Play Me

by Ivy Knight

  "April?" I hear Alessio's voice through the door. Wiping away my tears, I get off the bed and face the opposite direction of the door in an effort to hide my face.

  "Come in," I clear my throat at the end and continue to pack. The door clicks open and I hear it softly close before Alessio makes his way to me.

  "Just met my father, he told me that he talked to you. What did he say?"

  "Oh, nothing. Just that he hates this alliance and will end it at any given moment if he gives him a reason to," I reply walking into the bathroom. I grab my tooth brush, hair brush and towel.

  "I'll be honest, I'm much worse to deal with when I don't like a person. He'll be fine with it once he finds out who you actually are."

  I zip up the suitcase mentally ticking off everything I needed to pack. I turn around to face Alessio.

  "That'll be a long time from today. What I'm planning isn't going to be done in a snap of a finger, Alessio. The moves that I make and the things that I plan, don't always turn out the way I want them to. I've been at this for months and in two days, I've been exposed of my identity. If it was that easy for you, imagine if someone else gave it a try. I'm at risk from all points and no one else can know. You can't tell anyone, I need your word Alessio."

  His brown eyes fill with confusion.

  "You have my word, Summer."

  "Thank you," I turn around and pick my suitcase off my bed.

  "Before you go, I have something for you," Alessio says. He pulls out a small box covered by dark blue velvet material. Extending my hand out, I take the soft box into my hand and open it. Inside, lies a small diamond ring. "It's a promise ring. I was going to gift it to you on your fifteenth birthday, but considering the events of that day, I couldn't. So today Summer White, I promise that your secret is safe with me and I will help you at any point in life that you need it."

  I smile, engulfing Alessio in a hug.

  "Thank you."

  "You're welcome Sunny," he laughs.

  "Funny how I turned quite the opposite of that."

  "Nah, I still see the Sunny little girl in you."

  I smile hoping that maybe his words might be true.

  "So, this is goodbye?"

  "Yup, this is goodbye."

  "I'll call you?"

  "Once you get a new phone," he nods towards the pieces of my phone still scattered on the floor.

  "Yeah," I blush.

  "April!" Alec's voice echoes through the door.

  "I think you should go," Alessio directs his head towards the door.

  "I should," I sigh heavily. I gently pull out the delicate ring and secure it on my ring finger. I look at the shining diamond on my right hand.

  "The girl, the one that you're with, treat her well. Don't break her because of your own arrogance. If the time ever comes, know when to let her go."

  "I will Summer, thank you."

  "You're welcome," with that, I take my leave.

  ...♛...

  I should have stayed with Alessio. I should've given up. At least all this constant nervousness would be gone. I wouldn't have to worry anymore. Alessio could've helped me escape and this would all be over, but I stayed. I don't even know for what.

  "So, you wanna talk about it?" Alec sits down on the seat next to me.

  "About what?" I pull out the earbud in my left ear and pause the movie I was watching.

  "Sex with Kai."

  "There's others on this plane who could care less about my sex life. Try to keep it down, will you?"

  "Okay, but do you want to?"

  "There's nothing much to talk about, I was on drugs and clearly wasn't thinking straight. It just happened," I shrug.

  "So you don't care that he just left you naked in bed?"

  "Of course I care, I mean we should at least just clear out the fact that this was just a casual fuck for both of us. I don't want, whatever happened, to interfere with us in the field, but clearly, it's too late. He can't even look at me without wanting to strangle me."

  "He's been dealing with a lot lately and not just with the gang. Women aren't his strongest pursuit, Summer. Just give him time. If I had to bet on anyone who would get him to open up, it would be you. You are exactly what he needs, he just doesn't understand right now."

  "Are you pairing us up?" my voice full of shock.

  "I just feel like you two would be good for each other, but both of you don't know the extent of your own powers. If you end up together, I'm afraid you'll break each other down until there's nothing left of the other person."

  So the real question is, am I willing to burn myself down to burn him along with me?

  "Well, it's a good thing we'll never be a thing then," I put my earbuds in and play the movie ending the conversation.

  ...♛...

  "Why are you carrying me?" I groan glancing up at the view of Alec's stubble.

  "You wouldn't wake up, so it was either carrying you than dealing with your rage if we managed to somehow wake you," he says.

  "Where are we going?"

  "School," he says.

  "What?" I crane my head upwards taking in the location. We were walking through the airport's parking. "Why aren't we going home first? I need to shower, change and eat?"

  "We've all changed and freshened up in the bathrooms, take it as a punishment for sleeping for so long."

  "Fuck it," I hide my head in his chest as he continues walking to the car. I feel myself being lowered when I finally decide to open my eyes.

  "Thanks," I pull the belt over my shoulder.

  "You're welcome," he says closing the door. I look outside at the pavement covered in slushy snow. Snow is beautiful when it's fresh, but now it has reached the state where it's a mixture of ice and slush sucking the beauty out of everything.

  To my right, I watch Cole take a seat next to me.

  "I'll drive," to my left, I spot Alec taking the keys from Kai. Kai makes his way around to the passenger’s seat and Alec takes the drivers.

  "Did you get any sleep last night?" Alec questions Kai.

  "I'm fine," Kai mumbles pulling out his phone. Not so convinced, Alec shakes his head in disapproval before starting the car. Once he starts driving, I cuddle inside of my oversized hoodie waiting for the ride to end.

  Inhaling, I'm hit with the scent of Kai's cologne.

  Did I sleep with Kai on the plane?

  I pull the collar closer to my nose and take a deeper sniff. There is no doubt in my mind that this is his cologne, but how did it get on me? The last thing I remember is watching Harry Potter before I dozed off.

  If Kai was next to me while I slept, why didn't he sleep too? From sleeping next to him for so long, one thing is clear, he is just like me. He can't fall asleep on his own. I remember at night when I would get up to go to the bathroom and come back, he would start mumbling in fear of something. He would start sweating, trembling like he was experiencing the beast of his past all over again.

  I would lie next to him and try to calm him down. Most of the time he would calm down; though, one night he wouldn't. It terrified me because I didn't know what to do. He looked so in pain and I couldn't help him. A part of me tried to justify the fact that he deserved the pain, but I still couldn't help myself. I had to take his pain away somehow, so I forced him awake.

  He panicked and looked me dead in the eyes as he yelled 'you killed her'. I stayed quiet as he started becoming more aware of where he was. Once he calmed down, he excused his behavior and we ended up going back to bed. He held onto me so tight, I remember I was afraid that I would stop breathing.

  I don't know what those words meant 'you killed her'. Who could 'her' even be? I've never seen him with girls, ever. Maybe it's a past girlfriend, but I haven't been able to figure it out. There's something missing and I don't know what.

  The car comes to an abrupt stop jolting me back into reality. I look around and find us in the school's parking lot. Without a word, I exit the car. Knowing that Alec would carry my books for me, I s
tart making my way towards the school. I must look like a mess, so I decide to keep my head down as I walk. My hair in a ponytail, but I can tell the hair tie has become loose.

  I step carefully on the slush because buried underneath could be ice, and I'm not in the mood to slip anytime soon.

  "Summer!" looking up, the first thing that comes to sight is a grey blurb before I'm consumed by muscular arms. They warp around me in an instant. My first instinct is to pull out, but as my mind starts to become familiar with the presence, I loosen up. The arms are firm, yet warming around my upper body making my face glue to his chest.

  "Jayce?" I whisper, scared that I would ruin the moment. His hug is strong not physically, but emotionally. It makes my heart melt. He holds me like someone would their loved one. I've never felt this kind of affection in almost years.

  "I called and texted you more than sixty times for the past two days, do you even know how terrified I was thinking about all the things that you might be going through?" he pulls back from the hug cupping my face with his enormous hands. Shamelessly, I meet eyes with him.

  Before he could say anything, I speak, "What happened to you?"

  His lower lips sashed with a deep cut matches one on his left cheek, but just a little smaller. My hands travel up gently cupping his face. Avoiding his protests, I position his head to an angle at which I could notice his right, bruised eye glow in the light.

  "Stop, Summer," Jayce commands pulling my hands away from his face. My mouth gapes at the sight of his scabbed knuckles. Shocked at their state, I take his hands in my mine and examine the wounds further. Both hands busied with countless cuts and bruises, only have a thin layer of scab on them. From that, I can tell they're fresh, given in a time span of forty-eight hours or less.

  "What happened to you?" I look up at him. His eyes roamed around avoiding my gaze. He pulls his hands away from me, hiding them in the pockets of his sweatpants.

  "Jayce?" I lightly punch his shoulder. His teeth clench suppressing a pained groan. He takes a cautious step back clearing his throat.

  "Nothing, Summer," he responds forcing his shoulders to broaden. Neglecting the pain in his body, he holds a high stance. I've known Jayce for a while now and I know for a fact that he isn't the type to get into pesky little fights. I've never seen him lose his temper. From the looks of his knuckles, I don't think I ever want to either.

  Seeing him in this state, makes me wonder what pushed him off the railing. He's always so energized and lively. Today, he looks like he could use twenty hours of complete bed rest.

  I take a step forward trying to get my hand on his face hoping that my touch would calm him, but I stop at Kai's voice.

  "I see you didn't get the message then?"

  My hand brings itself down before I pivot my head to look at Kai. His eyes scan Jayce's appearance in approval like it was his own doing. I look back at Jayce, his hands now fisted at his sides. The veins on his arms more prominent, anger starts to boil its way out and Jayce is doing everything to keep himself composed.

  "Did you do this?" I hiss.

  "My men might have paid him a visit last night," Kai smirks and I lose it.

  There is nothing in this world that could stop me at this moment. I lift my hand and whip it across, slapping Kai with full force. My palm tingles as all the blood rushes to my hand.

  Kai's head lowers to his right.

  I speak, "How dare you?"

  His head lifts showing the difference between his left and right cheek. While his right cheek remains its tanned self, his right cheek beams bright red in the image of my hand. His face might have showed the physical damage of my slap, but only his eyes show the bitterness that was triggered inside of him.

  His eyelashes lowered, he looks at me through his veiled black eyes. Cold and numbing his eyes dig into me.

  "What made you think that you had the right to touch him, huh?" my eyes gleam with tears, but I hold them back. I take a step forward. "Who I interact with, is none of your concern and you need to stay out of my life. You own me to the point at which it affects you. After that, all decisions are to be made by me and me only."

  "You listen to me," he speaks gravelly. Taking my throat in hold, he pulls me close to him. I take short and deep breaths as I feel his warm breath near my earlobe.

  "Hey!" I hear Jayce protesting.

  "Leave it alone, man," I hear Alec warning Jayce.

  "Your boy dies if I see you two together, do you understand?"

  I don't reply.

  "Do you understand?" he speaks louder, exposing his frustrating.

  "N-no," I hoarse. There is no way I can go back from this. In a split moment, he lets go of me only to back hand me using the same hand. The stinging sensation makes my ear echo. Regaining my stance, I look up at him from the corner of my eyes.

  Around us is a crowd of students. I look back at Jayce standing there behind the barrier of two men with guns held in their hands. His eyes full of helplessness, only fuels my anger.

  Kai isn't getting the better end of this. If he wants to show off his strength then so can I. I stand up tall and take a step close to him lifting my fist. He blocks it in time, but stumbles back giving me the opportunity to grab his arm and flip him over onto his back.

  Surprised by my actions, Cole and Alec both get distracted. I give Jayce a nod and he takes their weakness into use by catching them off guard.

  I look down at Kai and kick him in the stomach just hard enough to keep down for a couple of minutes. I quickly reach into his pocket and take out the keys to his car.

  "Jayce!" I yell running to the car. Hearing his heavy footsteps behind me, I get into the car and start the ignition. The second Jayce closes the door, I start driving.

  "I'm not worth it Jayce," I speak as I drive. "I should've known from the start, that this – this friendship was never going to work. It was foolish of me to put you in such a vulnerable position where being friends with me would become a life or death situation for you. I'm so sorry for everything."

  "Stop the car, Summer," he instructs as I merge onto a highway.

  "What?"

  "Pull over on the side of the road, Summer," I look through my rearview mirror turning on my right signal. Gradually, I come to a stop on the side of the highway.

  Jayce hops out and walks over to the middle of the road making my heart skip a beat. The honking cars worsen my horrified state as I jump out and pull Jayce over to the side of the road.

  "Are you fucking crazy?" I engulf Jayce in a tight hug watching the driver pass by while honking his horn nonstop. Jayce wraps his arms tightly around me and I listen to his rapid heartbeat with my right ear pressed against his chest.

  "Why'd you save me?" he asks.

  "What do you mean? I wasn't going to let you die."

  "But we're not friends or even related, right? I mean, you said it yourself, you shouldn't be in my life. So, who gave you the right to save me?" he pushes me off of him and takes a step to the side.

  "Jayce," I reach out for him, but he takes a step closer onto the road.

  "Jayce, stop. Jayce," I warn anxiously.

  "Say it, Summer."

  "Say what, Jayce? Come back, on the side, for fuck's sakes, Jayce!"

  "Say it, Summer."

  "No, Jayce! Comeback!" he takes another step onto the road. I look back at the car approaching at full speed.

  "Jayce, please," I beg with tears dripping down my face. Seeing him on the middle of the road makes my heartthrob.

  Why is he doing this to me?

  Before the car can reach us, I run onto the road and pull Jayce to the side again. This time, I trip on my foot pulling Jayce down with me. In time, Jayce pulls me to his chest so I fall on his chest while he takes most of the impact.

  Relieved, I wrap my arms around his neck.

  "Don't you ever do that again, ever!" I cry.

  "Summer," he whispers back.

  "No. Nothing you can say is going to make me feel better," I protest.
Something about almost losing him still lingers inside of me and I don't want to let go of him. I was afraid that if I did, something or someone would pull him away from me.

  "Damn girl, you heavier than I thought," he hoots trying to stand up with me attached to him like a finger monkey.

  "Stop," I scold hiding my head in the crook of his neck.

  "I'm sorry," he apologizes running his hand through my tangled hair.

  "It's not okay, Jayce. It's not," I sob wetting his jacket.

  "I'm going to take you somewhere and we're going to talk, okay?" he asks walking over to the passenger side of the car.

  "Okay," I respond as he sets me down on the seat. I look at him limp his way around to the drivers seat through my blurry vision.

  "Jayce?"

  "Mm-hm?" he starts the car.

  "Promise me you'll never do that again."

  "I promise," he says, taking my hand in his. My small fingers curl, the tips meeting his scabbed knuckles, I frown.

  I don't know what happened to me. I don't know why I slapped Kai today. I don't know why I ran away. And I don't know who I am anymore. I don't know anything and that is a place I never wanted to be in.

  Why does everything have to be like this?

  Chapter 33

  "Is this your house?" I gape at the sight of his house. This mansion, similar to Kai's takes me by surprise. I knew Jayce was loaded, but never knew he was this loaded. Jayce stops outside the iron gates before the security notices it's him and lets us in.

  "My parents like to be extra cautious," Jayce comments as he brings the car to the front doors.

  "I see that," I respond. He parks the car in front of his doors and pulls his hand away from mine as we both climb out of the car.

  He walks around and takes my hand in his, pulling me inside. We enter the foyer. In the center is a large coffee table surrounded by larger recliner seats. We walk past them, up a staircase.

  "Is anyone home?" I question curiously. If his parents are home, I don't want them meeting me in this state. I probably look like a mess with my tangled hair and imprint of Kai's hand around my neck and on my cheek.