Tongue Kiss the Chocolate off my Stomach

Jace

Oh, God, I care.

Panic bubbles up in my stomach as I realize that I'm still here. I've never stayed the morning after sex, or even directly after, unless I wanted more of it. But Clio is small. I know I hurt her. And I'm not leaving until I figure out two things--is she okay and did she like it? 

I tighten my grip on her. I couldn't leave anyway. I would have to physically be kicked out by her. 

I scan the room. It's clean and tidy, unlike Clio. Her light blue walls have huge posters of athletes that lived here. And there are pictures of her and Lai when they were younger. And one of her with some guy at a beach. He has her in his hands, and he looks really close to her. There's something going on with them two. Or was. Jealousy comes up around my neck, threatening to choke me.

"Clio?" I ask, needing to know now.

"Mmm?" she sighs, turning her head to look at me. Her eyes are red and wet. 

Oh, God, I'm a monster. "Clio, are you okay? What's wrong?" I demand, pushing her away from me. Maybe she doesn't want to touch me.

She starts sobbing--uncontrollably. "Leave me alone! Get the fuck away from me!" she screams, getting out of the bed. She throws herself into the bathroom, locking the door. I still hear her sobbing.

What the actual fuck did I do?

Her voice comes through the door. It's something unitelligible, followed by "Trey." Over and over and over.

Who the fuck is Trey?

I stand up, throwing on a pair of shorts. "Clio?" I knock at the door.

"Jace, go away. Go... away... Trey." She sounds horrible right now. Like she's having a mental breakdown. I'm stuck between wanting to get her mom, and not wanting to give out her secret.

"Do you need your mom?" I sound panicked, desperate, scared. What if she committs suicide in there?

"No." 

I pace outside the door. "Please let me in. I want to help you. I jus'--Clio." I sit by the door, waiting. 

The shower turns on, and she doesn't make any more noises. It's quiet for about ten minutes, and I wait, silent, upset.

The door opens next to me. Her eyes are tinged red, but she looks a lot calmer. "Well, Jace, that was a fun night." 

Why does it sound like we had a one-night stand? "Clio, don't do this to me," I warn, standing. I grab her shoulders, stomach rolling on the inside.

Her eyes are dead. Just wide and dead, lack of any emotion. "Do what, Jace?" She's shut down completely.

I know it's not her right now. She's upset about something. But I blame myself right now. "Don't leave me like this, Clio. I love you." There. I said it.

There's a flicker, but she's still dead. "You don't know what love is." And then she slams the door back on me.

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I storm through the house, pushing through people, fighting tears. She can't hate me. I do know what love is.

I love her too much.

"Jace?" Vic asks.

I throw him to the side, stopping when I get to the liquor cabinet. It's locked. I punch straight through the glass. It shatters beneath me. I grab a fifth of vodka and drink it straight. It sloshes down my throat, burning.

"FUCK LOVE!" I scream, throwing the empty bottle down on the ground. It shatters. "Vic, I swear to God, there's no fuckin' pleasin' women." I grab another bottle. Something brown and hot. I pour it down. "I love that girl. I love her."

"MISS TIFF!" Vic screams, grabbing me. "Jace, stop. Stop. What's wrong with you? Is it Kayla?"

"Fuck no," I say, laughing. The world is already blurring. "It's the most beautiful, amazin' girl in the world--Clio. Fuckin' Clio. Funny, cuz I fucked Clio." I laugh even harder. "Let me go, dick. Shit." I shake him off.

Vic continues to hold me as Ms. Tiffany comes up. She looks confused. "What's his problem?"

I turn around to face her. "Shit, there's two of you." I point in the middle of them. "Your daughter. Your daughter is my damn problem." I laugh. "I love bad bitches that's my fuckin' problem....Yeah, I like to fuck I got a fuckin' problem...."

Vic shrugs. "I don't know. But go check on Clio. I heard her scream a few minutes ago. An' then Jace came through here. Somethin's goin' on."

She takes off. Vic pushes me on the ground. "What happened?"

Before he can answer, we hear a feminine scream. "My baby."