Good Girl (Playroom) (40 page)

“Filthy cheater,” I growl as I make a grab for the
Nintendo
controller. But Auggie pulls it out of my grasp.

“Oooohhh… I’m a cheater because you suck at
Kirby
’s suckage,” Auggie taunts me during our daily video game session. “It’s my turn, you killed the pink guy. Bad Monster.” Auggie makes that delicious sound and it nearly destroys me. I shudder in bliss and it makes him laugh harder- a hearty, deep laugh centered in his chest- scrumptiously addictive male.

We’ve been skirting attraction for a month. I’m doing better, but it still stings. Auggie’s rebuilding my trust. The shit he’s put up with, and the things he’s done to comfort me and amuse me, made me fall for him all over again.
But this Willow is a leery one- she doesn’t do anything on blind faith anymore.

“I do not suck at suckage,” I flirt and sta
nd on the sofa so I can reach Auggie’s outstretched hand.

“You’re so tiny, Monster. You have to stand on the couch to reach my hand, and you’re still a few inches shy.”

“Dude, you’re a beast- a foot and a half difference is
huge
,” I taunt as I jump up to reach the controller. “You’re a freak- gimme.”

“No,” Auggie
pouts. “I wanna cuddle for a few minutes.” I land on Auggie in a heartbeat. This is what we do, nothing more, and nothing less. There is an ease between Auggie and me that wasn’t there before, not when we were Mr. Kline and Willow, or Auggie and Willow. This past month he’s changed, too. Is Auggie my boyfriend… no. I trust him now, and he trusts me, and we live within the boundaries we’ve created. It’s the structure I needed in my life.

“I was just picking on you, Willow. I like your tiny body. I don’t see it as a little girl anymore. I need you to know that. What you said to me really struck a chord, and watching you struggle made me understand you better.” 

I curl up in Auggie’s lap and rub my cheek against his vintage concert tee. A deep sense of comfort hits me out of nowhere. I’ve been torn and confused. I miss Devon, and I crave him. I’ve broken my life in two in search of what he gave me, and I found it with both Auggie and Kieren. As I experience new memories, I realize that while Devon gave me friendship and contentment, he didn’t push me to strive for my best like Auggie does. Devon didn’t give me unconditional friendship like Kieren- there was always silent judgment hiding in the foreground, because Devon hated in me, what he hated in himself. Proof is how bad events change us. I’ve been doing my damnedest to move forward, while Devon is ruining himself on a destructive path. I want to help Devon, but not until I’m strong enough to face
his
demons.

“Thank you,” I
softly whisper and peck a kiss to Auggie’s neck- I do it quickly so I don’t raise the Beast. 

“What for?” Auggie pulls me back so he can look into my eyes.

“Just being here for me, patiently waiting, so thank you,” I say, never breaking Auggie’s understanding gaze. Slowly I lean forward, whether it’s a mistake or not, I don’t give a shit. I want it. I’ve finally hit the nexus between the eighteen-year-old Willow and rapidly approaching nineteen-year old Willow. I’ve earned this kiss- it’s been nearly five months in the making.

Satisfact
ion fires through me when Auggie’s breath hitches and his pupils dilate- I affect him, and it makes me feel powerful. The knowledge that I control when this kiss happens, empowers me. I shift in Auggie’s lap, and I’m surprised that I can easily straddle him now. My sister was right, again. I grew in more ways than one in the past half-year. An elated smile crosses my face when Auggie notices the difference to.

Auggie’
s muscles are taut beneath my fingertips, either he’s scared he’ll frighten me off, or his control is close to snapping. I lean in, never breaking eye-contact. Auggie’s breath flutters against my lips and mine returns the favor. That adorable hitching increases as I draw the anticipation to its max.

“Willow,” I snap my eyes shut and groan.

“Really? Freakin’ really? I finally decide to do it on my own without you pushing me, and you interrupt?” I’m aghast at Kieren’s nerve.

“Don’t make me
put a hand over your mouth,” Kieren warns and I know he means it. His palm shuts me up on a daily basis.

Auggie looks between Kieren and me with a bemused expression.

“Sorry to interrupt,” but Kieren doesn’t look or sound sorry at all. “I was debating on letting you go for it. But I knew that once you started, you’d be making love on this sofa during shopping hours. Tsk… tsk, Spanky. You can do it when we get home. But I’m sure what you’re about to see will solidify your resolve.”

“I’m not about to see anything,” I whip around snarling. “Are you jealous?”

“No!” Kieren yanks me to my feet. “How can you say that to me? Your best friend needs you right now.”

“What do you need?” I bark out.

“Not me,” he snaps back.

“Seeing as how the two of you are in the same room with me
,” I fling my arms out in question.

“Devon
needs you,” Kieren despondently chokes out. “Please,” he begs.

“No, Devon
’s being a scumbag. He’s ruining his life and I’m not gonna watch it,” I shout.

“Think about what you just said, Wil
low. You don’t want to watch Devon spiral out of control. Remember how lost you felt when Auggie made that choice for you without the benefit of the doubt? Don’t do this to my brother.”

“I can’t,” I cry.

“I’ll do anything for Devon, I’d even ask the devil himself to help. I don’t drink, and I can count the amount of times I’ve smoked on one hand. You understand the cravings, and why Devon is being destructive. Please,” Kieren begs.

“Go, Willow, Devon
needs you,” Auggie stands up and takes my hand, lending me comforting support. “I’ll go, too.”

“Good,” Kieren hisses and I
flinch. I’m about to ask what Kieren’s issue is with Auggie, especially since he’s been emulating him for the past few months. “Tina is there, too,” he seethes.

Auggie strings bow-string tight and takes a deep, shuddering breath. “I can’t do it, then.”

“If you can’t, then how the hell can Willow and I do it? Tina’s into bad shit, and she taking Devon down with her,” seethingly hisses between Kieren’s clenched teeth.

Kieren
strides forward and gets into Auggie’s face. His blue eyes are burning with hatred. He blames Auggie for his brother’s current situation- he blames Auggie because Tina is his responsibility. Kieren blames Auggie because it’s easier than blaming himself- easier than blaming the person who’s ultimately responsible- Devon.

“What did I miss?” I look between them.

“Auggie is sensitive to your issues because he’s spent five years trying to get his skanky, addict sister to stay clean. It doesn’t work- it never does… and each time Tina falls into harder drugs. I won’t let my brother go down with her, dammit! Either get in the fucking car with me, or I won’t speak to either of you ever again.”

~Chapter Forty~

Toxic to my olf
actory system- the smell hits me first. The sharp smokiness of weed, the sour tang of sweat, the sweet scent of sex, and the fowl pungency of sickness- the drug den’s stench slaps me right in the face.

“Well, this was quite the party,” I muse as I step over fallen partiers. “If only the residents of our town could see their Officer Devon now. Chief Mason would kill him.”

I pull out my cell and start snapping away. Half-dressed ladies that are passed out in their vomit litter the floor. A guy I’ve seen around town is lying on a pizza box filled with rancid food. And then there is Officer Devon…

Devon
’s slumped on the filthy couch with Tina sprawled over his lap, and another woman’s face resting in his crotch. I shake my head in disgust- I can’t believe this is the man I made love to, the man I loved. I can’t look too closely or I’ll be sick.

I snap pictures of the littered coffee table- I don’t even know what some of that shit is, but judging by the pallor of Dev
on’s skin, he wasn’t smoking weed last night.

It’s after noon, yet they are frozen in a drug induced sleep. We could do whatever we wanted, and they wouldn’
t know until it was well passed too late. Their stillness resembles the shroud of death. I never freaked, because the sound of Devon’s labored sleep hit me as I walked in the door. After a month of sharing a bed on and off with Devon, I’d know that sound even in death. If it wasn’t for the song of Devon’s breathing, I’d have gone insane upon looking at him. He looks dead, and that’s what’s wrong with my companions. 

Kieren and Auggie
never made it past the threshold. They are frozen in a perverse state of shock as they look at their siblings. I didn’t freeze, because anger infuses me with fire, lending me strength to do things I never would’ve thought I’d need to do.

“He’s alive?” Kieren’s voice is devastate
d- stunned. “Please, God, let Devon be alive,” he begs underneath his breath not knowing we can hear him.

“He’s alive- they’re all alive,” I reassure them both. They sag against one another in relief. “
Devon will wish he wasn’t when I’m through with him,” I whisper underneath my breath, and I know they didn’t hear me.

I don’t know if they are silently crying in relief and hope or disgust at the situation Devon and Tina placed themselves under.

“Track marks,” I hiss and drop the limp, bruised arm, thoroughly repulsed. “What kind of shit is your sister into, Auggie?” Auggie doesn’t reply because he’s still stunned stupid. It’s not every day that you see your sister naked on top of a man who you thought was Captain Superhero. Auggie chose Devon over Kieren for me because he thought he was the level-headed brother- Auggie couldn’t have been more wrong, because those track marks are speckling the flawless skin of Devon’s inner-elbow.

I grab a
filthy, ripped sheet off the floor and toss it to Auggie. “Wrap Tina up and put her in my SUV,” I order. Auggie unfreezes, and has his sister swaddled and out the door in a heartbeat.

I locate a cum-covered
, felt blanket and toss it to Kieren. “You wanted my help, so help,” I nastily hiss. “I’ll take Devon’s feet. I want nowhere near the top half of him.” I point at the chest that used to turn me on as much as it comforted me. That musky vanilla scent that I found as an intoxicant has long been replaced by the scent of illness. Vomit coats Devon from the waist up- his, Tina’s, and whoever the hell the other chick is.

We
struggle to get Devon from the drug den, because neither of us wants to touch him. I grab Devon’s ankles while Kieren’s fingers ring around Devon’s wrists. The blanket is barely covering his waist, but neither of us stops to fix it. Devon doesn’t look big in comparison to his brother or Auggie, but trying to carry deadweight without really touching them, leads to a few nasty spills to the floor. Devon’s going to have wicked bruises, and he’ll deserve every last one of them. It’s too bad he isn’t experiencing what we are. It turns my stomach- selfish scumbag.

I leave everyone else in there- fuck them. I make a not-so-anonymous tip to Malcolm via text message. I send him a picture of the
coffee table. No doubt Malcolm will be here in two minutes flat. A satisfied smirk flirts with my lips- it’s too damned bad that Tina and Devon aren’t being arrested, too. They should suffer the same consequences as the rest of their buddies, but I don’t want to ruin Devon’s life. He might not care right now, but we do. I don’t want Devon to use an arrest and the loss of his job, as an excuse to spiral farther down the rabbit hole. I feel mildly at fault for this incident. Devon has been using our break up as a reason to go off the deep end. I know I’m not really to blame, but… my emotions don’t give a shit.

The drive to the Spook House is silent with the exception of gal
e-forced winds pouring in from every window. They stink so badly that Kieren’s threatening to toss Tina from my car.

I will never drink another drop of alcohol or touch weed for the rest of my life, and I’m proud of the decision. Every teen should visit a drug den before they attempt to take a drug- i
t’d scare their asses straight. It’s an experience I will never forget.

I’m nominated the boss because Kieren and Auggie are stunned stupid. “Auggie, take your sister to the second floor bath and scrub her until she’s pink. Kieren and I’ll take Devon to my bathroom.”

Auggie runs with his sister in his arms. I’d love to ignore the tears falling from his eyes, but some things you just can’t unsee. Kieren’s no better off. He shakes so badly that he keeps dropping Devon on the ground. The desperation in Kieren’s eyes is killing me.

“What?” Isis shouts when she sees one of her nephews dragging the other by the wrists across the foyer floor. My inner-aunt erupts, and fuck if that isn’t what brings my tears on.
I couldn’t image how I’d feel if it was Violet dragging Seth- death, I’d kill him.

I instantly forgive Auggie for tossing me from my house
without letting me explain. No excuse is good enough- ever. I deserved nothing less than what I got.