0 comments/ 6282 views/ 0 favorites Untitled Ch. 01 By: elite1 This is chapter 1 of the untitled series. One day I will be creative enough to come up with a name but for now this will have to do. Each chapter is taken from the point of view of a specific character, it will all start to come together in the future after the characters have all been introduced through their respective chapter. As in the prologue, this is only a rough draft and full of mistakes. I am looking forward to hearing your comments so that I can make this story as good as it possibly can be. Believe it or not, your criticism is the only thing encouraging me to keep writing. So, enjoy. J Chapter 1 (Carrion) Music and laughter pierced the silence of the cliffs, disturbing the peace that Carrion was so accustomed to. The mist of the great waterfall caressed the fifteen-year-old's face as he sat near its rocky edge, watching the festival in the village of Ceeny unfold below. Birds were singing there morning songs above him, people were celebrating in the village below him, and a cool breeze rushed past, whispering softly in his ear. The calmness of Carrion's surroundings began to take hold of him, making him yawn as sleep began to creep up on him. Carrion pulled himself away from the waterfall's edge, and finding a large stone, he sat down with his back resting against it. Closing his silver-gray eyes, he allowed the sleep to overtake him. He dreamt that he was in his own village, standing in his own room. Carrion could see and hear the festival going on outside of his window. There were harpists playing beautiful music in the various tents stationed around the village. Women were singing and dancing throughout the streets as men sat and drank the wine that being served in the alehouses. There was so much peace, so much fun and laughter that Carrion could not help but to want to go outside and join in, but he could not exit his room. He turned to survey his walls and found that there were no doors anywhere. He ran toward the window, but it slowly closed and began to fade away until it no longer existed, it just became part of another empty wall. He heard screams coming from outside, but he could do nothing to help; he was trapped in his own room, frantically trying to escape. Finally, Carrion blacked out... Screams were still audible in Carrion's mind. Even in complete darkness, the screaming of the people in his village persisted. A reddish glow pierced the darkness of Carrion's mind, and, with horror, he realized that he was no longer in a dream. He opened his eyes and looked in amazement and dread, as he saw the raging fire that was consuming the entire village of Ceeny. The boy's mind was screaming at his body to move and help his people, but his body would not oblige. Instead Carrion just sat there on the cliff, watching all of his memories and friends burn along with his village. Carrion cursed himself for his cowardice, and forced himself to stand. Carrion noticed a shadow out of the corner of his eyes. He barely saw the attacker before their bodies were colliding, and he was forced to the ground. The boy instinctively rolled with the impact and rose to his feet, prepared to defend himself against the threat; and then, he was looking into the eyes of his mother, eyes full of pain, sorrow, and confusion. She grabbed him and pulled him close to her, she refused to release him from the embrace. "Mother...?" Carrion was utterly confused. His mother was never an emotional person, but now she seemed to be crying as she held him tightly against her body. "What happened to the village?" She remained silent, her tears were running down her face and Carrion could feel the warm moisture caress his face as she cried. "Mother, what's wrong?" He searched her eyes for some sort of answer, but he could not find any. His mother's silence mixed with his fear and anxiousness began to anger him. "Answer me!" She finally spoke, her words soft as she tried to stop crying. "There are men," Carrion's mother was still out of breath from both her crying and the run into the cliffs. It sounded as if her words were choked out. "They are looking for you. They've set Ceeny ablaze, they killed the elders, and... and..." She trailed of and began to sob bitterly. "And what?" Carrion was slowly growing impatient, his anger rising rapidly. "What else did they do?" "They..." she looked away from him, lessening her grip on him. She refused to look him in the eyes any longer. "They killed your father!" His mother released him, fell to her knees, and hysterically began to cry. Those four words caused him more pain than he had ever experienced in his life. It felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out of his chest and replaced with tamefire. Carrion visibly flinched as the words finally sunk in. Taking a step away from his mother, he turned and began to walk the long trail leading to the burning village of Ceeny. "Where are you going?" His mother cried behind him with a fear in her voice that Carrion had never heard. "You can't go down there." Carrion did not answer her; instead he changed from a walk to a run, and sped toward the village, never looking back toward his mother. His mind was a blur as he continued down the cliff. Nothing about this made any sense to the young man. Why are they looking for me? He asked himself. What is so important about me that they would burn an entire village to find? And, why would they kill father? With his thoughts placed elsewhere, Carrion did not even notice the large man blocking his path. Colliding into the man, Carrion fell, unable to react in any way. He just sat there as the man approached his stunned body. The man grabbed Carrion by the throat and hoisted him up into the air. Carrion could not breathe. The feelings of helplessness and pain brought tears to his eyes as he felt unconsciousness pulling at his mind. Through half closed eyes, Carrion could see a figure rushing out of the green bushes that lined both sides of the mountain trail, a figure that only added to the confusion already raging inside of his head. He saw his father, rushing in and tackling Carrion's attacker. The man stumbled backwards a few steps and released his grip on the boy. As Carrion sat on the ground, rubbing his neck and watching the battle unfold before him, realization struck. His father was not dead, but blood was freely flowing from a deep gash across his chest. Carrion knew that his father never died, he felt as if his father had come back to life. The large hole that had formed in his chest began to heal as he sat on the dirt trail and watched his father fight the man. Even in the intense situation, Carrion could not fight the feelings of joy and concern running through his head. Carrion's father seemed to glow a soft orange as he launched blow after blow at the large man; in an instant, the entire fight changed. The enemy took a few steps back, gaining a few feet between him and Carrion's father. Opening his hand, he put his arm in front of him, aiming his open palm at his opponent's feet. Carrion noticed a thin length of metal rope materialize from the ground and envelope his father's feet. In that instant, the large man rushed forward. He closed his hand around an unseen hilt and a long, jagged sword materialized within his grasp. The boy watched in horror as he witnessed the sword entering into his father's chest only to explode out of his back moments later. Carrion flinched at the pain that seemed to pierce his chest. His father had returned back to life, just to be murdered again moments later. The hole in the boy's heart returned, this time even bigger than before, as he saw his father's eyes grow dull and his body slump down against the sword now nestled inside of his chest. Freeing his sword from the enemy's chest, the man sheathed it and began walking toward a dazed Carrion. He grabbed the boy's arm, and Carrion did not even resist as he was hoisted up onto his feet. Carrion mechanically walked alongside the large man as he was led down the mountain trail and into his village, now burned and destroyed. Once there, he was escorted to a small metal cage, pulled along by two huge beasts that he did not even recognize. Carrion slowly ascended the wooden steps and walked into the small metal cage, not even pausing to look at the burning buildings and fields, which he used to call 'home'. I have no home now, he thought. No family, no friends... nothing. The boy felt like crying, but he was hardly aware of what was going on, and his emotionless state prevented the tears from escaping. Instead, he stood, staring at the dirty, molding, wooden floor beneath his feet, thinking only to himself. I am alone. The door slammed shut behind him, and, finally looking at the contents of the cage around him, he found a corner containing a neatly placed pile of hay on the floor. He sat there, thinking of nothing, there was no fight left in him. The cage began to rock back and forth as the two large beasts began to move, pulling the mobile cage behind them. For the first time since entering the metal prison, Carrion looked up. He witnessed his mother, her eyes full of terror and hopelessness, pursuing the small cage that carried him along. She was coming closer, the gap between them becoming smaller as she hysterically chased after the slow moving prison. Carrion watched as she reached the cage and slipped her hand through the thick metal bars. He knew that she did not expect to actually be able to free him, but, instead, she was looking for some kind of hope, some kind of way to encourage him to continue onward... she was showing how much she loved him and how far she would go to support him. Carrion would not reach out to touch her hand. He just sat in the corner and watched. He could not move even if he wanted to. His mind was raging with such a severe intensity that he was immobilized, only able to observe what was happening. He tried to silently mouth an 'I love you' to his mother, but even that proved to be impossible. So, he just sat back and watched as his mother's strides grew weaker, and her desperateness slowly fade away and die out; he watched as the broad end of an arrow exploded out of her chest, forcing her to fall forward and strike the ground beneath her. She died immediately. His mother's death did not even seem to faze him. Carrion just sat in the corner, starring blankly at her corpse lying motionlessly on the rocky path in front of him. His mind was blank, not one thought passed through it. He could not feel anything at all. Nothing made sense. His mother, his father, his friends, they were all taken from him in less than an hour and it was all because of him. He had no idea what these people wanted with him or what was so important that they would take so many lives to get it. So many emotions and thoughts were locked up within him, that his mind failed to register any of them. The anger and guilt of not feeling anything flared within him and Carrion subconsciously raised his hand in the air, clenching it into a fist. His fingertips began to glow a bright reddish-white. The glow began to spread down to the base of his wrist. Bending his arm, Carrion braced himself for the inevitable pain-to-come. He brought his fist down as hard as he could into his own chest. Carrion flinched as he felt his glowing fist pierce through. The boy almost fell unconscious from the pain alone, but he fought it, pushing his fist even deeper into his chest. When the blood began to flow down his arm and onto the hay covered ground, Carrion slowly began to slump back against the wall. The pain was no longer present, as he slowly lost the feeling in his body. He fell, face first, into the lump of hay and immediately lost consciousness. Untitled Ch. 01 She walked lazily into the bathroom and threw her white cotton towel over the hook. Her end of the night routine was about to begin. She turned on the shower water and then lit three candles lined up along the edge of the sink counter with a lighter she kept in the cabinet. The warm, sweet scent of vanilla began to fill the air as the wax melted. She stood in front of her own reflection and brushed back the long silvery strands into a low ponytail at the base of her neck. She took her time removing her jewelry. First the silver necklace and then the silver and black earrings. She coiled the chain carefully on the counter next to the earrings then looked back into her eyes, lined heavily in granite eyeliner. She smiled at herself before hitting the light switch, leaving only the candles to illuminate the bathroom. She crossed to the tub, an antique, complete with gold feet and updated with an expensive showerhead and intricate knobs. She ran her hand under the faucet. The water was running warm now. A small window took up the other side of the wall, opposite the tub. She unlocked it and opened it a bit, allowing the warm summer air to enter and the humidity out before it became too stifling. She stood there for a second, enjoying the breeze on her body, enjoying the way the coolness hardened her nipples. She stretched and closed the window. Wouldn't do for the neighbors to hear her. She took off her boyshorts and stepped into the tub. She removed the shower head from its notch in the wall and laid down, resting her head against the cold porcelain. She opened her legs, propping one foot on the ledge and used one hand to spread her lips. Her other hand moved the shower head around, letting the warm water caress her inner folds as she relaxed. The pulsing stream made her quiver a little as she found her clit. She liked to play a little game every time she started this. She directed the water directly on her most sensitive spot and held it there for as long as she could, often counting the seconds she could stand the intense pressure. She did this now and mentally counted while she held her breath. She made it to eight before the water became too much, almost painful. She let out a gasp and a small moan and lifted her hips out of the way of the stream. She did this once or twice more, enjoying her little game as her clit became more and more sensitive and enlarged. Eventually she found the perfect spot and held the showerhead there, dropping her hips up and down to her internal rhythm. The bathroom was quiet except for the sound of the running shower and her quiet moans. The fragrance of vanilla hung in the air. The vision was completely erotic. She rocked her hips up and down, sometimes holding her lips open, sometimes allowing her free hand to roam her body, gently squeezing her tits or roughly pulling on a hard nipple. Droplets of water flew from the showerhead and landed randomly on her body, leaving the bottom of her hair dripping and her body glistening in the flickering candlelight. She did this in complete abandon, her guard down, her focus on one thing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Outside the window, two young men watched the girl inside getting herself closer to orgasm. A green eyed boy dropped down, pulling the other man with him. "We don't want her to see us, you fucking idiot!" he whispered roughly. The blue eyed man dropped to a kneeling position. "Are you sure we want to do this?" he asked, mentally trying to will away his hard on. Green Eyes let out a sarcastic snort. "We've come too far. We both want this. It's going to be perfect." He ran a gloved hand over his straight black hair anyway, a nervous habit that the other recognized. "Don't act like you're not scared, " said the second, his full lips curling into a sneer. "I'm not scared. I just want this to go down right. We covered everything, right?" "Yeah, a million times. I've got everything. We're doing this." From inside the steamy bathroom, they heard faint muffled moans growing a little louder. "We should go now before she finishes. You ready, Jamie?" asked the green eyed boy. Jamie said nothing in response but pulled his dark brown shoulder length hair back into a ponytail and secured his gloves with purpose. Both men looked at each other for a second then pulled on their ski masks. Both smiled at the clichéd look. But it would work. They stayed low and close to the wall as they skirted around the corner from the side yard to the back door. Neither was worried about being seen. Her yard was guarded from spying eyes by a row of evergreens that lined her fence. The door was locked as expected. However, both knew she kept an extra key on the ledge above the door. Within seconds they were inside the comfortably decorated house. They walked quietly through the living room and kitchen and into the hallway that lead to her bathroom. The muffled sound of the shower could be heard through the door. Jamie placed a hand on the knob and turned it ever so slightly. It was unlocked. He looked back at his partner, who was rummaging through his bag. "Joel? We good?" Joel looked up as he pulled a pair of handcuffs from the black bag. He smiled in response, a lopsided smirk, normally endearing, but in this particular situation, was somewhat...menacing. Jamie pushed the door open... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She was so close. She could feel inner muscles tightening as she approached her climax. She felt a chilly breeze drift across her face. Something seemed wrong about that but she couldn't grasp what and she didn't feel like thinking about it. Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut harder and held her breath as the stream of water finished her. She gasped a little then moaned loudly as fireworks went off behind her eyes. She opened her eyes a little to deepen the sense and saw the darkness encroaching the corners of her vision, temporarily blocking her peripherals as the waves cascaded over her. She said his name, as was her habit when getting off, even when she was alone. She moved her hips up and down to ride out the orgasm and clutched her chest with her free hand then dropped her legs, breathing heavily. "Ah, fuck," she murmured happily, cupping her sex with both hands and feeling the muscles involuntarily contracting. The cold breeze on her face...that was important. why...? The realization struck her in an instant with a horrible feeling of dread, that unexplainable sense that all is not well. The door and the window were both closed...unless...her eyes snapped open as her heart constricted terribly. Before she could do anything else, a large weight was applied to her chest, pinning her arms down between her legs. The weight on her stomach took her breath away in a little ragged "oh". A hand covered her eyes and a piece of duct tape was shoved roughly over her slightly parted lips. She kicked her legs wildly, her body sliding on the slippery surface of the tub under the weight. The shower head spun, spraying water everywhere. She couldn't breathe. The hand covering her eyes was also covering her nose. If she could just open her mouth and gasp for air. She felt her hands grabbed and the distinctive feel of a handcuff being secured on her wrist. She knew what this meant and it sent her into a panic, moving her body in every way she could. She recognized the weight to be someone straddling her chest and kicked her legs up, fighting tooth and nail. Someone grabbed her wrists and the hand covering her eyes was removed. She breathed in deep through her nose, alleviating somewhat the burning in her chest. Her first view was blurry, a figure in all black, his hands pushing her shoulders down. "Stop fighting," he commanded. The order renewed the fight in her and she shook her head back and forth, screaming into the duct tape, a stream of expletives and sentences half formed becoming pitiful, raw sounds. Without another word, he placed two hands over her neck and pressed on the thick arteries. Within seconds, she felt a strange darkness overcoming her and recognized she was losing consciousness. Her actions became weak and she felt herself going... Joel watched her eyes. They became unfocused and dazed, a drastic change from the furious look she'd possessed a second ago. A moment later, her eyes were rolling back in her head. Joel immediately let go and stood up. Jamie was still gripping both her wrists and pulled her from the tub. Her lower body hit the ground with a small thud as Jamie held both her arms above her head, keeping her head off the ground and hanging limply against her arm. He only had a second before she'd regain consciousness. He dropped to his knees and wrapped the handcuff chain around the foot of the tub and then secured her wrists. . She felt herself coming to, the sound of muttering above her. For a second, she half dreamed and believed she'd fallen asleep in class and felt a rush of panic for being so stupid as to doze in lecture. She felt slow and drowsy and knew she was waking up to much worse. She looked up into the masks of the two men looking down at her and suddenly felt embarrassed over her nakedness. She weakly tried to pull her hands down to cover herself and felt resistance. She heard chains rattling and looked up to see her arms secured around the foot of the tub. Tears filled her eyes as she realized how scared and vulnerable she felt. A hard sob stuck in her throat and she shuffled uselessly against the chains again. Joel and Jamie looked down at the woman staring up at them. Tears streamed from her eyes, smearing her eye makeup. The hair around her face was wet with water and stuck to her forehead and cheeks. She was sobbing a little and attempting to speak but all sound was incomprehensible. She almost looked pitiful...almost. This thought was shared by both men and further reinforced their desire to do this. She was going to hurt. The shorter one kneeled beside her and stroked her cheek gently, wiping away a tear or two. She relaxed...would they let her go? A hard slap to the cheek was the answer to that mental question. She cried out and turned her head away as a fresh wave of tears overtook her. He grabbed her jaw and pushed her face back so she was staring up at the ceiling. He glanced around the bathroom for something to use...his eyes settled on the counter. He pointed to his item of choice and Jamie smiled at him and handed it to him. She whimpered as she stared at the ceiling. The hand on her jaw was released but she felt someone straddle her stomach. Suddenly she jumped as a hot burn scalded her chest. The pain lasted a second but then another hit her. Joel held two candles over her body, watching the hot wax burn her pale skin. He held a candle over each breast, leaving little pieces of dried wax across her heaving chest. He left little drops across each tender globe, working his way to the sensitive pink skin and causing her to moan with fear of the most painful area yet. He let a drop fall from both candles at the same time and they fell one after another on her hard nipples. She cried out in pain and wriggled her chest side to side. As she sobbed over the wax burns on her chest, she felt a new sensation. Fingers sliding up and down her lips, gently probing the slick folds inside her. She tried to close her legs on the intruder but a very sharp jab to the inner thigh kept her legs from closing. Her lips were parted and a finger circled her clit, still enlarged from the orgasm she'd experienced earlier. The taller man of the two, the one gently stroking her, said something softly. Her ears perked up and she looked down at him. "Take off the duct tape," he repeated. The man with the candles set his weapons down. She felt a moment of relief but also fear that she'd experience much worse. "I want to hear her moan," said the taller man as he begin to push his fingers inside her. The man straddling her chest gripped her jaw painfully. "Don't scream. It'll hurt so much worse if you do." He waited for a moment for her agreement. She nodded fervently. Without a second's hesitation, he ripped the duct tape from her mouth, leaving her mouth and skin a raw pink. The finger working at her pussy thrust up into her. It was all she had to keep quiet at this point. She refused to moan she told herself. She wouldn't give him that pleasure. He fingered her hard, almost too hard, but the pain was irresistible in itself too. His finger pushing up inside her tightness was incredible and horrible. Meanwhile, the man straddling her chest had taken to playing with her tits. He pushed them together, rolling and pinching the nipples, squeezing the tender flesh hard. Most of the vanilla wax came off in his hands and fell to the floor. He pulled hard on each nipple while the other continued to finger her. He slid his finger completely out of her, his finger covered with her juices, then circled her clit a few times and pushed back in. The sensation caused goose bumps to raise along her skin. This is rape, she told herself. I can't like this. I can't. This is horrible and wrong and I refuse to like this. But the assault continued. "I'm going to make her cum, " said the taller man when he saw her reaction. He turned his hand palm side up and bent his fingers against her g spot. Despite everything she'd been trying to resist, this caused her back to arch up instinctively. He pressed hard and within seconds her juices were leaking down his hand and dripping on the bathroom floor. She closed her eyes, hoped against hope that she wouldn't climax but knew that deep down inside that she wanted it. A few seconds later she peaked, feeling her muscles clamp around his finger and her cum gushing from within her. She cried out a long drawn out moan, humping her hips up and down, a small puddle of cum gathering beneath her. The smell of her juices filled the air. She was gasping and heaving, little whimpers still escaping her as he milked the last of her orgasm. The man on top of her had a distinct hard on visible through his pants. He removed his glove and reached back and ran his hand up and down the length of her lips, covering his palm and fingers in her juices. He rubbed his hand wet with her cum across her cheek. She was too drained to resist and let him cup her face and slide his fingers in her mouth. She tasted the slight acidity of her cum as he slid two fingers between her lips, allowing her to suck his fingers clean. "Good girl," he murmured quietly, pulling out his fingers. Her brown eyes widened and he knew he'd said the wrong thing... "Joelly," she whispered. Untitled Ch 02 She moaned as the cock in her pussy stretched her and hit all the right spots. She gripped the bed as he worked himself in, his hands on her hips and caressing her ass. One hand pressed at the base of her spine and ran up the length of her back and back down, making her purr. He pushed in that last inch, filling her completely. Looking down at her cunt, he realized he wanted that ass. Pressing a thumb against her ass hole, he pushed his hips into her, making her moan. He slid his thumb into her ass, holding it there as she squirmed and cried out at how much his thumb increased the sensations in her pussy. Slowly he began to work his cock, saturated by her juices. He watched it as it stretched her, drawing a moan from her soft lips each time he penetrated her. Her cunt was soaked and she braced herself on the bed to keep her up on her knees. Her hips shook as he fucked her slowly, teasing her, crawling towards orgasm. He pressed his thumb further into her ass, making her cry out and push her hips back to him. Out of nowhere he started fucking her faster, slamming into her. His hips slapped against her ass and he moaned. "Fuck, baby, your pussy is so tight, it feels so good." She moaned loud against the bed, her ass up high as her orgasm drew closer. He fucked her ass with his thumb as his cock buried itself in her pussy over and over again, increasing her sensations even more. His plan had to be executed perfectly, and he knew he could do it. He knew what she would do, how she'd react, with each throaty scream she let out. Her orgasm was coming, she could feel the tightness low inside her. "Please," she screamed. "Please make me cum!" He grabbed her and pulled her backwards until they fell onto their backs. Without losing his rhythm he fucked her reverse cowgirl as she reclined on him, his hand instead finding her clit and rubbing it furiously. The other arm pinned her arms against her chest and kept her from sliding off of his body. Her orgasm was coming, it was so close. She screamed and squirmed on top of him as it got closer... Her orgasm thundered through her body. She arched in his arms and he took his cue, pulling out of her pussy and lining his cock up with her ass, all the while keeping her orgasm going by rubbing her clit. Through throaty screams she begged him not to. "Please! Not my, oh! Not my ass!" He pushed all the way into her ass and held her there, still rubbing her clit and helping her ride her orgasm. Her screams got louder when he was again sheathed inside her, stretching her even more than her pussy had been. As she screamed, her orgasm helped her lose the pain of his cock suddenly in her ass. He felt her muscles relax around him as she came down from her high, and started fucking her again. He held her just above him as she moaned from the new stimulation, and she tilted her hips to get maximum penetration. His cock pistoned in and out of her ass, turning her moans into screams in a matter of seconds. "Fuck, baby, your ass feels so good. Tell me it's mine," he demanded as he thrust into her. She kept moaning, without a response. He slowed his thrusts and pulled out until just the tip was still inside her stretched asshole. "No!" she cried. "It's yours! My ass is yours!" "You fucking bet it is," he growled in her ear, slamming his cock all the way back inside and picking up his tempo again. She screamed and struggled in his arms to no avail. He thrust deep and hard into her ass, his fingers still working her clit and sending waves of pleasure through her body. Low in her body she felt the pressure grow as he worked her towards another orgasm. He, too, felt his orgasm swelling in his balls and lifted her legs to get a deeper angle. He let go of her arms and she held herself over him, angling her hips to meet his cock as they both moaned loud. Her head fell back, her hair on his chest as her ass tightened and she came, squeezing his cock so that he couldn't hold on anymore. His cock erupted with his orgasm, getting milked out by her ring of muscle, firing deep into her body. He let her fall onto his body after they were done, breathing heavy and covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Untitled Ch. 02 "She knows I can't be with her the way she wants...right?" Dane Moore thought to himself as he hefted his trash bags to the curb. He has spent all morning contemplating his relationship, non-relationship with Lily. "Last night felt different...it's never been so real. I've never told her that I love her. I have to tell her the truth about Taylor..." "Daney baby, come back to bed!" Looking up to see his girlfriend, Taylor James calling to him sweetly to come inside the house from the porch, Dane began to walk toward his home. Dane has been dating Taylor for about three months because she fit the model that his family, mainly his father, approved of: tall, brunette, and leggy. Three things that mattered most to the Moore family: curb-appeal. They would never approve of Lily...ever. Reaching his porch, Taylor wrapped her dainty arms around his strong neck, nuzzling close into the crook. Breathing in deeply and thanking her lucky stars for this wonderful man, Taylor kissed him slowly. Enticing him to bend down to her, kiss her in return, and show her that he wants her just as much as he claims. But he didn't. Dane released her with a peck on the forehead and brushed out her grasp. Taylor shrank. She knew he loved her. He's just acting this way for attention. "He loves me, he loves me, and he wants to be with me." She repeated over and over to herself as tears crept into the corners of her cerulean eyes. "Taylor, I'm going to leave for work early. I'll be back later." Dane called from the garage. "When did he even get dressed?" Taylor thought. She shouted her good-byes and went back to bed. Dane was everything she had ever wanted: rich, successful, tall, broad, bronzed and chiseled to perfection. He literally was her dream come true. She can remember how they met perfectly... ... She had been waiting for her train to arrive. The MARTA railway system was usually always on time, but today Atlanta proved to be more like the stories she was warned of before moving here. Her mother pleaded with her, telling her that Atlanta was too busy and dirty for a young woman from a small town in Indiana, but she insisted that this was the right place for her. Well, that and the new job she was offered at New Heights High School. She was a recent graduate and couldn't wait to handle her first real teaching job! While she stood there deep in thought about her first day, the gold line approached to take her to her future...that's when she saw him. He was everything she could have dreamt of. There stood a Grecian God to carry her away in his large arms and he just looked her way. Unable to do anything else, Taylor smirked and he returned it in kind. She sat down next to him considering it was the only seat left amongst the crowded train. He even radiated the most glorious scent a woman could imagine...the smell of man and fresh soap. She breathed in deeply, savoring his essence. When her eyes opened, she realized he was staring directly at her and laughed, it shook him to the core. The little crinkles made an appearance in the corners of his eyes and she blushed, aware that she'd been caught. He extended his hand and offered his name, "Dane." "Taylor." "Well Taylor, do you sniff people often on the train or am I just that special?" He poked with a smile on his face. "Define special, Dane." Winking, Taylor and Dane shared a gaze. Realizing that this was her stop, Taylor stood to exit and the most peculiar thing occurred. Dane stood too! They both walked away in the same direction, later to find out that they both were headed towards New Heights High School. This is fate! He and I meeting like this. Don't fuck up, T!" She thought to herself. "So where ya headed?" "Oh, I'm going to New Heights. What about you?" he inquired. "Same here." Holding a steady conversation as they walked toward the building, a toddler came barreling at the pair as they crossed the parking lot. "Uncle Daneee! Catch me!" With the agility that defied all odds, Dane spun swiftly to catch the flying two year old as she jumped into his arms. "Whoa Bells. What're you doing here?" The toddler looked down, avoiding the question. Her golden curls falling into her face as she tried to think of a good story for her Uncle Dane. "Well, Ms. Bells here thought she could come to work with mommy today. So poor Daddy gets to come collect her before he goes into work and take her to daycare." Taylor looked on as an Amazonian enchantress sauntered over to them. Her long legs gave her an almost hovering appeal, her gait so elegant and feminine. She flipped her fair tresses over her shoulder as she approached. "Taylor, this is my sister Abby. Abby is the principal here. Abbs, this is Ms. James, one of your new Biology teachers." Dane introduced. "Welcome to the family, Ms. James!" Abby said before crushing Taylor into a hug. For a second, Taylor felt like she was home. Catching herself in a fantasy again, she looked over to see both Abby and Dane watching her quizzically. "I'm such a dork..." smiling bashfully, she asked if she could be led into the building. Telling them that she was too anxious to begin her first day. Abby quickly agreed and in they went. Taylor later found out that Dane visits his sister at work often because his best friend works there and it's fun to bother them both at work. "Taylor, wanna meet my absolute best friend in the world? They're amazing and if you want to be a part of the 'in-crowd' around here, this is a good place to start." Dane joked lightly while putting his niece down. Smiling to himself as she toddled over to and climbed into her mom's office chair. "Bye Uncle Dane! Sunny says bye too! Tell Sunny bye Uncle Dane." Isabella waved her doll's hand as her uncle moved to exit. "Bye bye Sunny." He grinned and left the office. Giving his sister a peck on the cheek, her promised to be back and grabbed Taylor's hand to lead out. As they approached a door a few flights up, Taylor grew a little nervous. "What if his friend didn't like me? Would that ruin our chances for getting together?" As Dane busted through the door into room 317, she heard a high-pitched screech. "Dammit Dane! Put me down! I'll fight you!" A woman squealed. "A wo-woman...fuck..." "I brought fresh meat for you to meet. She's cool. Play nice." Dane offered. As Taylor rounded the corner, her breath caught in her throat...she was gorgeous too. "Was this school a frickin' breeding ground for attractive women? Jesus!" "Hi, I'm Taylor." "Lily." ... Snapping out of her memory, Taylor went to the fridge to grab a water bottle. "Wait, today is Saturday! Dane doesn't work weekends..." She said aloud to herself before sitting down on the couch. "Where did he go?" Untitled Ch. 03 Pulling into the driveway of Lily's townhouse in Midtown, Dane sat in his onyx colored Dodge Charger tapping lightly at his steering wheel contemplating his next move. "Should I go in? Go home...stay. Maybe I should take a quick stroll through Piedmont Park or..." His thoughts interrupted by a light knocking against his driver's side window. Snapping out of his thoughts, he reached to roll the window down, but soon remembering that he'd cut the car off in his haste. So taking one big breath, he moved to get out of his vehicle. "What're you doing here?" Lily asked. Her face scrunched in frustration. Her eyes rolling in annoyance and her arms folded tightly across her ample bosom. "Who does he take me for?! He fucks me then leaves me again! But this time he did it after saying he loved me." "Shit, she looks pissed." "Lily, can we talk inside? This is a moderately semi-private conversation that I don't want to have outside especially with Mrs. Ramirez poking her head through the blinds." Sure enough, the neighborhood gossip was staring intently at the pair when Lily glanced over to her townhouse. Without another word, she turns and begrudgingly leads them into her home. Dane, unable to resist, watched her sweet swish of her full hips as she walked. Images of her writhing underneath him, moaning out his name, begging for more and more, louder and louder. "Oh shit." Dane could feel his pants begin to constrict as walking became a lot more difficult with certain areas becoming engorged. Lily cleared her throat. Apparently, his face said it all. "Caught like a kid with their hand in the cookie jar." Lily frowned and sat with a huff onto her plush oversized couch; she lives for comfort and stability. After a few pregnant pauses, Lily decides to speak up in a surprisingly calm and even tone. "So, you have yet to inform me as to why you decided to park your shit car in my driveway when you couldn't get out of here fast enough after last night." The magnitude of an awkward silence that followed her statement left Dane a little speechless. He knew she was pissed, but he didn't expect her to be this mad. Lily was typically a boisterous and fun-loving individual, but you knew that she was livid when she did not raise her voice in a situation like this. He's only seen her get this upset at one student who thought that she wouldn't flip out as he grabbed her ass. Her scolding was swift and brutal to the poor boy and his parents, but who could blame him. "What a great ass it is..." Lily could not believe he was sitting here with nothing to say. "That dumb smirk on his handsome face makes me want to slap him. But I could never, I love him. Always have." "Get out!" Dane stared blankly at Lily. "Lil, calm down. I'm getting to why I'm here." "Make it quick." Taking a deep breath, Dane started. "Lily, I told you that I love you because I do. I just thought it was the right thing to say." "The right thing to say. Hmm." "Don't take it like that. I mean, you know I've always loved you. You're like my kid sister, wait! I didn't mean it that way!" "Like a kid sister?! Are you kidding me?! What freaked out incestuous relationship do you think this is? So I'm family now...get out my house!" "Lil!" "Now!" "Lillian Marie Thomas, listen!" Lily put her hand up to stop him right there and motioned towards the door. "I wish you would listen to me because we need to talk about this." Closing the door in his face, Lily turned and sat back on her couch. "Like a kid sister...really?" ... Lily could not believe what just happened. She knew having sex with Dane would ruin them, but she still let him do amazingly dirty things to her. She was in deep. They have been friends for about fifteen years and he is the only person besides Abby that knows her so thoroughly. She hasn't even told Abbs that they have been having sex for about six months now and she was a confidante when it came to Dane and his bullshit. He was the first person to talk to her when her ten year old self moved in next door to the Moore family. Her parents had just gotten divorced, and her mother packed her and her older twin brothers, Darren and Roger, up and moved them from New York to Atlanta. "Getting away from her past" she called it. Lily mourned the loss of her friends and family, but was soon shocked by what she encountered in her new neighborhood: a shit ton of white people. In New York, the Thomas Family lived in what was considered to be a richly Puerto Rican and African American region. She hoped they were as friendly as the Santos family that shared a cul-de-sac with them. Mrs. Santos made the best arroz con leche she had ever tasted. But she was not so lucky. The Moores, much like the other families in their neighborhood, weren't as welcoming to the loud Yankees that had decided to interrupt the flow in their upper middle class community. And even school was not much better. Considering Darren and Roger were sixteen at the time, they attended high school together, while Lily was in elementary school alone. She was a shy, wisp of a girl, with skin the color of melted chocolate and big puffy hair that was enrolled into school halfway through the first semester. Lily attended Hamilton Elementary which was located in the heart of her new suburban district. After her first day, she was explicitly instructed to walk straight home, about three blocks away, and not talk to anyone. With this area being relatively unfamiliar, her mother refused to take any chances, even if she had to work during the day. "Hey! Wait up!" Came from behind her. She turned to meet the darkest green eyes she had ever seen. They almost fascinated her because most people she has ever known had brown eyes. He was breathing heavily as he finally got her attention. He had seen her around and knew she had moved in next door to him. "You walk fast, girl." Lily stood there silently for a moment staring at the boy. She then continued on her way, walking a little bit faster than before. "Hey, so you aren't gonna wait on me? I just ran after you. C'mon!" "Okay. Fine." She squeaked. She stopped at the corner of Apple Blossom and Pine, she could see her house down the block. "What's your name?" "Lily." Extending his hand to shake hers, he said his name was Dane. "So you're my new neighbor." "Yeah." "Wanna ride bikes?" With a gapped tooth smile, she nodded, her curly black hair falling into her face. She had just received a brand new bike for her birthday from her dad. It was perfect: bright orange, banana seat, shiny bell, and wicker basket. "Meet me in five?" "Okay. I have to call my mom first." After five minutes and a phone call to her mother, Lily was given the clearance needed to embark on this adventure with her new friend. Happy to have made a new friend, she ran to the garage to grab her bike and get him. Rolling her sparkling bicycle out onto the sidewalk, Lily walked it over to her new friend's house since he was not outside yet. Propping up the kickstand, Lily went to knock on the door to see what was taking him so long. She rang the doorbell once and it swung open. A tall man came to the door with a deep frown on his face. "Um, hi mister. Can Dane ride bikes? He told me five minutes and it's been..." "No." And with that, he slammed the door in her face. In a daze, Lily climbed on her bike and rode it back into her garage. Tears streaming down her young cheeks. She'd never had someone slam a door in her face and it didn't help that her older brothers walked in to see her upset. "Lil, what happened?" Darren questioned lightly. He's always been the protector of the three; they blame it on the fact that he's technically the oldest, by about five minutes. His sixteen year old frame towered over most, with the exception of his identical copy, at six foot three already. "Come over here and tell us what's wrong, little sis." Roger offered. Little Lily sat in front of her brothers and told them how there was a big man next door who was really mean and wouldn't let Dane ride bikes even though it was his idea. "What an ass!" "Dude, watch your mouth." Roger corrected. "But he is. We've been in this neighborhood for like five days and these people definitely ain't cool. Man, I'm starting to miss Romeo and Mario. Mrs. Santos loved us like we were family." Roger shrugged, moving sucked. He missed their two best friends too, but that was just the breaks about moving forever away. Darren always refused to let things go and that was his biggest pet peeve about his body double. "Okay Lil, how about we ride bikes? I saw a park near our school that's pretty close. We'll be back before mom gets here. What ya say?" She grinned and ran to the garage. "I'll take that as a yeah." Darren chuckled. What Lily didn't know was that there was a sad face of her future friend-with-benefits up in his bedroom window watching enviously as she and her brothers rode out to have fun. The next day, Dane began a yearlong fight to make Lily his friend just to spite his father from that day. Eventually he relented some, but he told him he was never to allow her in the house. It wasn't until he got older that he understood why his father felt this way, other than his obvious prejudices against her race. ... Dane was a complete loss at what to do. He knew that his father wanted him to propose to Taylor, but it had only been eight months of them dating consistently and he had been having relations with Lily for six of those. He knew that there was only one person that he could consult in a time like this and he hoped that they knew what to do. Pulling up into the drive of the old house on Apple Blossom, he watched a familiar face planting flowers in the front yard. Parking on the street to avoid having to rotate cars when his father came home from the country club, he approached them as their head remained down. "Mom, I need help." Dane said to Laura Moore. She looked up from her newly planted perennials and smiled. Embracing her only son, Laura sighed heavily. She was pleased that he had come to visit, but she just wished he made more of an effort when he was not in need of counseling. "What's wrong, Daney? And it hurts my poor little heart that my only son comes home once in three months for consultation. Do you not love your dear old mom? Am I not important enough for at least a phone call once in a while?" She said feigning disappointment. "You know one day I won't be here and you will have to start making responsible decisions on your own." Dane rolled his eyes as she gave him the same speech that he receives at every visit. "Mom, stop with the dramatics. This is really important. I have seriously ruined my life..." She stopped to look at him quizzically. She could tell he was hurting and grabbed him by the hand to lead him into his childhood home. As the front door opened, the smell of apples and cinnamon wafted into Dane's nose. "Ahh, the sweet smell of home" he thought as he was led into the kitchen where his mother was preparing dinner. "So how did you ruin your life?" She inquired as she washed her hands and began to pull various food items from the refrigerator and cabinets. "You know that I love Taylor, right? And she's great and perfect and everything I could ever want..." "But?" "But she isn't Lily..." Laura nodded understandingly. She has known for fifteen years that her son was head-over-heels in love with Lily Thomas. She knew from the moment that he cried angry tears about not being allowed to ride bikes with the girl when she first moved into the neighborhood. She can clearly see him now, stomping around the house, huffing and puffing as he watched her and her brothers playing in the warm Georgia heat. "Oh, where has the time gone?" "Okay, so we've established that she isn't Lily. I guess I don't see how your life is ruined as of yet." "I have been cheating on Taylor with Lily for six months now." Dane held his head low, eyes averted from his mother's heated gaze. Laura immediately stopped chopping up the onions for her main course and looked at her boy...her very silly boy. "For six months, Daney? You've only been with Taylor for about eight months total. Oy vey." "I know, but that's not all. I told Lily that Taylor and I are friends that nothing has been going on between us, and Taylor believes Lily is just my platonic childhood friend. I'm screwed!" Taking a deep breath, Laura asked "Do you love Lily?" With no hesitation, Dane replied with a strong yes. He knew that his mother has never held the same prejudices that his father insists on maintaining in this day and age, but she knew that her husband loved Taylor for Dane. He had begun discussing how he wishes for grandchildren from their coupling to her in private. "Well if you love her, you have to tell her the truth and be a man about it. She will be mad, she may even hate you a little, but you cannot lead her on forever. She is a bright young woman and if I know anything about Lily, it's that she is a special girl. You cannot keep something this important from her." Dane sighed heavily. He figured that his mother would say that. "But what about dad? He has come to accept Lily being in my life, but he would never go for that." "Dane Arthur Moore, there are few moments in life where true love can be acquired. You cannot let other people keep you from happiness. If I had, your father and I would have never have dated nor married. My father did not approve of an unemployed veteran attempting to woo his littlest princess fresh out of college, but I fought for Patrick. I loved him more than anything else and if Lily makes you feel like breathing without her in your life is not possible, you have to do everything to get her. Understand? We'll deal with your father when we cross that bridge." Scooping his mom into a big hug, Dane kissed her on the cheek. "This is why I love you, Mom. You're amazing...even if you are a midget." He teased as she pinched him. It was not Laura's fault that she was only 4'11 compared to his giant 6'4 stature. He retained all of his height from his father's side of the family. "Hey son, leave my wife alone." His father bellowed from the foyer. Patrick Moore dropped his golf clubs by the front door and headed into the kitchen to greet his wife and boy. Patrick Moore is a giant man with salt and peppered russet hair. His dark cerulean eyes twinkled as he walked into the kitchen to see a familiar scene: his wife being teased by one of their children. "Hey, Dad. Well, I guess I'll be on my way. I should really get back home. Thanks again, Mom." Tousling her curly blond locks, Dane released her to give his old man a quick hug before departing. "You're leaving so soon, son. Why not stay for dinner?" Patrick offered as he embraced his only son. "We never see that much of you or your sisters anymore. I get it, Abigail has my little Bella-Bug, but Rachel just completely forgets that we exist." "Dad, Rach is in Morocco right now. She'll be back before you know it. Research is her life and with your anniversary on the horizon, she will definitely return. It'll be okay." Dane tried to reassure his folks. His oldest sister, Rachel, was a professor at Emory University and spent her summers doing research in random foreign countries. She was incredibly talented and he was proud of her despite rarely talking to her. He missed her fairly often. "But what about you? You live in Buckhead for fucks sake. Why do we never see you or Taylor?" Patrick inquired. "Dad, I have to go. I'll be over for Sunday dinner." Dane stated as he walked out of the kitchen. Patrick looked to his wife with a touch of sadness in his eyes. "Well, good thing I have all that I need right here." He said as he kissed his wife. "What's going on with that kid?" Laura looked away and opted to answer with "Dinner will be ready around six o'clock. Go get cleaned up, love." Patrick did as instructed, not once thinking about his wife's indifference to his thoughts. ... Dane felt that he accomplished his goal. He knew what he had to do, but how to go about it. As he was thinking of a way, his phone rang. "Hey man! What's going on?" "Come shoot some hoops with Roger, the gang, and I. We're meeting up in about an hour and need another man." "Alright, cool. I'll be there. Where at?" "I finally finished refurbishing the old park in my neighborhood. The court is everything, man." "Okay, see you in a bit D. Prepare to get spanked." Dane joked with Darren before hanging up. In the last fifteen years, he and Darren had grown close. "How can I be around her brothers without thinking about her? Fuck. I need to clear my mind for a little while..." He hoped that he could keep it together around her folks. The last people who needed to know how he was treating their little sister was Roger and Darren, especially Darren. It took him forever to trust him as it was, he could not ruin that. "This situation just sucks..." Looking back down at his phone, he realized that Taylor had texted him: It's Saturday. You're not working. What are you really doing? I'm worried about you, baby. "Oh shit, now what?" Dane banged his head against his steering wheel and sighed. He had to do something and quick. He can't keep lying. He had to fix this...and quick!