TWENTY-THREE
Nyx
All four of my friends are sitting in my room, speechless. They don't want to believe what I'm telling them; hell, I don't want to believe it either. I've been a dick, and now I'm hoping that Raya will forgive me.
"I knew there was more to it; we," Zilas says as he points between himself and Adrik, "knew there had to be more to it."
"We all knew Raya growing up, and that was so out of character of her to do that…" Adrik states.
"And yet none of us questioned it further because Layton had the video." Cray hangs his head.
"Are you sure this video is legit?" Amara asks, a bit snarky.
I stare at her, my anger growing the more I see the indifference in her eyes. She's been my rock— our rock—all these years, so I understand why she is hesitant to believe it. Is Amara afraid that I won't need her anymore?
"I didn't get a chance to compare them back-to-back fully, but I do believe the video that came from Ken's camera," I state. "I'm not sure what all is on the other flash drives, but I want to keep them in a safe place until I can find out.
"I've got you, Nyx," Adrik assures me.
"So, what now?" Mara asks.
"You stop being a bitch to her. Do you think you can do that?" Cray grins as he pulls Mara onto his lap. "Or am I going to have to take you to my room and fuck the bitch out of you?"
Our little devil smirks and says, "It may take more than a fuck to get that out of me. "
Cray reaches up and grabs her throat. "I think that can definitely be arranged. You don't have anybody to torture in the next few days, do you?"
"Not as of right now…" Mara grabs his crotch through his pants.
"Okay, you two—take it to your own room. I can't fuck just yet, and watching the two of you go at it in front of me will be torturous," I tell them, grinning.
"Awe, my poor baby. Do you need a sucky, sucky?" Mara licks her lips.
I scoff, "You know damn well that if I did, it would be Raya doing it all."
Amara pouts, but then Zilas pulls her from Cray's lap, telling her, "I have something you can suck on. How about you go to my room and the three of us will come take care of you in a minute."
Amara glances at me, something wistful passing through her eyes before it disappears. "Okay," she states, turning back to Zilas. "But don't take too long, or else I may start the party without you."
"Mm, I hope you do, little devil." Zilas yanks her head back by her hair and kisses her brutally.
Slapping Amara's ass, Zilas, along with the rest of us, watch as she sashays out the door. I will never regret losing my virginity to one of my best friends, but I wish it had been Raya. What's done is done. All we can do is try to make things right and move on.
"So—" Adrik asks the same question Amara did a little while ago, "What now?"
"Now, I do what I never thought I'd do and beg for Saraya's forgiveness."
"You can't blame yourself, bro. Your father is the one to blame…" Cray states the obvious, but I beg to differ.
"Is he? Raya was one of my best friends back then; she was one of us, and we were quick to believe the worst of her because my father, who didn't want us together, showed me a video. I should have known better…"
"The great Nyx Beckam is going to get on his knees and beg a woman for forgiveness?" Cray grins wickedly, then asks, "Will you record it?"
"Fuck you, Cray. Don't you have a pussy to be plowing right now?" I throw one of the pillows at him, then wince when it pulls at my wound.
A throat clears, and we all gaze at the doorway where Raya stands with a tray. "Sasha says that you have to take your pain pills. She'll come in and check on you as soon as you finish eating. "
"Look at this, guys. Our boy here has a hot little helper taking good care of him. Maybe we should leave them alone; he may need a sponge bath." Adrik winks at Raya, and I grin at her blush.
"I'm sure the nurse is the one that gets paid to do that." Raya's sharp tongue is quick to address Adrik's little comment.
"Oh, but you're much prettier to look at." I lick my lips as I rake my eyes up and down her body.
I think I've made her speechless because her lips clamp shut, and she comes forward, placing the tray on the nightstand without saying anything else. When she turns to leave, Cray, Zilas, and Adrik jump up and head for the door.
"We have somewhere to be," Zilas informs Raya. "You're going to have to help Nyx eat."
"But…" The door closes, leaving just the two of us in the room.
"Come here, little lamb."
"Nyx, I don't think—"
"Then don't. Just come here." I pat the spot on the edge of the bed beside me. "You and I need to have a little talk."
Just because I know I've been wrong all these years doesn't mean I will change into a simp.
I'm Nyx fucking Beckam, and although I'll do what needs to be done to make sure I keep Raya by my side, she will learn that what I say still goes.
That doesn't mean she can't persuade me to change my mind.
She may be the only one capable of doing just that.
Instead of sitting on the bed, she pulls a chair closer and sits. Smirking, I cock an eyebrow but let her have her way—for now. Once I'm healed a little more, I'll have to remind her where her place is.
"Well? What is it we need to talk about?" she asks, crossing one leg over the other as she leans back into the chair.
She's in brown leggings and a cream-colored, oversized shirt that's hanging off one shoulder. The minx isn't even wearing a bra, and I can see the peaks to her perfect breasts jut out every time she moves.
"You."
"What about me, Nyx? I thought you knew everything." My response annoys her, but I don't let it bother me.
"I did, too, but maybe I don't."
Her body tenses, and as I stare at her, she fidgets. "I don't understand what you mean. Can you please stop being so cryptic and just tell me what it is that you might not know? "
I shake my head. "How about you tell me instead. Start with the day that I was told of your betrayal."
She clears her throat, uncrosses her legs, and stands up. "I'm leaving…"
"Tell me," I call out to her before she reaches the door. "Tell me your side of the story, Raya."
Saraya stares out the window, arms crossed in front of her chest and lost in thought. I use this time to gaze at her profile. Her features are just as beautiful as they were when we were kids.
I remember when we met for the first time.
Saraya was in the fifth grade, and I was in the sixth grade, but even then, I thought she was the prettiest girl I had ever seen.
We became fast friends and were inseparable.
It was the six of us against the world. Of course, Raya and Mara formed a different kind of friendship, gossiping about boys and whatever else females gossip about.
I always tried not to let their boy talk bother me because I knew Raya would be all mine one day.
That day came during her freshman year. I gave Raya her first kiss, and eventually, I gave my little lamb her first orgasm.
I was supposed to be her first in everything, but the last was stolen from me.
"Raya…talk to me."
"What do you want me to say, Nyx? It was a long time ago. There's no need to dredge up the past…"
"There is if we are even thinking about being in each other's future," I tell her, a bit surly.
She turns and meets my stare. "Who says we will be? If you release my trust, I can be out of your hair."
"Who says I want that?"
"Oh please, Nyx. You can't stand that I've entered your life again; I've disrupted the mighty Beckam Heir's play time—"
"Stop it!" I say sternly. "Don't be putting fucking words in my mouth, Raya. You have no idea what I'm thinking."
She rolls her eyes and resumes staring out the window.
"Tell me about that day, Saraya." I make it sound like an order, not a request .
She exhales, and that's when I see her transformation go from annoyance to detached as her spine straightens. I can only see her profile, but I don't miss the cynical smile on her lips.
"What do you want to hear first? How I begged for us to be able to be together before promising to stay away from you in order to save your life, or how your father shut me up by having his friend rape me?
Oh, maybe I should start by telling you how Layton fucking Beckam threatened me that if I were to say anything to you, he'd kill you then make me his whore to give him a new Heir! "
Raya looks at me now, but it's with indifference, and although I heard all of it on the video, hearing it come from her is so much worse.
Honestly, I don't know how I will ever make all of this up to her, but you better believe I will try.
I hold my hand out to her, but she only stares at it as if it will hurt her.
"Come here," I say softly, and she scoffs before looking out the window again. "I said, come here!" I put more authority behind it and finally, she pulls away from the window and stands beside me.
"Well, I'm here…"
Her attitude makes my cock jerk, and I give her another order as I hand her a pillow, "On your knees."
Narrowing her eyes at me, she does as she's told. The bed sits high enough that only her head and shoulders are visible, but it's enough for me to grab her hair and keep my little lamb's attention on me.
"You wanted the fucking truth, Phoenyx ! I didn't betray you—I saved you! Believe me or not, I really don't give a fuck anymore."
I stare into her brown doe-like eyes, a grin slowly appearing on my lips before I ask, "Have I ever told you how fucking sexy you are when you get your panties in a bunch?"
"Nyx…" Raya says in warning.
"Don't use that tone with me, little lamb. I have something to say, and I want to make sure you hear it loud and clear because I'm only going to say it once."
"Well, spit it out then. I don't have all day…"
I cock a brow. "Hot date?"
"Ha! I wish. I know better than to try dating at the moment. Your little twat blocker, Cale, ruins that."
Grinning, I stare at her. She never knows when to give up—I love it !
"If it's your twat that's needing attention, I'll be more than happy to keep it company, and Cale will be nowhere in sight."
"Nyx…"
"I'm sorry," I say flat out, all joking aside.
"W-what?"
"I said I wasn't going to repeat it. I was a dick, and I should have come to you. Fuck, I should have known better than to think you would betray me like I thought you had, and for that I will have to live with that guilt."
"Oh, so you are just going to believe what I'm telling you now?" Raya asks sarcastically.
I tug on her hair more and pull her toward me, ignoring the pain in my chest. She pushes herself up to relieve some pressure as she glares at me.
"I already knew the truth. It killed me to watch the real video of what happened.
I needed to hear it come from your pretty little lips, though.
It fucking guts me even more to hear you say it, to have you relive it, but I deserve this pain and so much more because nothing will ever compare to what you went through, Raya. I owe you my fucking life!"
I take her mouth before she can say anything and kiss her with everything I've got.
I need her to know that I am that same boy from all those years ago; I've just grown up and learned how to not take shit from anyone.
For her, I will be Phoenyx Beckam. For the rest of the world, I am Nyx, Heir to Nyte's Hall, and I will burn this motherfucking world down for her, trying to make up for her loss of innocence and all her years of captivity.