The Morning

one

*January 1st, 2017*

Rena never thought she would kill herself. She never thought she would fuck anyone before marriage. She never thought she would fall in love with the very thing that would destroy her.

Yet here she is, her wrist slit wide open in a bathtub full of water that is slowly turning pink. A certain man on her mind with tears streaming down her cheeks. She begins to think of all the lovely memories and the quite terrible ones, as well. Rena feels her breathing getting jagged and her eyes slowly drooping. She passes out right before the locked door bursts open with a broken man followed by the paramedics and police and firemen.

But they are all too late.

He picks up her wet, fragile body and holds it against his shirt not worrying about his clothes getting soaked in blood and water. He feels the tears coming, he doesn't care that there are plenty of people around who know just how powerful and terrifying he actually is. He let the large tears fall from his stormy blue eyes while he looked at his beautiful Rena.

Lifeless in his arms. It was his fault.

*January 1st 2016*

"Rena Elizabeth Smith," Rena's best friend yells across the apartment to the bathroom, "Hurry up and get out of the shower so we can go to da club!"

Rena rolls her eyes. Even though Lila couldn't see her. Maybe Lila could feel her discontent with having to go somewhere with alcohol, strippers, and men who sadly are married, being unfaithful to their housewives who are probably at home feeding the children and making sure they all are in bed.

She wraps the soft towel around her body, trying to pat the excess water droplets dry.
She was trying to find some sort of excuse not to go on this venture, maybe feign a migraine? She knows that it's impossible. She can't lie whatsoever and her friend would certainly see right through it.

Lila peeks her head in through the door and sighs when she sees Rena still in a towel.

"Come on, ma. The club isn't going to wait for us. Now get your cute ass in something sexy."
Her best friend winks and Rena groans, shooing her friend out of the room. When the door is finally shut, she grabs her undergarments and tugs them on. She walks to her closet and looks over everything, finally deciding on a pair of jeans and a purple top. The top is her favorite, it has a scooped neckline enough to show that she is no longer a child, but not so low to make her feel immodest.

Her mom approved of it too, which was always the deciding factor. She and her mother were often looked at as staunch Catholics, which they were. Cassandra Smith, Rena's mother, believed in modesty, chastity, and fully devoting her life to the Lord.

Rena believed the same, but still enjoyed hanging out and living with her best friend Lila who is far from religious. Lila is one of those girls who loves parties, clubs, and all the immoral things that Rena's mom preaches against. In fact, her mother didn't even know they were going to a club tonight. If she did, she would surely have Rena pray the sinner's prayer and warn her about being "Satan's plaything."

Rena checks her reflection in the mirror and decides to apply some mascara to make her smokey blue eyes pop a little more. When she finishes she stares at her reflection in the mirror, satisfied. The door opens once again and Lila peeks her head in.

"Oh girl. Those jeans look good, but come on. Wear a sexier top!" Rena sighs.

"You know I'm not really one for 'sexy'. My mother would never approve." Lila rolls her eyes, flicking her tightly curled hair over her shoulder.

"No offense Re, but fuck your mama. She's not here and you're an adult. It's time you learned to hold yourself in the real world and that means showing off your assets." She walks over to the closet, not even tripping once on her heels and digs through until she retrieves a pink top. It's a tank top and much lower cut than anything Rena would wear, in fact she thought the top was a bit raunchy

"Now this will look killer on you." Rena gulps nervously.

"I don't know..."

"Well I do," Lila begins.

"Now put this one and let's go. I plan on having the time of our lives."

***

Rena exhales in frustration. She knew this is how things would turn out. As soon as they arrived, a group of men offered to buy drinks for the girls. While Rena politely declined, Lila gladly accepted leaving Rena alone. She sits awkwardly on a bar stool, trying to avoid the sweaty bodies and gross overweight men.

"Excuse me sir," she calls over to the bartender. The guy behind the bar turns and smiles.

"Yes dear, what can I do for you? Anything you want is on the house." The man winks and Rena tries not to grimace.

"Thank you, but it's just going to be a water for me tonight." Rena shyly tucks her hair behind her ear. She is extremely uncomfortable. She is innocent not ignorant and is fully aware that the bartender was hitting on her.

"You come out to a club and you only want a water?" A male's voice catches her attention. She turns her head to find a rather attractive man sipping on a soda; undoubtedly with something mixed in it.

She blushes under the gaze of the stranger's blue eyes.

"I'm not really a drinker. Not even a clubbing type of person if I'm honest." The bartender sets the water in front of her and she takes a sip cautiously. The stranger smirks and leans back in his bar stool.

"Well, you're not a clubbing type person and you're here. So why not have a drink since you aren't a drinker? It only goes with the pattern." The man makes a good argument and she actually ponders it as he takes a drag from his cigarette. He blows the smoke out slowly and it is sensual in the strangest of ways.

"So what do you say, sweetheart? Want to let loose a bit?"

Her cheeks flush at the use of the pet name, for she had just met the guy and he was insanely attractive, but she had morals.

Rena contemplates a moment before turning to the bartender once more.

"Sir? Yeah, I changed my mind. I'll just take a wine spritzer." The bartender nods but laughs and Rena furrows her eyebrows. She turns to the man next to her.

"You happy?" He chuckles, taking another sip of his drink.

"I was thinking something a little harder, but we all have to start somewhere don't we?" The attractive man sticks his hand out for Rena to shake.

"I'm Luke by the way, and you are?" She cautiously takes his hand and shakes it.
"I'm Rena." Luke smiles and returns both hands to his glass. In that moment, the bartender sets her wine spritzer in front of her. Rena gulps nervously and wraps her hand around the glass. Luke notices her nerves and raises his glass.

"To new experiences." She nods in agreement.

"To new experiences." She takes a sip, not expecting to like the taste; but she does. She drinks the rest in a long gulp as Luke watches with a coy smile on his face.

"And so it begins."

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hi guys!! the first chapter is kind of short I know, but the second will be longer. this is more of an intro to who Rena is and stuff. let me know if you have any questions :-)

all the love- wes