The Next Morning:
Raven walked up the stairs to the kitchen, humming to himself. It had been a pretty good night if you asked him. He'd collected enough money to make Taker proud, he and Batista had a few good beers together to celebrate, and he'd fucked that little pretty boy, Shannon Moore, senseless to top it off. He licked his lips as he thought about how tight Shannon's ass was, how eager he was to be fucked. It wasn't everyday Raven met a guy that eager in a small midwestern town like the one they lived in. He usually had to go to the city to find them. Now, however, he had his own personal bitch. No more two-hour drives to the city for him.
"Hey, Raven," Chevie said as he sat down next to her at the table, "Was that Shannon Moore I saw coming outta your room early this morning?"
Raven bit into an apple and grinned.
"Sure as hell was," he replied.
"So, did you guys..." Kane stopped there and raised his eyebrows.
"Did we what?"
Kane rolled his eyes.
"You know..." he sighed when Raven just looked questionally at him again. "Did you fuck him?"
"Fuck is such a loose word," Raven said as an answer in between bites.
"RAVEN!" Chevie whined, "Did you or didn't you?"
"Well, if you MUST know," he sighed, leaning forward on his elbows, "Yes, I did fuck him...many times." He wiggled his eyebrows and added, "He had such a nice tight little ass."
"Oh, you're a sick freak," Kane shook his head.
Raven smirked.
"Takes one to know one."
Back At Edge and Matt's Apartment:
"I can't believe he never came home last night!" Matt exclaimed, tugging on his hair, "I NEVER should have let him go over there by himself. Taker probably killed him and ate him for breakfast!"
Lou shook her head.
"Matt, calm down," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure Shannon is fine. He's a big boy. He can take care of himself you know."
Matt turned to look despairingly at her. His big brown eyes were wide and red-rimmed. Tear-stained trailed down his cheeks. Lou felt so sorry for him. He really did care for Shannon like the little brother he never had. She pushed him back, forcing him to sit down in a chair. Edge walked in from the kitchen and handed Matt a hot cup of coffee.
"Matt, just calm down, man," he advised, "Lou is right. Shannon IS a big boy and he CAN take care of himself."
"But..."
"Drink your coffee and shut up," Edge commanded, voice stern.
Matt sniffled and looked like he was about to say something else. The look on his friend's face, however, made him rethink that decision. He sipped at his coffee. If Shannon was hurt or dead or whatever, it would be all his fault. Matt was the one who had refused to help him, knowing how dangerous Taker and his gang could be. Why had he just let his best friend walk out like that? How stupid was he? Shannon was only 19–still a baby. He couldn't take care of himself.
He had just finished his second cup of coffee and Edge was well on the way to making his third, when the door opened and Shannon walked in. Matt leapt out of the chair and flew at him. He held him tight for a few seconds, fresh tears slipping down his cheeks.
"Where the FUCK were you?" Lou asked, slapping Shannon's arm.
"Ow, Lou!" he yelled, holding his arm, "For a girl, you hit pretty hard!"
"Damn right I do," Lou agreed, "And if you don't tell me where you were at in the next five seconds there's gonna be more where that came from!"
Shannon sighed.
"I was...out with a guy last night," he replied evasively, "I ended up staying the night at his place."
"You had Matt worried sick," Edge told him as he came back, carrying two cups of coffee, "He thought Taker had killed you or something."
Shannon laughed nervously.
"Ha, ha. I wish I was so lucky," he thought. Out loud, he said, "I'm fine. But, I'm gonna use y'all's shower if you don't mind."
As he walked into the bathroom, Matt stared suspiciously at his best friend. He turned to Edge and Lou, eyes narrowed.
"Something is up with him," he told them.
Lou nodded.
"He's hiding something alright," she agreed.
"And he's walking like he's got a stick up his ass," Edge added, laughing.
Chapter 10
"Rylan!" Mark barked as he saw the youngest of the group hurry past his office door.
Rylan stopped and turned back. She could have pretended that she hadn't heard him call her name, but that would have just been stupid. It would only cause more trouble to ignore him, especially when he was in his Taker "mood". She walked into his office and sat down across from him, waiting.
Mark looked through a few more papers before bringing his eyes up to look into hers. He smiled gently when he saw how nervous she looked.
"Relax," he told her, "I didn't call you in here to yell at you."
Rylan slouched down in her chair, sighing in relief. Mark shook his head gently and continued.
"I need you to do a favor for me," he said, "I need you to go into the city and deliver a package for me to Yoko."
Rylan's head snapped up.
"You want me to go into the city by myself and take a package to YOKO?" she asked, eyes wide.
"No, you won't go alone," he laughed, "I'm sending O'Haire with you."
"O...O'Haire?" Rylan gulped and looked down at her hands on her lap. They were twisting her shirt tightly. "You're gonna send Sean with me?"
"I'd send Batista, but I need him here for the next few days. The cops are getting a lead on me again and I need him to do some..." he paused and cracked his knuckles, "Disposing for me."
Rylan bit her lip.
"Rye," Mark said gently, leaning forward to squeeze her arm, "It will be okay. I know how you two feel about each other, but this is business and you two are my best besides Batista."
"How we...we FEEL about each other?" she asked, "I don't know what you mean by that Mark. Sean and I are just friends. Dave is my boyfriend, remember?"
Mark sighed and nodded his head.
"Yes, I know," he muttered as he turned back to the papers on his desk, "That's all, you can leave now. I'd get some rest if I were you. You and O'Haire are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning."
That Night At Dinner:
"I'm a bitch, I'm a lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother, I'm a sinner, I'm a sai..."
"Dammit, Victoria!" Chevie yelled, "How many fucking times do we have to tell you to shut the HELL up?"
Victoria glared at the blue-haired girl sitting across from her. She picked up a knife and shook it at her.
"I don't care what you say," she informed her, "I'm a GOOD singer and I can fucking sing if I WANT to!"
Kane reached over and took the knife out of Victoria's hand. He placed it just out of her reach and smiled sweetly at her. Everyone else at the table laughed as she pouted and slapped the big man on his arm.
"You think I'm afraid of you, Kane?" she asked, still pouting, "I'm not you know. Give me my knife back!"
Mark laughed.
"Victoria, I suggest you try plastic utensils from now on. I don't think you'll be able to find the real silverware anymore," he told her.
"I hate you all," Victoria muttered and went back to eating her dinner.
The table went silent as everyone began eating the dinner Chevie and Victoria had cooked. Rylan looked up at one moment and caught Sean staring at her from across the table. She bit her lip and looked back down at her plate. A second later she felt her boyfriend pinch her leg and hiss in her ear.
"I saw the way you were looking at him," Batista told her, "Do it again and just wait and see what you get tonight."
Rylan gasped and everyone looked at her. She pushed away from the table and picked her plate up.
"You okay, Rye?" Raven asked, face concerned.
"I'm fine," she told him, looking at the ground as she walked to the sink, "I'm just not hungry. I think I'll go lay down for awhile if you guys don't mind."
"Nah, it's okay," Kane answered, "But be up in time tomorrow for me to drive you and O'Haire to the airport. Six in the morning."
Rylan felt her face turn red as she heard Sean's name. She threw her plate in the sink and almost ran up the stairs. She wasn't sure what was wrong with her lately, but she knew she had to get it together if she was going on that business trip tomorrow with Sean. To tell the truth, she had to get it together before Dave came up for bed that night and wanted to know what was wrong with her now. She had a feeling if she was more forward tonight that he wouldn't do anything to her. She would have to try it .
"Get up," Batista ordered as he walked into their room later that night.
Rylan sat up as her boyfriend sat down next to her on the bed. She tried her best to smile at him as she ran a hand down one of his muscular arms. She traced the outline of one of the Chinese symbols on his arm.
"I'm awake," she said, "What do you wanna do tonight?"
She hoped to God that she sounded seductive enough and that Dave was buying it. She didn't want him to see through her and give her even more hell because of it. Rylan leaned forward, now tracing the outline with her tongue instead of her finger. Batista grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up, meeting her mouth in a heated kiss. As his hands began sliding under her t-shirt, Rylan couldn't help but realize how gentle he was being in comparison to the past few nights. He seemed almost like the old Dave, the one she had fallen in love with so many years ago when she had first joined Mark's little group.
*~*
It had been three years ago when Rylan had joined up with Mark. She had just turned 17 and was running away from home. She'd made her way to their little town with two dollars to her name and nothing but the clothes she was wearing(jeans, a cut-off high school football jersey, and dirty sneakers) and a bag filled to the brim with two more pairs of jeans, a sweater, and all the books she could fit into it. She had collapsed on Mark's front porch, tired and hungry from hitchhiking from Indianapolis, Indiana to this little town without a name in Ohio. Victoria had been the one to find her. She'd called Batista out to the porch and he'd picked her up with ease and carried her into the living room. When Rylan had woke up, Dave's was the first face she saw. He was staring down at her, eyes concerned. As soon as he saw she was awake, he'd offered her a drink of water which she'd taken gladly. She'd fallen in love with him at that exact moment. His short dark hair, various tattoos and piercings, rough voice and muscular body had attracted her first, but the more she got to know him, the more she realized what a sweet guy he really was despite his outside appearance. They'd stayed up until three in the morning talking about their favorite authors, TV shows, politics, anything that came to their mind. He seemed like the perfect man for her. The only problem was, Rylan thought Dave could never feel for her the way she felt for him.
After two years of just being friends, two years where she tried to forget her feelings for him by dating Mark and even Victoria, she finally kissed him. The moment had seemed perfect, it was a dark starry night and they were on vacation in Hilton Head, South Carolina where Sean's parents lived. Rylan and Dave had gone on a walk to get away from the others who were having a party on the beach. She'd stopped him right in front of a child's sand castle, half destroyed by the incoming tide, and grabbed his hands. Then she had kissed him. Rylan was afraid he would yell at her and tell her she was crazy, but instead Dave just grabbed her face with his hands and kissed her back. The two had confessed their true feelings for each other as they laid in each other's arms on the warm sand. It had been the most romantic night of her life. The next night was her birthday and Dave had surprised her with a pure silver band ring with her birthstone in it. She had just turned 19 and he was 24.
*~*
Now, Rylan could almost pretend she was back on that beach with Dave, kissing him while he gently caressed her body with his big strong hands. She leaned back on the bed, pulling him on top of her. As his mouth found its way down to her clit, Rylan sighed in pleasure. Dave was being so gentle and loving tonight, just like his old self. She wished she didn't have to go to the city the next day with Sean and she told him so.
"What?"
Batista stopped licking her clit and looked up at her, eyes hard. He scooted up her body, until his face was level with hers.
"What did you say?"
"I said I wish I didn't have to go with Sean tomorrow," Rylan repeated, confused.
"Why the fuck are you thinking about him right now when you should be thinking about what I'm doing to you?" he hissed, squeezing her arms with his hands. He reached down to pinch one of her still tender breasts. "Answer me, Rylan!"
Rylan squeezed her eyes shut as Dave began pinching various body parts. She tried not to cry but she couldn't stop the tears from coming. She didn't understand what had happened to her boyfriend in the span of a couple of seconds. He just changed so dramatically.
"I...I wasn't thinking of him," she managed to get out between sobs, "I was just wishing I could stay here with you tomorrow instead of going with..."
"Shut up!" he interrupted, slapping her face, "I'm sick and tired of your fucking excuses Rylan! Seems to me like you can't wait to go with O'Haire tomorrow. You keep mentioning it after all." he reached up and grabbed her hair, pulling her head back so she had to look at him. "Well, just so you don't forget who you belong to, SWEETHEART," he emphasized the word by tugging on her hair again, "I'm gonna fuck you until you scream my name."
Rylan let out another sob as her boyfriend quickly thrust into her. It seemed like it would be another night of pain and hurt yet again.
Chapter 11
"So, we gotta go give this package to...who is it again?" Sean asked the next morning as he and Rylan caught a cab from the airport to the hotel they were going to stay at for the night.
"Yoko," Rylan replied, staring distractedly out the window.
Sean nodded his head and shifted in his seat so he was sitting closer to her. He reached into his pocket, fingering the small brown-paper wrapped package Mark had given him that morning. He had no clue what it was or who this Yoko person was.
"You don't know Yoko, do you?" Rylan asked a moment later as she caught the confused look on Sean's face out of the corner of her eye.
"Nope."
"She's Mark's ex-fiancée," Rylan told him, "A real bitch if you ask me. I met her once almost three years ago after I first met Mark."
"Ex-fiancée?"
Rylan nodded her head.
"Yeah. She left him when she found out she was pregnant by another guy. Mark was upset, but he didn't seem too affected by it in the long run. I don't think they were very suited for each other in the first place. They started talking to each other again about seven months ago when I went with Mark to that meeting here. She happened to be there, too."
"So, she's a dealer, too?" Sean asked, pushing his hair out of his face.
"One of the best," Rylan told him, "Her and Mark were partners until she left him. We were upset when she left, but that gave Dave the chance to move up and become second-in-command after Mark."
Sean scowled as he heard Batista's name. They had gone all day without either of them mentioning Batista's name or the fact that he was Rylan's girlfriend. Now, she had brought him up.
"That's cool," he muttered, "accidentally" brushing his leg up against hers.
Rylan blushed as she felt Sean's leg against hers. She waited for him to move it, but he didn't. Instead, Sean shifted again, this time pressing his leg harder against hers and letting his arm brush against hers. Rylan blushed even more and bit her lip to keep from smiling at the feeling of his skin against hers. It felt...nice. She shifted so she was as far away from him as possible. There was no use in leading him on, she had a boyfriend. She repeated his name over and over in her head. Dave, Dave, Dave, DAVE! That was her boyfriend so she shouldn't be acting this way just because Sean's leg touched hers and she felt how warm his skin was against her arm.
Meanwhile, Back In Town
Raven stepped into the grocery store where he knew Shannon worked as a bagger. He had a feeling the small blond would be working that morning and he was right. Shannon was at one of the two checkout lanes, bagging groceries. He walked up behind him, careful to stay out of his view. He wrapped his arms around Shannon's waist and yelled 'Boo!' in his ear.
"What the..." Shannon screamed and almost dropped the gallon of milk he was bagging. He turned around and saw Raven standing behind him, "What do you want?"
He hoped he sounded casual and not at all nervous like he was feeling. Raven smirked and leaned forward to whisper in Shannon's ear.
"Come by the house around eleven tonight," he ordered, "And don't be late...bitch!"
With that, Raven walked back out, but not before stealing a pack of double mint gum. His breath DID have to smell fresh later that night after all.
Chapter 12
Rylan fell back onto her hotel bed that night, completely exhausted. After driving through downtown for at LEAST five hours, trying to find Yoko's apartment, they found out she had moved two days ago. She and Sean then spent another hour driving around, trying to find her NEW apartment. When they finally did get there, Yoko wasn't home. They finally found her at a club around midnight. After dropping off the package, Sean had insisted that she dance with him. He hadn't paid all that money to get them into the club for nothing after all.
She blushed as she thought about dancing with Sean. She was a part-time stripper so she knew how to dance to turn guys on. She hadn't realized, however, just how turned on Sean had gotten until she leaned forward to hug him. That was when she'd felt his erection poke her stomach. She'd blushed, but Sean had made no move to cover it up. Instead, he just pulled her closer, grinding his hips into hers. She'd smiled and leaned into his arms as the DJ played a slow song. Four songs and three vodkas(one for her and two for him) later, they'd left the club.
Rylan didn't even flinch as Sean fell onto the bed next to her. He ran a hand through is hair and sighed.
"Damn, it's been a long fuckin' day," he said to no one in particular.
"Yeah, we should get some sleep," Rylan agreed. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the fact that a man she found to be very sexually attractive was laying next to her on the bed.
"I don't think I can sleep," Sean said a moment later.
Rylan opened one eye.
"Why's that?"
Sean took her hand and guided it down his body until it reached his crotch. He unzipped his jeans and slipped her hand inside. Rylan opened both eyes and looked at him, but didn't say anything.
"Because of this," he whispered, "You got me all worked up earlier when we were dancing." He smirked at her.
Rylan bit her lip. She had a feeling that it was the alcohol in Sean speaking and not really him, but she couldn't help but consider the offer he was putting in front of her. This was her chance, however, to get rid of her sexual feelings for her friend. A quick hand job was no big deal and she was sure Dave would never find out. She smiled back at Sean and moved her hand down a bit to the base. She began massaging his balls.
"I could help you with that if you want," she offered.
Sean nodded his head and slid one hand up her back. He began massaging her as she moved her hand up and down on his swollen shaft. He moaned and slipped his hands under her shirt. Rylan stiffened as she felt Sean's hands begin to rub her nipples into awareness. They were still sore form Dave, but Sean was being gentle. It was almost like he KNEW her body was extra sensitive. Rylan leaned down, deciding to take it to the next level. She closed her mouth around Sean's erection and started sucking.
"Fuuuck, Rye!" Sean moaned, grabbing her hair with one hand to push her head farther down.
Rylan closed her eyes and deep-throated Sean in one quick motion. She continued sucking until he came in her mouth several minutes later. She fell back on the bed, licking her lips, and closed her eyes.
"Damn," Sean muttered, eyes wide, "That was...it was..."
He was at a loss for words. Luckily Rylan had something to say.
"It was nice," she told him, still licking her lips.
"Yeah, you can say that again," Sean agreed, sighing heavily.
He turned to lean over her body. He brought his mouth down to hers, capturing her lips in a kiss. Rylan wanted to stop him, but she couldn't force herself to tell him to get off. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth, allowing Sean to explore it with his tongue.
Chapter 13
Sean woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and one hell of a hangover. He groaned when he realized he had one leg thrown across Rylan's naked body. He bit his lip as he tried to remember what the hell had happened the night before. He looked down and noticed that Rylan was still asleep. He brushed his lips across her forehead and climbed out of bed. He barely made it to the toilet before he threw up all the contents in his stomach.
"What the hell did I do last night?" he muttered to himself as he splashed cold water on his face moments later. He glanced back at Rylan still asleep and suddenly everything came rushing back to him in a flood. "Oh fuck! I can't believe we fuckin' did it!" He looked at himself in the mirror and shook his head. "You fucked one of your best friends. Not only that, but Batista's GIRLFRIEND! He's gonna fucking kill you, Sean O'Haire."
He let his mind drift back to last night. He didn't remember how, but after making out with Rylan for a good fifteen minutes, he'd ended up on top of her, his dick sliding easily into her hole. They'd fucked for a good half hour, not caring that what they were doing was wrong and would most likely get both of them injured or worse if her boyfriend ever found out. It seemed so right to Sean at the time. He had a feeling that Rylan felt the same way.
Rylan. He walked back to the bed and looked at the alarm clock. It said it was eight thirty. Their plane was scheduled for nine forty-five. He grabbed his pants and pulled them on before shaking Rylan awake. She stretched and looked sleepily at him.
"Time to get up," he told her, "Our plane leaves in like an hour."
Rylan rolled out of bed, not realizing she was naked. She stretched her arms over her head and Sean stared at her in amazement. He couldn't look away. Her body was so beautiful. He tried to turn his face away before she realized she didn't have any clothes on, but it was impossible. Sean took a step toward her, intent on wrapping his arms around her body and kissing her again. It was then that he noticed the various bruises all over it.
"Rylan, what the fuck are those from?" he asked angry.
Rylan looked down at her naked body. She wrapped her arms across her chest and shrugged. It was too late now to hide it, but she didn't want Sean staring at it anymore. She bit back tears as she recalled what had happened last night with him. It was so beautiful, so loving, nothing like the way it had been with her boyfriend lately. Now that Sean had seen what her body looked like in the light, she had a pretty good idea he was disgusted and wanted nothing more to do with her.
"I KNOW I didn't put those there...did I?" Sean asked, eyes narrow.
Rylan's head snapped up.
"NO!" she said forcefully, a little too forcefully.
Sean wrapped one arm around her shoulder and hugged her close.
"Did...did Batista..." he stopped to swallow back his anger, "Did HE do that to you?"
Rylan stepped away from Sean and grabbed her clothes. She headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower before they left to catch the plane.
"No," she whispered, letting one lone tear trickle down her cheek.
Sean heard her and as soon as he heard the shower start he turned and punched the wall. He didn't know how he could help Rylan if she wouldn't admit to him that her boyfriend was an abusive mother-fucker.
"FUCK!" he screamed and punched the wall again, leaving a dent in it.
Chapter 14
"You're the one that I want, you are the one I want, you oo oo honey," Victoria sang as she washed the dishes the next day, "The one that I want, you are the one I want, you oo oo honey..."
Her voiced trailed off as she shook her butt in time to the music playing in her head. She finished the dishes just as Rylan and Sean came back home. She grinned at them, for once in a long time in a good mood. Rylan managed a small smile back and Sean just glared at her and dropped into one of the kitchen chairs.
"Well, isn't someone in a grumpy mood today?" Victoria said, shaking a finger at him.
Sean growled at her and leaned his head on his arms. Victoria turned to Rylan.
"How was the trip?" she asked conversationally as she pulled out a pan and muffin mix, "Did you see Yoko?"
Rylan nodded her head and fell into a seat at the table. She was careful not to sit too close to Sean, however.
"Yeah, I did," she muttered.
Victoria took no notice of the sour moods of the two sitting at the table. She started humming the theme song to The Brady Bunch as she began making muffins. Sean looked up long enough to roll his eyes at Rylan. She giggled and stuck her tongue out at him. He smiled at her.
It was just then that Batista walked into the kitchen.
"Rylan!" he yelled, glaring at Sean, "I need to talk to you. NOW!" he added when Rylan didn't get up right away.
Rylan bit her lip and shrugged apologetically at Sean before following her boyfriend out of the room and into the living room where no one was. She hung her head, waiting for Batista to hit her. He didn't. Instead he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him roughly. He shoved his tongue down her throat and before she could react, had her pinned down on the couch. She thanked God that he wasn't being violent toward her yet and tried to get into kissing her boyfriend. All she could think about, however, was Sean, the way his hands felt on her body last night, the way his lips tasted as he kissed her mouth, the way he filled her completely as they seemingly moved as one person.
Sean shook his head as he walked through the living room and saw Batista on top of Rylan. He guessed he just wasn't good enough for her. There was obviously something about Batista that made her keep going back to him after each time he hurt her. Maybe last night meant nothing to her like it did to him. Sean blinked back tears as he made his way upstairs to his bedroom.
Chapter 15
"Some times your mind doesn’t want u 2 be in love, but deep down u know you are.... "
"You never lose by loving, you always lose by holding back."
Batista growled as he watched Rylan walk outside and sit on the porch with Mark. He had been in the middle of kissing her when she'd just got up and left because she'd seen Mark walk past them and out the front door. It seemed like his girlfriend never wanted to be with him anymore. He didn't know what was happening between them lately, but he didn't like it. Batista didn't know where they had gone wrong. He shook his head as he thought of the way he'd been treating her the past few weeks. He'd been such an asshole, but he couldn't help it. Whenever he thought about another guy looking at his girlfriend or if he thought she was doing something to encourage them, he saw red. He didn't MEAN to hurt her–to put marks all over her body–but it was like he was an entirely different man when he got jealous. And the sad thing was, Rylan was still with him. If he wasn't careful, he knew he would fuck it all up and loose her forever.
Mark sat down on the porch swing and took a sip of his beer. He nodded his head as Rylan sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a few minutes until she finally spoke up.
"Mark," Rylan whispered, wringing her hands in her lap, "You know, don't you?"
Mark drank the last drop of his beer and turned to look at her. "I know a lot of things, Rye. You're going to have to be more specific."
"About Sean–the way he feels about me."
"Yes, I know O'Haire is falling in love with you," he agreed, "And I also know you're falling for him as well." He nodded his head as Rylan looked away and bit her lip. "You can't deny it, Rylan. You may not want to be falling for O'Haire, but you are and you know it."
Rylan sighed and laid her shoulder on Mark's shoulder. To many he was `Taker', the big scary dealer, but to her, he was and always would be Mark Calloway, her ex-boyfriend and the man she turned to when she was in trouble. And right now she was in deep trouble.
Mark shook his head and put his arm around her shoulders. He let her sit there and think about what he had said. He knew what she needed most right now was a shoulder to lean on while she ran through all the emotions playing in her head.
"Mark," Rylan said timidly a moment later.
"Yea, Rye?"
"Do you know about..." she stopped, unsure of how to phrase her question.
Mark understood, however. He squeezed her to him. "Yea, sweetie," he said, "I know what Batista has been doing to you."
Rylan sniffled and looked down the road.
"Why haven't you said anything then?"
"Rylan," Mark lifted her chin so she was staring into his eyes, "I can't do a damn thing–none of us can–unless you admit to yourself what he is doing and that it is wrong. We can't help you if you don't want it. And it seems like you don't want help." He kissed her forehead, and stood up. "O'Haire most of all wants to help you. If you feel even a little of what I think you do for him then LET him help you. At least as a friend."
The tears started falling down her face as soon as Mark walked back into the house. She just didn't know what to do. She loved Dave–she always would–but he was hurting her so much right now. And Sean–well he was something new. Rylan wasn't sure exactly how she felt for him. She laid he head in her arms and let the tears flow.
Chapter 16
Lou rolled her eyes as she listened to her best friend once AGAIN talk about how much he missed being in Canada. She loved Edge as a friend, and yeah she had other feelings for him too, but she was starting to get sick and tired of him always talking about how great Canada was and how much he wanted to go back there. It was starting to feel like he didn't want to be around her or their other friends anymore. She tuned Edge out and started thinking about how his long soft blond hair glistened in the sun, how his blue eyes sparkled when he got excited about something, the way his body moved perfectly for whatever it was he was doing at the moment, the way his muscles rippled when he was working out or flexing for some random girl that happened to walk past, how he–
Lou's thoughts were cut off as they turned the corner and she ran straight into a brick wall. At least, that's what it felt like. She looked up and into the face of Kane. He smiled down at her and pushed her aside before turning to face Edge.
"We've been looking for you, Copeland," he said, gesturing to the figures of Raven and O'Haire behind him, "Taker wants to talk to you."
Edge frowned and got into a fighting stance. Sean laughed as he took a step forward.
"Relax," he said, "We don't want to fight you. Taker really just wants to talk to you. You gonna come and talk to him?"
"Why the fuck does he wanna talk to me?"
Sean shrugged and raked a hand through his hair.
"Dunno," he replied shortly, "But, don't you think you should come and find out? I mean, Taker ain't the kinda man you wanna mess with."
"Is that a threat?" Edge asked, eyeing the group of guys suspiciously and pushing Lou behind him as he balled his hands into fists at his side, "Cause I don't like threats."
"Look, we were told to take you back to Taker...by any means necessary," Raven said, getting into his face, "Do you wanna do this the hard way or the easy way?"
Edge cracked his knuckles and grinned. "I like doing things the hard way," he stated.
Lou grabbed his arm as he brought it up to hit Raven. She shook her head at him. "Just go find out what he wants," she told him when he looked questionally at her, "These three guys would KILL you in a fight and you know it. Just go."
"Smart girl," Sean smirked.
"Shut up," Edge muttered but lowered his arm. He looked at Lou but she didn't back down. He sighed and turned to Sean. "Okay, let's go."
Chapter 17
"You bitch! Give it back!" Victoria screamed as Edge and the others walked up to the front door.
Edge turned to Lou who had insisted on coming with him and shook his head. As they walked inside the house, they saw Victoria and Chevie wrestling on the living room floor. Victoria was twisting Chevie's arm behind her back and laughing maniacally. Kane quickly rushed forward and pulled her off. She screamed and tried kicking him, but he just tossed her on the couch and turned to Chevie.
"You alright?" he asked, offering her his hand.
Chevie smiled up at him as he helped her up. She brushed off her leather pants and shook her arm out, trying to get the feeling back in it.
"Yeah, I think so," she answered a moment later.
"What the hell was all that about?" Sean asked as he ushered in Edge and Lou.
Victoria growled from her position on the couch. Everyone turned to look at her.
"That bitch is wearing my fucking shirt," she explained, pointing at Chevie.
Chevie rolled her eyes as everyone then turned to look at her. She tugged at the purple halter-top she was wearing. "Look, I TOLD you that Rylan gave this to me last week," she said, "If it's really that big of a deal to you, you can have it."
Chevie pulled the shirt off and threw it at Victoria. She rolled her eyes as Victoria grinned and hugged the top close to her. No one was paying attention to her, however. All eyes were on Chevie, who was now standing topless next to Kane. He looked down at her, face ten shades of red, and felt himself getting turned on.
"Uh, Chevie," Raven said, "I think you better go put a shirt on now.
The non-gay male portion of the audience is starting to get that glazed-over look in their eyes."
Chevie laughed and turned to the stairs. She ran up them as all eyes, except Raven's, were still glued to her. Edge laughed nervously and turned to Sean.
"You got some crazy mother-fuckers in this place," he said.
Sean nodded his head distractedly.
"Yeah, we do," he agreed. He shook his hair out of his face and turned to Kane. "You wanna take our little blond Canadian here to your brother now?"
Kane nodded his head and motioned for Edge to follow him. When they had left Raven turned to Sean and grinned.
"Wanna go get a beer?" he asked.
"Sure," Sean said. He turned to Lou. "You can just take a seat there next to Victoria. She won't bite."
"Much," Raven added as the two walked into the kitchen.
Lou looked down at the dark-haired woman sitting on the couch. She was still clutching the purple halter top to her and had now started rocking back and forth, grinning. She bit her lip and walked over to the TV. stand in the corner. She decided the farther away she was from the psycho woman, the better. Lou hoped that whatever it was Taker wanted to talk to her best friend about, it was over soon. She didn't really like this house or the people in it.
She had just started looking through the collection of movies on the stand when Batista and Rylan walked into the room. Rylan was walking with her head down as Batista was saying something angrily at her. Lou looked up, hoping they wouldn't see her in the corner.
"What the hell is wrong with you lately, Rye?" Batista was asking, "I fucking give you everything and you don't even wanna fucking talk to me anymore!"
"I'm sorry," Rylan muttered, keeping her head down.
Batista grabbed her arm and stopped her. They stood in the middle of the room. He glared down at her and squeezed her arm. Rylan winced from the pain, but didn't cry out. He pulled her close and leaned down until he was inches away from her face.
"You better be fucking sorry," he warned, "I swear, Rye, if I find out you've been with another guy you'll fucking regret it!" He squeezed again–harder this time–and she whimpered. "I think you need another lesson, don't you?"
"Yes," she muttered, head still down.
Batista grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. She stared into his hard, angry eyes, and that's when she realized he was no longer the Dave she had fell in love with. She bit her lip to keep from crying as he looked back at her, his face angry. There seemed to be no love left in those eyes–the ones that used to be so deep and full of emotion.
Batista cursed himself as he watched his girlfriend bite back her tears. He didn't know why he was acting this way lately. It seemed like everytime he got angry he took it out on Rylan. He tried to control his emotions–he really DIDN'T want to hurt the woman he loved–but it never seemed to work. He always ended up hurting her. He took a deep breath, trying to force himself back under at least some of the control he possessed. He clenched his fists at his side, balling them up into tight fists.
Rylan looked away and waited for him to hit her. It seemed like he liked doing that lately. When the blow didn't come she looked back at Batista. Some of the anger in his eyes had faded. He was taking deep breaths and looking past her, at the wall behind her. She scooted a few inches away from him, waiting to see what he would do.
"Go on," he muttered, "Go upstairs. I'll be up in a few minutes."
Rylan bit her lip and looked quizzically up at her boyfriend. He continued to stare at the wall.
"I said go on upstairs," he repeated, this time a little louder.
She nodded her head and walked up the stairs. Batista kept his face angry and distant until he was sure she was gone. Then he collapsed on the the bottom step and put his head in his hands. He sat there for a few minutes and Lou could see his body shaking with sobs. She was almost tempted to go over and try to console him. Just when she was sure he was going to sit there and cry forever, Batista stood up, wiping his eyes. He shook his head to clear it and then stomped up the stairs.
Lou sighed and turned back to look at the collection of movies.
Victoria was still sitting on the couch, absorbed in the purple halter-top. She hadn't heard or seen a thing.
Chapter 18
Rylan sat on the bed, afraid of what was going to happen when Dave came upstairs. He had seemed pretty upset downstairs, and she wasn't even sure what she had done to piss him off this time. She fell back, letting her mind drift to the conversation she'd had with Mark earlier.
Dave was the first man she had ever loved. He was the first one to show her what making love–not just having sex or fucking–was all about. He had opened up new worlds–given her more understanding of what the world thrived on.. He'd given her something she'd never had in any relationship ever–love, trust, and friendship. She'd always felt safe and secure in Dave's arms. Until lately that is.
It was still so hard to believe that the Dave who was on his way upstairs now was the same Dave she'd fallen in love with three years ago–or even the Dave from three weeks ago. He'd changed overnight and not for the better. The hitting, the cussing, the bad-mouthing–that wasn't like him. Sure, he got jealous once in awhile, but he had never acted like this before. He'd never taken his anger and jealousy out on Rylan.
The door started to open and she sat up, heart racing. She stiffened, waiting for Dave to walk through the door and start yelling at her again and maybe even hit her. It wasn't Dave though. Her body relaxed as Sean walked in and closed the door behind him.
"Hey, Rye," he said, timidly, not staring at her, "Can we talk for a minute?"
Rylan eyed the door nervously.
"I don't think that's such a good idea," she said, "Dave will be coming in any second and I don't think he'd–"
Sean turned to look at her.
"Fuck Dave!" he yelled, "I think we need to have a talk!" He shook his hair out of his head and stared at her. "Dave doesn't control your fucking life, Rylan. We need to talk and you know it. DAVE can just take a fucking number."
Rylan bit her lip and looked down at the blanket covering the bed.
She started tracing designs on it as Sean sat down next to her and started talking.
"About yesterday," he started, "What exactly was that all about?" He paused, waiting for Rylan to answer him. "I liked it Rye. I like YOU," he continued when she remained silent, "Being with you last
night was...it was..."
"Amazing," Rylan whispered.
Sean looked at her and nodded his head.
"Yeah, it was," he said softly. He bit his lip and put his hand on top of hers. "Do you...I just wanna know if...do you...do you have any feelings for me or was that just..."
Rylan looked down at their hands joined together. She slid her hand from under Sean's and leaned back against the headboard.
"Just a one-time fuck?" she finished.
Sean nodded his head.
"I liked it, Sean," she told him, "And I think...I think that–" she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The next sentence came out of her mouth as fast as she could send it. "IthinkthatI'mfallinginlovewithyouandIdon'tknowwhattodoboutit."
Sean blinked.
"Huh?"
Rylan sniffed back tears.
"I think I'm falling in love with you and I don't know what to do about it," she repeated, voice barely a whisper.
Sean leaned forward and kissed her. She tried to push him away–what if Dave chose that exact second to come in?–but she couldn't force her body to move. The only thing she could do was kiss Sean back.
They sat there, kissing for what seemed to be an eternity. Both were so caught up in each other that they didn't notice Batista walk through the door.
Chapter 19
"What the fuck?" Batista muttered as he watched O'Haire and his girlfriend make out on HIS bed.
He tried to get angry–God knows he had a real reason to now–but he just couldn't for some reason. He watched Rylan as Sean moved to straddle her and started kissing down her neck. Her eyes were closed and she seemed like she was in heaven. She looked happier than he had seen her in the past month. The realization hit him–she WAS happier than she had been in the past month and she wasn't with him at the moment. Batista shook his head and slipped back out the door, closing it as quietly as possible. He had some thinking to do.
Rylan saw the door close and she pushed Sean away. He groaned and tried to kiss her again.
"No, stop, Sean," she said, "Someone was just in here."
Sean sat back on his heels.
"What?"
"Someone was just in here," Rylan repeated, "I just saw the door close." She stood up and bit her lip(AN–I have an obsession with biting my lip and Rylan does too if you noticed. lol). "I hope to God it wasn't Dave."
"Are you that afraid of him, Rye?" Sean asked gently.
"I'm not AFRAID of him...I just–"
"Bullshit!" Sean said a little louder than he intended. Rylan jumped and he sighed. "Sweetie, I know what he's done to you in the past. I've seen it. If you're so afraid of him and he hurts you, then why
are you still with him?"
"He doesn't hurt me," Rylan answered, "Dave just...he just gets carried away sometimes. And besides, I love him. He's my boyfriend.
He's given me so much in life and I can't just LEAVE him."
Sean stood next to her.
"Not even for me?" he asked quietly, wrapping an arm around her waist.
Rylan pulled away and shook her head.
"No, not even for you, Sean," she said, tears in her eyes, "Listen, I've gotta go find Dave. Talk to ya later."
She ran out of the room and down the stairs before Sean could see her start to cry. She was falling in love with him–that much was true–but she couldn't leave Dave. She was afraid of what he would do not only to her, but to Sean if he found out about them. She just hoped he hadn't walked into the room while Sean was kissing her on the bed.
Chapter 20
"And I will always loooove you oooo...and I will always LOOVE you oo–
" Victoria was singing as she vacuumed the living room.
"And if you oooo don't shut the hell up right now I will KIIIILL you ooo!" Raven cut her off, singing as well.
Victoria turned the vacuum off and glared at him. She sneered and he just gazed back, pushing his braids out of his face as he did so.
"I really hate you. Ya know that, bird-man," she said, "I HATE you! With a passion!"
Raven grinned.
"And I love you too, Vickie," he told her, "But I'm still not going to have sex with you. I'm not into girls and you know it."
"Vickie?" she asked, voice rising two octaves, "Did you just call me VICKIE?" She tossed the vacuum aside and lunged at him. "I HATE that name!"
"Notice you didn't deny wanting to have sex with me," Raven grinned as he dodged her.
Victoria was about to go after him again when Rylan came running down the stairs and tripped over the vacuum cord. She fell, hitting her head on the arm of the couch as she did. Raven ran to her and picked her up.
"FUCK! Victoria screamed, loud enough for everyone in the house to hear her.
Raven laid Rylan on the bed. He looked down at her. She was out cold.
Just then Mark, Chevie, and Batista came running into the room as Sean came running down the stairs. He jumped over the vacuum and was at Raven's side almost immediately. Batista saw the way he hovered over his girlfriend and clenched his hands into tight fists.
"What the hell happened here?" Mark asked, quickly eyeing the scene.
"She tripped over the cord," Raven muttered as he checked out her vital signs.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Sean asked, cracking his knuckles nervously.
Raven nodded his head as he felt her pulse.
"Yeah, everything seems fine," he answered, "She'll probably be up in a few minutes. We should move her to her bed, though."
"Dave," Mark barked before Sean had a chance to pick her up, "Go and take her up to your bed."
Batista nodded as he moved forward. He gently picked Rylan up and started up the stairs, avoiding the cord as he did so. He could just FEEL O'Haire's eyes boring into his back as he carried his girlfriend up. He might not be able to make her happy like O'Haire apparently could, but Rylan was still his girlfriend and he was the one who should be taking care of her right now, not him.
Mark turned to the group after making sure Batista had Rylan safely upstairs.
"Now, how the fuck did she trip over the cord?" he asked, eyes narrow.
Up in Batista and Rylan's Room:
Batista laid her gently on the bed and tucked her under the covers. He scooted a chair next to her and held her hand. As he wiped a tear from his eye, he sat down and waited. The room was quiet–almost too quiet–and he quickly fell asleep.
Chapter 21
Lou turned to her best friend as they walked down the street.
"So what exactly did they want with you?" she asked him.
"Taker wants me to join up with him," Edge replied distractedly, "Says he heard about my fight reputation up in Canada and thinks I'd be an asset to his little `family'."
"You told him no, right?" Lou asked.
"Yeah, I did. I don't wanna get involved in drugs. That's some bad shit, ya know?"
Lou nodded her head enthusiastically. She threw one arm around Edge's waist and squeezed him to her.
"That's good," she said, "Coz ya know if ya did, I'd kick your ass."
She smiled sweetly and batted her eyelashes.
Edge rolled his eyes but hugged her back.
"I have no doubt that you'd try, Lou-Lou," he told her, grinning, "But, you'd never be able to beat me." He punched her arm and started running down the street.
"You know I HATE that name!" she yelled as she started running after him, "You're gonna pay for that one, Edge!"
"Never!" he laughed as he started to run faster.
Back In Batista and Rylan's Room:
Mark walked in, making as little noise as possible. He shook his head as he saw Batista slumped over in the chair, fast asleep and still holding onto his girlfriend's hand as if it were a lifeline. He reached down, prying their hands apart, and scooted Batista's chair back. He sat down on the bed and waited for either of them to wake up. Mark had a feeling both were going to need to talk to each other and he was there to make sure it happened.
