relish in the burn as I make my way toward Abel, his face now screwed up in trepidation as he slowly drops his phone to his side.
“Why’re you looking at me like that?”
“Who are you talking to?”
“What?” he squeaks, and my blood burns a bit hotter.
“Who the fuck are you texting at eleven in the morning?”
His crooked face twists into his signature sneer, and he crosses his arms over his chest just as I make it to his legs. “None of your fucking business, Peris.”
My knees brush up against his, and I knock his legs apart, forcing my way between them. Abel leans back, chin jutted up in defiance as he stares me down.
“I’ll think you’ll find it is my business since it’s my fucking bed you’re sitting on right now.”
“What does a bed have to do with it?” he snaps back just as quickly, and I reach down to wrap my fingers around his throat, relishing in the rush of his pulse against my fingertips.
“It has everything to do with it,” I breathe against the side of his face. His breath comes out in short little bursts that make my blood sing.
“You’re forgetting one important thing.”
“Oh, yeah?” I rasp. “What’s that?”
“I’m not yours anymore.” He whispers the words against my cheek, his lips a soft caress against my skin, and for a moment—just a moment—I fall into it. But then, his words hit me, and I rear back.
I catch his eyes to find them steel gray and cold. “You never were, though, were you?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“So many things, Peris,” he sighs, like I’m the one who’s fucking stupid.
“No,” I counter, shaking my head to disperse the screaming thoughts that come tumbling to the forefront of my mind. He’s just trying to play me right now—like he does best. But I’m not going to let him.
I fucking knew him—I still do, no matter what he says—and there ain’t no way in hell I’m going to let him slip through my fingers again. I’ll kill us both first.
“No?” he says, mocking me, and I pull back with a feral grin and tighten my fingers around his neck. Abel’s breath stutters, and I take pleasure in his uncertainty.
I lean down to whisper the words against his lips. “You can’t lie to me. I’ve seen all your fucking ugly, and I loved you anyway. In spite of it, even. There’s nothing you can say that will change that because I know you’ve done the same.
“There’s no going back from this, Abel. Whether we’ve spent weeks, months, or years apart, we were always meant for this. And at this point, I don’t fucking care if it tears me apart. I’m not letting you go again. You don’t have a choice.”
Abel’s breath matches my own, coming in short, panicked bursts, and my eyesight is a little hazy around the edges as I stare down at my runt, my puppy. My… fuck. The only person I’ve ever really fucking loved.
Because it’s true. Even now, after all these years, I still love him.
I wouldn’t be the mess I am if I didn’t.
He still has full and total control over me.
“I’ve never had a choice when it comes to you,” Abel finally rasps, and I release the breath I’ve been holding, nearly choking as oxygen fills my lungs once more. The relief is instant, and I’m dizzy with it. Just as I lean down to slam my mouth to his, he blurts out, “But…”
“What?” I say, distracted. My heart is racing, and I’m sweating. This is really happening. Abel’s here, and he… fuck. He agreed with me, and it’s amazing, and it’s all going to be okay… maybe. But maybe it can be.
“You don’t like what I do for a living,” Abel says bluntly, and everything goes cold inside me.
“What?” I repeat, deadpan, as the realization settles. Flashes of Abel with that man in the car. Telling him I’m no one, on his knees for him. Mouth open, taking it good for someone that’s not me.
Fuck.
“What do you mean?” I ask, deathly quiet, hoping I’m wrong. Needing to be wrong.
A long pause. And then, “You know what I mean, Peris.”
“Abel. Please tell me you’re fucking joking.”
“Why the hell would I be joking, Peris? You already knew—”
I shove away from him with a growl, yanking my hand through my hair. “I thought—”
“What?” Abel leans back on his elbows from where I shoved him back, acting casual like we’re not discussing something so explosive. “You think because you’ve claimed me again that I’m just going to stop seeing my clients? I need the money, Peris.” He rolls his motherfucking eyes.
My heart is about to beat right out of my chest, and I’m going to choke on it. “Why?”
“Why? That’s none of your goddamn business.”
I take a step toward him. “Isn’t it?”
“No,” he snaps and sits up, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s not.”
“You said I’ve claimed you. So, by your words…”
“You know that’s not what that fucking means,” he snarls, lip curled. “Back off.”
I step toward him again. “No.”
“Peris…”
“What are you going to do about it, runt?”
Abel huffs and shoves to his feet, and the next thing I know, his not-so-little fist is coming toward my face and making contact with my jawbone.
My head snaps to the side as he punches me, and I stumble backward from the unexpected impact.
I bring my hand up to my face, cupping my jaw where he hit me.
“What the fuck?!” I shout, staring down at the man in front of me, who’s cradling his hand and heaving.
“What? Didn’t think I was gonna fuckin’ do it? I’ll hit you again if you keep pushing me, Peris.”
I pop open my mouth and extend my jaw, surprised at the ache I feel. For a small dude, he sure can fucking hit. The faintest trace of blood lingers on my tongue, and I swallow the metallic taste down, shuddering against it as I stare down at Abel’s small, heaving form in front of me.
He refuses to meet my gaze as he stares off somewhere beside me, and that pisses me off just as much as it turns me on.
“Who the fuck are you?” I gape at him.
“Someone you used to know.”