Page 12 of Love Defies Us

“I’m not justifying his actions; I’m just saying that don’t just blame it all on him.”

“You know what? Fuck them. Fuck you if you’re going to support their union. Eat cake, celebrate, and be so fucking merry.”

I stomp towards the front entrance of the gate.

I normally don’t do outbursts, or disrespect my dad, but this family has gotten on my last nerve. This shit is a circus and I’m not going to be a part of it.

If I had known that Mae was a selfish person, I never would’ve given her the time of day. If I had known that she would fuck my uncle and leave me high and dry after I took care of her and her sick parents.

I’m not a bad person, I travel to different countries to feed the homeless. I walk old people across the street, I open doors for women, and I even volunteer to be a Big Brother at the Girls and Boys Club. I’m not cruel to people, like East. In fact, I love people. And I’m a social butterfly. I’m not saying my shit doesn’t stink, but I didn’t deserve to be played.

I make it to my red pickup truck and kick my front tire.

“Fuck!” I scream at the top of my lungs.

Sadie

The thing I hate about time is when things are going south in your life, time ticks off slower than a snail, but when you’re having fun, time ticks off faster than the roadrunner. Right now, time is going by super-duper fast. Three weeks have passed since Felix blackmailed me into fucking him. These last three weeks have been wonderful, and I haven’t had this much fun since college. We have sex everywhere at his place, on everything and in every position that I never knew existed. We once had sex in the bed of his pickup truck.

It’s the first week of April and Georgia is known for its April showers, so it’s pouring down raining and I listen to the pitter patter across the glass window of my living room. I sip my hot tea and the liquid warms my belly.

Jasper lurch in with nothing but a pair of red shorts, sporting morning wood, and his hair is tangled and unruly.

His muscles are chiseled and his skin is smooth as marble. I tell Jasper all the time that he should be a male model, he’s a people person and has a way of making women swoon over him. And he can use that good charm towards a career, but he’s also insecure.

He flops down next to me, kicking up his feet on the glass table. Our two-bedroom apartment is elegant and simple. The beige couch was imported from Italy and the gold rug that’s under the coffee table is laced with fine fabric. I appreciate expensive interior designs. I tried my best to make our apartment feel cozy and homey, and not like the cold and empty place I grew up in.

I tuck my legs under my butt and point to his crutch. “You might want to adjust that.”

He tilts his head sideways, then adjust himself. “We’ve been living together for three years, don’t act like you haven’t seen my morning wood.”

“And every time I see it, it makes me want to gag.” I pinch the bridge of my nose.

He takes the velvet pillow from the couch and smacks me with it, and I snatch it from his hand and toss it to the polished wooden floor.

His mouth twists up into a devilish grin before he clutches my cup of tea from my hand and takes a long sip from it. “Who popped your cherry and got you coming back for more?”

I swat his arm playfully as a wicked smile litters my face. “How did you know?”

“When I checked your room at night, you were gone. And the only things that’re open after two is the Waffle House and legs. And you hate the Waffle House.”

Jasper’s sex life is an open book, he discusses sex as if it’s a normal conversation at a dinner at his parents’ house.

Me, on the other hand, I’m a private person so his question causes my cheeks to burn hotter than lava.

I clear my throat and place my freshly manicured toes on the coffee table. “Felix Sawyer.”

Jasper’s eyes glint and his lips curl into a wide smile. “You dirty whore. You finally gave into his advances?”

“No, not quite. He blackmailed me.” I pause, my stomach pitter-patters with butterflies and my heart clenches in my throat. I shouldn’t feel shamed or embarrassed by my sex life. Every adult with a pulse has one. In my family, sex before marriage is shameful, because it might end up with an illegitimate baby. But it’s enforced because my parents care about their precious reputation. They don’t want me or Axel to look like whores.

“He stole my journal and read it, and if I don’t fuck him for three months then he’ll snitch to my dad about how I plan to go behind his back and buy out the company.”

“That clever bastard.” His eyes grow intense. “Are you aware what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Ahh, innocence at its finest.” He sits up straighter and he eyes my face wearily. “Do you know the real reason why he blackmailed you?”

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