Page 41 of Needing More
"Okay,it'sbeenthreedays now and I haven't heard a damn thing about school. Come on, time to talk," Vic said, turning around in his seat at the dinner table.
Today they were back at Hayden and Joel's place.
"I too would like to hear about it," Joel agreed from beside Vic at the table. "When we got back home Tuesday night, you were asleep, and you didn't say anything the next day."
Sapphire let out a tired groan from where she was wrapped up under her big blanket, hopefully injecting the sound with enough agitation that they got the hint to leave her alone. Her stomach hurt like hell, her boobs were sore as fuck, and all she really wanted to do was go downstairs and polish off Mrs. Daniel's special order chocolate cake that was for her upcoming Sunday service women's brunch. Her willpower was hanging on by a fine thread. So instead, she was going to content herself with YouTube and Reddit while lying on the edge of couch cushions with her face pointed to the back cushions where her phone was currently propped up.
"So, is that a no on you telling us?" Joel pressed, obviously ignoring her warning.
Turning her head just enough, she narrowed a deadly glare at the three men staring at her. They visibly tensed under the power of it.
Hayden shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Did something happen? Do you not like it?"
Grumbling a few curses under her breath Sapphire turned over as best she could in her blanket burrito and she knew she just looked like an angry inchworm. Getting to her other side, she fixed Hayden with a tired look.
Inhaling deeply she let the words spill out in one breath. "School was fine. I only have classes Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The campus was nice and so far, so are the students. And for your information, I'm on my period and I'm tired, in pain, and mad at myself for eating two slices of cake today that were supposed to be products for the café."
Once she was done, she turned back over with an angry huff. She didn't even need to look to know that Joel was no doubt grinning at her outburst. It just added to the cloud of annoyance that seemed to follow her all day today. Being on your period was the worst.
After a few seconds, Sapphire heard one of the chairs slide across the floor and someone walk across the creaky floorboards as their conversation about random bar gossip picked back up. For some reason, this just pissed her off more. She scowled deeper into her blanket cocoon. Stupid Heathens! Why even ask her anything if they weren't going to try and console her or anything?! Yeah, it was childish to think that, but damn she was annoyed.
Behind her, she could hear the heavy clunk of the microwave door closing before the whirring started.
"To be honest with you," Hayden's deep voice began. "I ate a slice of cake just the other day."
Stunned, Sapphire turned over on the cushions and looked at him. Still sitting at the table next to Joel, Hayden gave her a guilty look.
"Honestly, I wish you'd stop making that damn red velvet cake," he grumbled. "Do you know how hard it is to walk past a shop full of your favorite cake on the way to the gym each day?"
"Fucking torture," Joel chimed in, nodding like a lady in church. "I ate five fucking cookies once."
Sapphire laughed. She remembered that day. Coming out of the bathroom, she stopped and stared at the cookies she had cooling on the rack, noticing the gaping hole where the cookies should have been lined up with the rest. At the time she had blamed it on Finn.
The beep to the microwave went off and Vic, who was leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, turned and took something from the microwave. Sapphire watched with curiosity as he walked over to her. Stopping beside the couch he looked down at her and held out the long black item. Narrowing her eyes, she realized it was a sock with the end tied.
"Here, use this." Vic pointed to her stomach. "My sisters used to use this trick all the time. Of course, they only ever used my damn socks, but that's beside the point."
Taking the warm sock log, Sapphire squished it between her fingers, enjoying the pliancy.
"Is this rice?" she asked, squeezing the sock some more.
Reaching down, Vic plucked the warm sock from her and nodded. "Yep. One sock, Hayden's sock to be exact, since we all know Joel hasn't washed his clothes."
"Lies," Joel called out. "They're clean…ish."
Vic ignored him as he lifted her blanket and sat the sock directly on the lower part of her stomach and Sapphire couldn't help but close her eyes. It felt glorious.
"Thank you." Sapphire let the languid feeling of the warmth travel through her before opening her eyes again.
What she saw nearly erased it all.
Above her like a watchful god, Vic towered over her. His black eyes sparkled like obsidian back at her and she knew she was at the edge of his patience. For nearly two weeks she had been carefully dodging this man. Taking great care to never put herself in a situation again like that day at the café. All she could think about was Hayden and Joel's hurt expressions. Their anger and betrayal would break her. She couldn't allow Vic to hurt them, even if she found herself daydreaming of his touch.
Closing her eyes again, Sapphire turned back into the couch.
It felt like turning her back onto a fire doused with kerosene. She could feel the heat of Vic's anger at her back, the flames of it licking at her skin—warning her.
The floorboard creaked as he walked away and Sapphire let out a sigh. Once more she avoided him, but she knew it wouldn't last long.
