BRANDON I close the door to my car and walk up the steps to the front door with Kim and my friends following close behind me. I spoke to my mom after I finished packing and she she wouldn't leave Marisa's side. Marisa tends to act impulsively when she's upset, I wouldn't put it past her to do something crazy after losing her eyes like that. We enter the living room and I spot her curled up in my mother's side on the couch while she runs her hand soothingly over her hair. "Rissa," my mom says when she sees me walking to them and Marisa's head snaps up. When our eyes meet, she jumps from the couch and runs to me, throwing herself in my arms and wrapping her hands around my neck. In that moment, I don't know what to do, my hands remain at my side. I look at my mom and she gives a small nod. My hands move and wrap around Marisa's back, at that movement, she squeezes me tighter. "I'm sorry for your loss." A voice speaks softly beside me, Marisa pushes back and looks at Kim w
KIMBERLYIt's dark when my eyes open again. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and grab my phone on the bedside table to check the time. It's almost midnight and there's no text or missed call from Brandon. I know Marisa is hurting, I understand that Brandon is part of the people that she seeks comfort in, it's just three days, it'll soon be over and I'll have Brandon all to myself again.Clicking the side button to shut the screen, I place back the phone on the bedside table and go back to sleep.* *The Next Morning* *Still no text or call from Brandon, I try to call his number but it goes straight to voicemail. Well, maybe his phone shut down and he couldn't find proper time to charge it."I saw the news about that girl Marisa's mom, such a sad and traumatic situation for her to witness."I meet her eyes and sigh."Yeah, suicide isn't a light death.""So, Brandon?""He's at the funeral house with his mum. Marisa called him while crying, that's why we left our weekend vacation short.""
KIMBERLY Car after car passes, making it's way to the graveyard where Laura is being put to rest. "Thank God it's finally over." Sam says. "Yeah, we can go back to LA and continue where we left off from." After finishing our coffees, I try Brandon's number again but it's still going straight to voicemail. Deciding I've had enough, I turn off my phone and head over to Nao's house with her and Sam. After helping her pick a dress to wear to her lunch date with Nate, we all head out. Sam stops walking, focusing on her phone with parted lips. "What?" Nao asks. Both of us walk back to her when she continues scrolling in silence. "Sam, what's wrong?" "Look," she hands the phone to me and Nao scoots closer. The headline reads : SUICIDAL FAMOUS LAWYER AND JOURNALIST FINALLY PUT TO REST. I skip the rest and go to the three pictures below, one is of the tombstone with Marisa's mom's full names, the other is of the people who were present, I scroll down to another post and it's the on
KIMBERLYBrandon and I didn't talk the entire ride back to LA, why? Because I joined Nao and Nate's ride."Are you sure you're okay, Kim?" Nate asks.It's just the two of us since Nao went upstairs to change. My head is bowed as I play with my fingertips."No," I shake my head. "It's just so hard Nate, I've been nothing but composed and understanding and I think people take that as me not having feelings at all, I'm human too, of course It would get too much and I would eventually lash out at some point, which is exactly what happened.""I get that, and I hope that Brandon sees your side of things, you guys are strong, I believe in you and i know that the love you have for each other will conquer all obstacles.""Honestly, I'm just so tired of all the fighting. It's getting worse with each time, I don't want to reach my breaking point."He stares into the distance and I know he understands me very well, that happened to Nao years ago and she almost got herself killed by not taking goo
KIMBERLYI'm extremely annoyed, no, annoyed is an understatement, I'm utterly pissed and livid, I'm angry, I'm a lot of things right now. I glare at Michael who is seated opposite me with his elbows resting on his knees and a bottle of beer dangling between his fingers. The moron looks unbothered by my glare, in fact, when i glare harder and my eyes turn to slits, he grins at me."Michael!" I say with more annoyance and frustration but his grin widens some more."What?" He arches a brow.I sigh,"Are you just going to sit there and follow orders from Brandon instead of having fun?"He takes a sip and keeps staring at me as if I didn't even say a single word. My attempt at poking him fails miserably but I don't give up.Scooting closer to the edge of the sofa, I try to bargain with him."Look," he turns his head away from me, pretending to be avoiding me but I continue. "If you just let me do whatever the hell I want, I might get you a date with April."His eyes snap to mine.Yes!"I
KIMBERLY"Oh. You so you've seen him in your dreams?" Because you're obsessed with him not because it's fate. I say but don't tell her that."Yes.""What dreams are they?""You won't judge me, right?""Of course not."Her cheeks tint a bright shade of pink."He ..he does things to me that no man has ever done."Oh shit. She really is obsessed. And, she's a...virgin?Silence.More silence."Please don't think I'm a psychopath, I swear I'm not.""April, no. I don't think like that at all."I lean back in my seat and take in all her features. Michael doesn't like innocence, he likes them all ruffled up, he likes rebels and strays.April is too innocent, but there's no denying the fact that she's extremely beautiful, if I'm being honest, she's slightly more prettier than Sam and trust me, Sam is pretty. The one who wants to make us run for the hills with her beauty is Nao. April grabbing Michael's attention?Well, it's a long shot but worth trying."Can we take a pic together, you know,
BRANDON"I asked you to keep an eye on her, why the hell did you let her leave?" I whisper to Michael."Now I'm the one to blame for what happened to her? Dude, I didn't expect that to happen either."I let out a deep sigh and run my hand over my face. When I saw how she looked last night, my heart almost leaped out of my chest. She was all bruised and swollen I almost didn't recognize her."And that comes to my question, where the hell were you?"My eyes snap to Michael's and my heart swells in my chest when I think about where I was. This fucking guilt I will carry for the rest of my life. I left her, I wasn't there to save her and that fact eats me the fuck up. Whoever saved her protected her, I don't even want to imagine what would have happened to her if that person didn't appear on the scene on time. I can't even thank him because she doesn't know who he is, she didn't see his face."I had to take care of something.""Was it that important that you had to leave her behind witho
KIMBERLY The past two weeks have been hard. My bruises are gone but I'm still self conscious, so I apply too much makeup on my eye. I still have no idea who the hell saved me that night. As for Brandon, he's gone back to the routine of disappearing and coming back with bruised knuckles or a split lip.Brandon is not one to hurt innocent people, that's why I'm worried where he goes to every time only to come back like he's from war.Ever since I got beat up, I've had this awful fear of taxi's or ubers, so i always walk my way home.I enter the girl's apartment and find them cuddled on the sofa watching a romance movie on Netflix."Hey!" Nao say, she straightens from her position where she was resting her head on Sam's shoulder then pats the space between them. "You took too long we couldn't wait.""That's fine," I say and sit in the middle. "What's the storyline?"Sam gives a brief description and then there's comfortable silence as we watch the movie. * *A tap on my shoulder startl
KIMBERLY "Oh my God sweetie," my mom gasps and places her hand over her mouth and i watch as her eyes start turning glassy. "Mom.. Don't start again, please." She shakes her head. "I just can't help it. You're so beautiful in white. I can't believe my baby is all grown up and getting married. " She smiles and i hold up my dress then move to her. I kiss her cheek and pull her in for a hug. Pulling back, i stare at her through blurry eyes. "Oh, no, no. Not with that makeup." I laugh. "Then don't cry if you don't want me to either." She nods and places her hands on my cheeks. "I'm so happy for you, baby." "Thanks, mom." A knock comes at the door and my mom goes to check. She opens it wide after seeing who it is and my father steps in. He looks so handsome in a perfectly pressed blue suit. "Is this a bad time?" He asks then pauses when his eyes land on mine. I bite the corner of my bottom lip nervously as he slowly scans his eyes over me. It turns out that the person who wa
BRANDONMichael starts the car with me and Kim in the back. Carrying her to the car in this condition in my arms only made me wish i were the one in this position and not her. I'd give anything to trade places with her. To be the one in pain and not her."Baby, please hold on. Don't close your eyes.""Brandon.." she swallows, and i can see how difficult it is for her. "I love you.""Don't, don't do that. You'll be okay." My heart squeezes.We get to the hospital at the emergency exit, and nurses rush to us. Michael had already made the call, so they were ready for us. They place her on the bed and roll her down the hall and into the emergency room."Hurry, hurry. The patient is losing consciousness." One of them says.I go to step in but the nurse stops me."Sir. I'm sorry, but you can't go in.""I have to be with her.""I'm sorry, but you need to trust us if you want her to survive this, please."She walks away and i start pacing the hall."Jonathan just got Harry and Lily at the st
BRANDON "Fuck!" I pull out my phone and dial Jonathan's number. Stepping out of the store only to see the car door wide open and tiremarks on the road with no sign of Kim almost gave me a heart attack. When Jonathan picks up, i rush out. "I think they took her." "Shit. Tell me where you are, we'll be on our way immediately." I tell him my location and fly my fist into the side of the car, breathing hard and not caring about the pain buzzing in my arm. I rush back into the store and explain to the lady at the counter. She calls her coworker, and they flip the sign from open to closed. We walk to a small room and he pulls up the gas stations camera footage and does a rewind to a few minutes ago. I watch how everything happened and i get a very eerie feeling as i watch Harry searching his surroundings and then walking up to the side of Kim's car, they talk for a few seconds and he tries to leave. She stops him and then a car comes to an abrubt stop. Two men step out and drag the
KIMBERLY"Kim...."I hear a faint voice call out to me but I'm wea. Too weak to respond. What's happening? Where am i and why is it so dark?"Kim.. please." I hear it but a little bit louder this time.Mt eyes slowly peel open and the stench of blood and something else that makes me extremely nauseous hits me immediately. I slowly get to a sitting position and look around. I'm in a cell and little light from a corridor is the only thing that allows me to see a little bit of my surroundings. Everything comes rushing back. I was with Brandon at the gas station, then Harry appeared, scared and saying things that didn't make sense. I ran after him and then the mysterious van..Screaming.Thrashing and then...Harry.Oh my goddess. "Kim.." A low voice calls again and i get on my knees, crawling my way to the corner where it's coming from because i recognize his voice.Light illuminates his features, he's lying on his back, looking pale, and theres dried blood on the side of his face."Ha
KIMBERLY I sigh.Brandon refuses to tell me any details about what happened with Matt that day. The proof of bloodstains that were on his shirt and skin are the only signs that it wasn't something good. It also doesn't help that the guy has vanished into thin air and none of his close friends are asking about him. It'salmost as if he didn't exist. I'm not worried about Matt, I'm worried about Brandon and the trouble he might have gotten himself into. I checked Matt's social media but he hasn't posted anything. Matt always posts something, especially pictures of him in the gym first thing in the morning. I try to call his number using Sam's phone just to see if it will go through, but still nothing. I sigh and rest my elbows on my knees. Then i bury my fingers in my hair and straighten back up."What if he accidentally killed him and buried him somewhere to keep the truth from everyone?" I widen my eyes as i ask Sam. "No." She shakes her head. "Nobody is dead, Kim. You need to calm
BRANDON *HOURS AGO* I look at thr little fuck who is tied to the ceiling, his legs hand midway in the air, his heels up and toes touching the ground. I throw a bucket of water on him and he gasps, his eyes peeling open. "Wake up, you little shit." I say to him. He blinks slowly and tgen focuses his eyes on me. When our eyes meet, fury burns in his probably remembering the last thing he did before he was drugged by a hooker i hired to seduce him and bring him here. "It was you. What the fuck do you want?" He screams and i straighten to my full height, stalking close to him because he's damn well my prey. "You walk into my life, take my woman sneakily, get her in bed, and made me fuck up her lufe and you still ask me what the fuck i want?" I'm now standing in front if him. "You didn't think I'd find out about you little rape stunt?" His eyes widen and i smirk. I wrap my fist in a cloth and he watches me with panic. "You see, Matt. I hate it when people try to take my girl aw
BRANDON Reap my heart out right now because the way it's beating is so painfully unbearable. I stare at the white walls of the hospital. It's been two days and she hasn't yet woken up. When i didn't kiss her back there in the apartment, it wasn't because i'm still mad at her or that i'm disgusted by her. It was because i didn't deserve to kiss her, to have her hold me. After i failed her so badly and hurt her in the worst way possible. I left that room, beating myself up. All i could do was that i don't deserve her. She can't be with someone who hurts her when he's hurt. I don't deserve her forgiveness for being so blind and easy to manipulate. I didn't leave. I sat in my car with my heart cracking open at the reminder of what she went through. I should have had a conversation with her and thoroughly investigated, but i let anger consume me. Then i decided i would do anything to make it right, because i wasn't willing to do the, "if you love her but you cause her pain, then
KIMBERLYI've been anxious since Brandon left in a murderous mood. When he gets like that, he makes me panic. I just know that he's going to something rash and violent. I've seen him like this before, once. And i don't want him to get in trouble because this time, we're talking about the son of a wealthy drug dealer. I've been at our girls aprtment for over fifteen hours without signs of Brandon, his phone is also unreachable, which had me biting my fingernails impatiently, a habit i have never done or liked before.I hear voices downstairs, i turn off the shower and rush out, then i grab the first material i see and put it on. I'm heading to the door when it opens and Brandon walks back in the room, all bruised and bloodied. I take his shirt off and wipe him with a clean wet towel, turning to take a small bandage to cover the cut on his cherkbone.My fingers pause when his hands slowly wrap around me from behind. His fingers rest on my stomach and then he sprawls them like a web.
BRANDON I'm not fucking her!" I pin her against the wall with my hand wrapped around her delicious delicate smooth throat. "No matter how much I fucking try, I can't dip my dick in anyone that isn't you." Her watery eyes stare up at me and I see the mixture of shock and relief in them. "I can't revenge you by doing what you did to me and that pisses me off." I shove off her and take a few steps back. I need to get away from her. "I want to break you the way you did me, but why can't I fucking do it!" My fist flies into the nearest wall with so much force that my hand stings with pain. "I'm sorry," I hear her whisper and low sobs. "I'm so sorry that I did this to us." My hands flattens on the wall on each side of my head and I close my eyes as fresh pain flows through me. "Brandon..." I feel her small hand on my back and I don't push it off. Her hand comes to my shoulder and she turns me around. Her eyes are red and tears keep flowing down her cheeks. She reaches up a