Chapter 9 Amelia
Amelia
One night changed everything. How it was possible I don’t know but it has.
I’m not blind by the life he leads, yet he’s the one I think about every second of every day.
He’s the one I crave when he’s not around.
His touch is the only contact I could survive on for the rest of my life.
I finally understand Clare’s absence since she met Tariq.
I could quite happily be sucked into Darius’s life and not care for anyone else.
Even though I know it’s not right, and life isn’t all about one person, the addiction to him is overpowering and most of the time it’s an addiction I don’t care to get better from.
He has stayed over every night my dad is away and I go to his on nights my dad is home, telling him I’m staying over at Clare’s.
As I stand in line to receive my diploma, I don’t have the same anxiety about my future as I did before. Darius is pulling my world into focus and while I still don’t know what I want to do in life, I do know having Darius at my side, nothing is impossible.
I don’t want to say life is perfect but it’s pretty damn close.
Clare’s name is called up to the stage and Tariq claps the loudest and puts his fingers to his mouth to let out the loudest whistle I’ve ever heard.
Mr. Burley scowls in his direction and my father watches the two.
I was shocked to see Tariq here today, I’m starting to believe he likes her a lot more than I first judged.
Darius isn’t here. I didn’t expect him to be. Tariq falls back in his seat and kicks his foot up on the chair in front of him. He’s really not helping himself where Mr. Burley is concerned, but Clare waves her diploma, beaming a huge smile his way instead of her father’s.
It’s not long before my name is called and I step onto the stage, shaking Mr. Diplo’s hand, hearing my dad in the crowd. Having my diploma as I leave the stage has me smiling because it means this part of my life is done.
I take my seat and listen to the rest of Diplo’s speech and do the whole tossing my cap in the air along with my classmates before Clare seeks me out and throws her arms around me.
“We’re finally free!”
Laughing, I hug her tightly and a sombre wave of finality washes over me. It’s fleeting but leaves a mark in the back of my mind.
“Come on, our dads are waiting,” I say.
My dad is the first to see us coming, Mr. Burley is more interested in keeping his eye on Tariq lingering close by. Dad comes toward me, collecting me in his arms.
“I’m so proud of you, Amelia.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
He pulls away but keeps one arm around my shoulders. He turns to Clare in between her father and Tariq.
“Congratulations, Clare.”
She smiles and then my dad backs up as Mr. Burley grabs Clare’s arm.
“Tell your friend to leave, or I will.”
“Hey, get your fucking hand off of her,” Tariq hollers slithering closer to them like a snake about to strike its prey.
“Clare,” her dad warns but she shrugs his hand off and steps closer to Tariq. He’s quick to put his arm around her waist.
“Come on, sweetheart, let’s leave them to their business.”
I have no choice but to listen to my father and we head for his car.
“I thought we could go for something to eat, celebrate before you no doubt have parties to go to?”
“Sounds good, Dad.”
Once I have my belt on, he hands me a gift box.
“Just a little something to say how proud of you I am.”
Opening it, a diamond necklace rests against the velvet cushion, and I hug my dad.
“It’s beautiful, thank you.”
Turning the engine on, he asks, “Where do you want to eat?”
“I’m not fussed.”
I fasten the necklace around my neck and check it out in the mirror. It’s beautiful.
“I’m sorry your mom wasn’t here.”
“It’s not your fault, besides, I’m more than happy you were there for me. That’s all I need.”
Mitchell O’Connell was the guy from school throwing the graduation party of all parties.
But Clare and I wouldn’t know how it is going.
We’re in Dog City. There’s another party at Tariq’s house which I’ve come to learn is the main base for the Dog’s Blood gang.
Scar man is called Jermaine and he still looks at me like I’m a lost lamb he wants to herd anywhere but here.
I still don’t feel comfortable here but with Darius at my back, I can live with it.
Clare’s dancing on top of the coffee table, high on coke and a bottle of beer in hand.
She has no cares about anything and I’m worried sick for her.
What does she think is going to happen if she takes too much and overdoses?
Does she trust these people to look out for her and get her help?
She doesn’t talk much to me anymore and I have no idea what’s going through her head.
“Stop worrying about her. Every choice she makes is her own,” Darius whispers in my ear.
I can’t help but frown. I can’t stop just because he tells me to. What kind of best friend just ignores this?
“You need distracting and I know just how to do it.”
He tosses his empty beer bottle into the nearby box of trash and pulls me up with him.
People move out of our way as he leads me up the stairs and into a bedroom I’d rather not be in.
The bed is unmade, dirty clothes and trash are scattered across the floor. The curtains look like they haven’t ever been washed and I dread to think of what stains are on the bed sheets.
“This room really isn’t distracting me, Darius.”
“Don’t stress, baby, I won’t let you touch anything, I just wanted a door between us and everyone else.”
I feel slightly better hearing that and relax against the door.
“So you graduated top of your class?”
“I did.”
“You’ve got me all proud and shit. My girl, all beauty and brains.”
My girl. I melt at his declaration and wind my arms around his waist when he moves in and braces his arm above my head on the door.
“You looked good up on the stage getting your diploma.”
I gasp. “You were there?”
“I wasn’t going to miss it. I stayed out of sight so your dad wouldn’t see me.”
Before I can form any words, he adds, “For someone so smart, I’m glad you’re dumb enough to like me.”
“If I recall, it was you who said the universe made this happen between us.”
The corner of his mouth tugs up and takes my breath away when he slips his hand down the front of my jeans and cups my core.
“If I recall,” he mimics. “You get so wet for me, I should be able to slide straight into you.”
Heat courses through me and I shudder when I hear him working his belt without breaking eye contact with me.
“Why don’t you find out.”
“Turn around, hands up on the door,” he orders, and I follow.
He undoes my jeans and drags them down my thighs, my panties quickly chasing them. He skims his fingers over my clit and my knees buckle.
“Stay where you are, my sweet Amelia,” he purrs.
I hear him shuffling around in his jeans and then I feel him pressing up behind me. His arm wraps around my waist and he hikes me up onto my tiptoes. He thrusts into me, and I choke on the gasp bursting from me.
I’m always wet for him because I need to be close to him, so close, all the time. When we’re alone like this, nothing else matters in the world. It’s just me and him. He pounds into me, squeezing my breast and flicking my nipple with his thumb.
“Oh God. Yes.”
“If that bed was clean, I’d be spreading these legs of yours and fucking you so hard I’d break you, but I’ll settle for you coming all over my dick right here.”
I take everything he gives me and still want more.
I still need more of him. I doubt I’ll ever not need him.
He’s become a part of me, and I don’t know what I’d do without him.
He brings me to the edge, and I reach down and circle my clit.
It tips me over and his thrusts become harder and faster.
He fills me with his release, and his head drops onto my shoulder.
“I’ll never get enough of you,” he whispers.
His distraction worked and as we walk back down to the party, there’s no tension left in my shoulders.
I don’t miss the glares from a couple of girls on the couch as they take in Darius’s hand around mine, but I brush them off.
It’s not like they’ll say anything to me.
Not many people acknowledge me here, but I don’t care. I’m only here because of Darius.
The moment my feet hit the bottom stair, loud pops pierce the air.
It takes me seconds to realise they’re gun shots.
Before I can look to Darius, he’s pushing me down onto the floor and running for the front door.
The shots don’t stop, and my pounding heart drowns out the frantic chaos around me.
Scrambling across the carpet, I join Clare behind the armchair, and she wraps her arms around me.
Squeezing my eyes shut, all I hear are the guys yelling and the shots.
I desperately want to see where Darius ran off to, but I dare not move even for a second.
The shots stop and the silence that follows is eerily calm. It’s interrupted by car tires screeching and then the guys are rushing back into the house. Guessing it’s over and safe once again, I stand from behind the chair and meet Darius’s eye across the room.
His chest heaves with what I’m sure is relief. I drag my gaze up and down him and do the same. Why the hell would he run into a gun fight? I know this is his life but surely in this situation he should take cover until the danger is over.
I’m pushed to the side as Tariq comes for Clare. He frantically looks her over, pulling her against him when he sees she’s fine. It’s now that I see they are a real couple and there are genuine feelings. Whatever they are, it’s not a fleeting fling.
I go over to Darius, noting the bullet holes in the screen door and the front of the house. The casings scattered on the floor behind the couch.
“You need to leave,” he grunts, not meeting me in the eye.
“Excuse me?”
He grabs me by the wrist and yanks me out front of the house. I can barely keep up with his long strides as he drags me up the street to my car outside his house.
“You’re hurting me.”
“Nowhere near the pain you’d feel if you had gotten shot,” he snaps, throwing open my car door.
He goes to push me inside when I set my back straight and shove against him.
“Darius, what the…”
“Get out of here, Amelia. Go home.”
“What about Clare?”
“She’s Tariq’s business,” he throws at me.
“Will you call me tomorrow?”
“I haven’t got time for this shit, Amelia.”
“You haven’t…? Christ, you’re the one who just pushed me down and left me and you think I’m just going to leave when…”
He moves so fast I don’t see him coming and gets in my face. “Do you not understand what just fucking happened?”
“Of course I do,” I snap.
“You were in the house, I knew you were safe.”
“Then why are you getting so angry with me?”
He softens for a moment and then the anger returns.
“Don’t come around here again. You don’t belong here, you don’t have a fucking clue, and I don’t have the time to even want to look out for you. You’re the classiest fuck I’ve ever had but it’s done now. Go. Home.”
He storms back toward Tariq’s house, and I catch his mother sneaking a look out of the window.
I don’t want to be one of those girls who says, “He doesn’t mean it, he’s just angry.” But I also don’t want to be one of those girls who lets a man talk to her like shit and get away with it by chasing his ass.
I jump in my car and drive straight for home with shaking hands and tears streaming down my face.