Chapter 39 Stone
THIRTY-NINE
STONE
This has been the worst month of my life... apart from Ella’s death.
But this is a very close second.
I’ve spent nearly every night in a drunken haze, wishing to forget that Vanna exists out there without me and that her ex has all the space in the world to weasel his way back into her life.
Tonight is no different. The room sways from time to time as people filter in through the condo.
Jace drops down to the couch beside me, handing me another cup and without even asking what it is, I swallow it down.
“Woah, dude. Just take it easy. Enjoy yourself.”
“Enjoy what?” I scoff.
Daphne frowns as she approaches. Her disapproval of my drunken state written all over her face.
“I don’t know. The company? The distraction?”
I nod my head at the group of women by the bar cart. The one with pink hair and fake breasts smiles back at me. She’s taken that as a cue to come over.
I wrap an arm around her waist and yank her to my lap. She’s thin, unlike Vanna. All her curves are fake or produced by some tight article of clothing whereas my Darkness has a natural cushion to her like she was made to grow my babies.
And there I go again, thinking about a woman who despises me.
“This distraction?” I chuckle to myself as I loop a finger inside the hem of her skirt to keep her on my lap.
I don’t bother asking her name or even acknowledging her really, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
“Dude.” Jace scowls.
“That’s not a good idea.”
“Why’s that, Daph? Hmm? Am I gunna break your best friend’s heart? Oh, wait she doesn’t fucking have one, right?”
“Stone!” She barks back at me. “You’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Fuck it. Fuck everything.” I mutter.
Daphne’s gaze flits up behind me and the way her face drains of color sparks my curiosity. A warmth floods my chest as I toss my stare over my shoulder to find a familiar onyx cloud of doom heading this way.
As our eyes meet, a certain dread floods her features.
Frowning, she soaks me in from head to toe.
“Let’s go, Van. I’ll get you something to drink.”
Daphne tugs her by the hand and drags her away. Though our stare never parts. Not even as the pink haired stranger decides now is a good time to straddle my lap.
It’s the way she watches me with fury in her eyes and a flare to her nose that drives me to do something even dumber. I push to stand, bringing Pinky along with me and whisper an invitation into her ear.
Sure enough, she accepts, following me down the hall and toward my studio. When I slam the door shut, I catch a glimpse of my Darkness staring daggers and it lights an excitement within me.
“So, let me guess. You’re Stone.” She says, gesturing to the name of the studio in neon lights hanging on the wall.
“Yeah.”
“I’m-”
“I’d rather not know.” I tell her, uncaring if my callousness comes off as rude.
Instead, she shrugs. I drop down onto the side of the client chair and she inches closer. There’s a confident sway in her step like she’s done this before. I let her close the distance and as her body settles between my thighs she wraps her arms around my neck.
She’s at least a few inches taller than Vanna, so in this moment she has to look down at me. It’s uncomfortable, but I so desperately want to see how far I can push without breaking.
I’ve told Vanna time and time again that she could fuck every man in this country and I’d still come back to her, but would she be willing to do the same for me?
As Pinky’s mouth hovers over mine, the door to the studio swings open. In storms Darkness, vexed and seething. Our gazes catch and the woman clinging to me looks stunned.
“Can I help you?” She asks Vanna.
“Nope. Just here to see if he’ll do it.”
“You don’t think I will?” I smirk at her as her arms cross over her chest.
“Nope.”
A cocky chuckle bubbles up out of me and just to prove her wrong, I grab Pinky by the face and crush my mouth to hers. She tastes like bubble gum lip gloss and vanilla vodka. Her flavor just as artificial as the rest of her.
She squeals at first, but then leans into me, allowing me to use her and that’s just what I do.
When I yank her face off mine with the chunk of her hair wrapped in my fist, I don’t even bother looking at her. No, my attention is behind her on the little vixen that’s wrecked me.
“Now what?” Vanna asks.
“You join.”
She scoffs. “Yeah right, Lover Boy.”
God, the sound of my name on her tongue strikes a chord in my soul. I’ve missed it, missed the sound of her voice calling to me.
“Just say the word, Darkness, and she’s gone.”
Her mouth thins into a tight line, and her eyes narrow on me. It’s a battle of wills and she desperately wants to be the stronger one here, but I know she’s just as weak for me as I am for her.
“Excuse me?” Pinky snips.
“Oh no, please pretend I’m not here. I would love to see where you were going to go with this.”
“You want to watch her suck me off, is that it? Does that turn you on because I think I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the idea of that.”
“I’m right fucking here!” The girl growls.
Vanna doesn’t budge. She doesn’t say a single word, so I tug the girl’s hair until she’s falling to her knees.
“Show her what you’ve got.” I wink at her.
Pinky’s face contorts with disgust, but the idea that she’s the one to suck my cock forces her to relent. She unzips my jeans and flays them open just enough to free me from my boxers.
Vanna’s face falls, her mouth dropping into another frown. There’s a clear disappointment in her gaze right now as her eyes well with tears.
Suddenly, this doesn’t feel so right. The desire to force Vanna back to me with jealousy has turned out to be a terrible idea and it shows in the way she spins on her heels, running from the studio.
The girl between my thighs tugs on my flaccid cock, sucking and yanking, hoping at some point I might grow hard, but it’s impossible when the one thing that turns me on just left.
“Yeah, sorry. I’m done. Thanks though.” I mutter, standing up and accidentally knocking her over onto the ground.
With a grip on her elbow, I right her before taking off to find Vanna.
Zipping my jeans, I stalk down the hallway, shoving through people I’m sure I know. My eyes search the kitchen, then the living room for a blur of obsidian with a hint of lavender. Only to find a blond ponytail next to dark braids.
I round the couch, staring down the two and they glower right back.
“Didn’t go as planned, huh?” Jace jabs.
“Where is she.”
“She left. She said this was the worst idea she’s ever had and then stormed out the front door.” Daph answers.
Ignoring their shitty attitudes, I follow after her. Only problem is I’m fucking wasted.
Pulling out my phone, I find the closest Uber is still twenty minutes away. Walking would take just as long, so I settle for the ride.
The entire wait, I pace the sidewalk anxiously and nearly rip the door from its hinges when the Uber finally arrives.
Fuck my rating.
My head whirls with everything I want to say to her. How I can apologize. What the right words are to get her to come back to me, but all of that ceases the moment I walk through our apartment door.