Page 99 of Diem

“That’s not fucking true,” Diem snarls, pushing Hailey away.

“No?” Ollie says, getting all up in his face. “So, you’ve been going steady ever since?”

Diem drops his head and Ollie sneers, “That’s what I thought. You’re lucky I don’t kick your ass.”

Something breaks free in my chest and with a sob, I spin away, pausing when Diem says softly, “Mae.”

I want to believe the night we came together meant more than a sordid fuck, but Ollie is right, Diem’s behavior after says more than his words ever could. Besides, why would Ollie say such things about his best friend if they weren’t true?

I refuse to turn back though and with a bitter laugh, I spin and walk around the house, Matt dogging my heels.

When we reach the curb, I sob, “Get me out of here.”

“Gladly,” he says, and we end up at the river, miles from town. This was after I asked him to keep going when he went to turn toward my house.

Now, we’re sitting quietly while I process the pressure bearing down on my chest. This isn’t exactly a new revelation, but it still hurts. Even my own brother is disgusted which is an entirely different emotion that I refuse to analyze.

In any case, Diem used me and dropped me. He couldn’t have done that if he ever cared which means I created an entire delusion in which I belonged and now, despite having been iced out by my brother and the boys, a long time ago, I’m mourning the loss again.

“Are you okay?” Matt says, touching my shoulder and I shudder. I’m alone. So fucking alone.

“Mae?” I turn at his tender tone and stare into his soft eyes.

It’s time to let go of the delusion. This, with Diem is slowly crushing me and soon, there’ll be nothing of me left.

Matt’s here. He cares. What am I waiting for? Fireworks? Look what that got me.

No more.

I don’t want to be alone and leaning in, I press my mouth to his. With a groan, his breath puffs against my lips before he leans back with shining eyes and says, “Are you sure?”

A tingle of warmth tries to wheedle its way into my cold heart and with a tiny smile, I grab his nape, kissing him again.

“Mae,” he breathes, pulling me close and tangling his tongue with mine.

Desperately I wish for the slightest spark, but I feel nothing beyond a vague nausea when he peppers kisses along my skin. It burns but not in a good way and when he reaches my core, my soul aches to push him away. But the vacant pieces are helpless under the deluge and although I think I whisper, no, the words are lost to his ardor when he slides into me anyway.

All the while he hovers over me, I stare at the back of the seat and either he doesn’t notice or doesn’t care as he finishes and lays across me, whispering in my ear, “You’re amazing.”

∞∞∞

Diem

As soon as Maeve disappears around the side of the house, I punch Ollie in the nose. He staggers back, staring at his bloody hand before rushing me.

“Fucker,” I grunt when he tackles me to the ground.

Vaguely I hear Hailey shrieking above us, but I don’t fucking care. She can take her hysterical ass home.

Ollie is a scrapper when he wants to be and frankly, his total disregard for humankind lends him a ferocity that would worry others. For me though, I’m the fucking muscle and even if I weren’t, the rage boiling under my skin gives me my own power, which I take out on his sorry ass while we roll around in the dirt.

He gives as good as he gets, but it’s still me who backs off, pushing to my knees while he lolls on the ground with twin black eyes and a bloody grill. I feel no remorse though and rasp to his psycho ass, “Maybe you’re my brother but you’re not my fucking friend.”

Ollie opens one eye and glares before spitting out a mouth full of blood. “I’m supposed to care. That’s my sister—“

“You fucking lied,” I bellow. “I backed away for you. Did you think about how it would hurt her? Of course not, because you’re fucking dead inside.”

With a bitter chuckle, Ollie pushes to his feet and brushes off his fucking chinos. “Your point? Maybe you should be worried about your impending fatherhood and not my sister.”

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