OBEDIENT. (Book Four)

17

She is not perfect, she is madness and madness is a beautiful irony where perfection and flaws are the best of friends.
-Unknown.

-

"Hi."

I turned to see Paulette as she gazed down at me. Her beautiful caramel skin glistening with the little sunlight pouring through the window as the sun began to set. I smiled up at her, a vision of ecstasy and as if by domino effect, she returns it.

"Hi."

"You're beautiful." She murmurs, her eyes glued to my lips as her fingers trace a line.

"Did you shower?"

"Yea."

"Without me?"

"You were sleeping, I didn't wanna wake you. You looked like you needed a minute." She stops to look at me before pushing stray strands of hair behind my ear. "How's the hangover?"

"I don't have one, surprisingly."

She leans down to kiss me and I don't stop her. It was good to relax and ease the bucketload of tension I had on me and for the last few hours, that's exactly what I did. I was at her small apartment, lying on her bed, resting, after the intensity of her lovemaking skills.

"You're amazing." I whisper as she just lays next to me.

"Yea? Well you gave as much as you took."

I chuckled. Pulling her body closer to mine, I inevitably loosen the towel she has wrapped around her, revealing the hickeys that were bright on display.

"You should see yourself." She responds, cutting into my thoughts.

I look up at her and smile before she leans in and kisses me once more. All thought of anything logical has left my mind and I moaned as I allowed her to pin me to the bed before discarding her towel and getting on top of me.

Her body was hot and soft and I moaned as my already hardened nipple vanished inside her awaiting mouth. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to wallow in all the feelings of total exhilaration before the last few hours, days, weeks, months, of my life slowing started to come back to me and as her fingers entered my body so did my reality.

"Oh my gosh." I freaked. "The sun has set."

"Ah, yea?"

"I've been gone for way too long. My boss is probably wondering where I am. My daughter, my brother. Oh my gosh I'm so dead." I continued to freak as I scrambled from beneath her and frantically searched for my phone.

Paulette sat on her bed, completely naked and watched me with a smirk as though I amused her.

"I like the totally carefree, fuck the world, I don't love Ms. T at all version of you but this you... the you that has responsibilities and freaks out about almost everything, the you that overthinks... that's the you I'd love to break in."

I roll my eyes at her as I located my phone and there was no surprise as I saw the 20 missed calls and over 40 messages.

"I gotta go."

"At least let me rock your world one last time." She taunts, leaning back against the headrest and spreading her legs for me.

"I... I... I can't..." I stuttered, even though I was literally dripping with need for her.

"You can't? Or you won't?"

Her tone was seductive and she made no move to cover herself, opting instead to touch herself very slowly.

"Paulette."

"You're sober now. So you're realizing how bad a mistake this was and how you want to run back to the same people that left you."

"I was drunk when I told you those things-"

"You were hurt."

"I can't."

"Again... you won't."

"What do you want from me?"

"Your body... they've already taken your soul."

She tilts her head to the side as though silently mocking me for being a weakling and when I roll my eyes at her, her smirk widens as though she won a silent bet. Closing my eyes, I shook my head before marching over to her.

I could be bad. I could be ruthless, I could not care and do whatever makes me happy. And I was gonna prove that to her.

Her smirk was condescending and I straddled her naked body with my own before pushing her onto the bed. Her hands were held down by mine and for the next few moments, I showed her just how bad I could be.

~~~

"Where the hell were you?!" Jane snapped as I hurriedly tried to meet up with them.

She was standing in the waiting room with my brother, Veronica and Darcy and none of them looked the least bit pleased.

"I lost track of time and-"

"No! That's not what I meant." Jane snapped, folding her hands and staring me down. "When I left you yesterday you said you'd be with uncle Austin until late and then go home but he was here the entire time and you weren't home-"

"I-"

"And don't you dare tell me you were with Darcy's old boss because she was at the club for the entirety of yesterday. So you tell me where the hell you were."

"Jane!"

"You don't have the right to snap at me! We were all here worried sick that something had happened to you. You weren't home for over a day and uncle Austin and even Ms. T was worried about you because of the stupid little arguments that you started and you just thought it appropriate to just show up this morning with not even a damn explanation."

"I am still your mother and you have no right to speak to me-"

"I will speak to you however I want because you as my mother don't have the right to just get everyone you care about worried thinking you'd ended up dead somewhere when we clearly have someone to worry about who's fighting for her life! You as my mother should have known better than to go off bitching because-"

"Hey, that's enough." Austin stepped in as Jane was literally screaming at me. "I get you're upset with her, we all are, but she's been through enough okay."

Jane glares at me for a second longer before storming off and Darcy followed leaving me and Austin alone.

"I'm sorry." I said and when I heard my voice crack I realized I was crying.

"I'm mad at you." Austin starts as he advances towards me. "I should be, but I'm not gonna yell at you because that's helping no one. You're my sister and I love you. I can't not love you but sometimes you just..."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry is just a word Justie, it doesn't fix anything. I was wrong in saying we're no longer family and I was wrong in being harsh towards you but my daughter is once again fighting for her life and I can't afford to be giving anyone or anything else my full attention because she's all that matters. She should be the only thing that matters."

"I know."

Austin surprises me by pulling me in for a hug and I can't help but to enjoy it. I can't help but to cry into his shoulder and inhale his scent all at the same time.

"She's worried about you." He mutters as I reluctantly pull away. At my look of confusion he half smiles before wiping my tear. "Your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend." I mutter back, wrapping my arms around me.

"Whatever she is to you... she's worried. She came back here when we couldn't reach you and..." He looks at me before gently touching my arm. "Just go see her okay."

I nod before we both headed to his daughter's room. I was going to see her but my niece and my job had to come before the woman who just wanted to be friends.