by H. Q. Frost
With a swift push, the hinged door flung open and bounced off the wall with a startling thud causing Lilith to jump. Taking a step into the bathroom, he looked to his left and saw her almost cowering while she trembled. With trepidation plastered to her face her heart pounded against her restricted chest. Extending his long reach, he pulled her into his arms, tightly holding her until she pushed him away, unable to breathe.
IAN's got the marks to show
"Lily," I sigh, gently grabbing her face.
When I went looking for her in the office Tash told me she saw her get on the elevator. I figured she went down for a coffee maybe. The office turned into a cluster fuck when Tanya showed up, and then to top it off, Lily never came back. I began to panic, knowing what was on her mind. It's always on her mind and I don't know how to erase it.
"Baby." I can't say anymore, if I do I'll be screaming and trying to shake sense into her.
Gently easing her into my arms, I feel her chest bounce from what I know is her sobbing. I don't know why I've made her cry, and all of this, everything, Karen, Tanya, Bryan, Lily's pain, is making me feel like my world has imploded and caught fire.
"I know you're dealing with your problems and yet I'm the one needing the help." She sniffles and tries to strangle the tears she just can't stop.
"This is how this works. I need you and you need me. Whatever affects me affects you just as much. I need you right now and you needed me. You should have just come back into the office."
"I know," she whimpers, wiping her face. "I'm sorry—"
Ashley screaming at someone startles us and Lily pushes away from me, running out of the bathroom. I exhale loudly.
After the fire, all that will be left is ashes.
Ashley's distressed screaming pulled Lilith into the living room where she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Bryan standing in the dining room.
Pointing at Bryan, Ashley screamed, "I want him out!"
Ian whisked past Lilith, grabbed Bryan by his throat, then slammed him onto the dining room table.
"Ian!" Ashley screamed.
Bryan swung his fist, connecting with Ian's chin and Lilith saw a spurt of blood spray from the wound.
"Ian!" Lilith screamed at him, almost afraid to try and break it up, but they were both swinging and one was going to kill the other.
She grabbed the collar of his shirt, yanking him back and he stumbled to the ground.
"Stop!" she angrily screamed, stepping between them. "Get the fuck out of my house!" Her threatening roar shocked Bryan to a halt. "Now!" Anger visibly vibrated her body while she clenched her fists.
"You're fucking fired!" Ian screamed.
"Fuck you, buddy." Bryan flipped him off.
Ian jumped to his feet but Lilith looked at him with a threatening glare that heeled him at her side.
The front door burst open and Tony stumbled into the room, panting, trying to catch his breath. "Shit," he puffed.
"Why are you idiots here?" Ashley growled at him.
"I was trying to stop him from confronting Ian who I knew would be here because I heard him tell Tash he had to find Lily. That idiot got the address from me before I knew about anything!" he panted out, snarling at his brother.
Lilith brought her attention back to Bryan and insisted with hostility, "I want you out of my house."
"I fucked her one time, man." Sorrow swam on Bryan's features as his world began to crumble around him. "One fucking time." His voice cracked as if he was fighting tears. "She's fucked around on you so many fucking times, Ian. It wasn't just me." The words came from him like it pained him to tell his boss and long-time friend the truth.
Tony looked at Ian who had blood running down his chin, neck, and into the collar of his white button up. "Shit," he huffed, running his hands through his hair.
"You'll get your final check in the mail," Ian said as calm as he could muster.
"Go get cleaned up." Lilith pushed Ian toward the bathroom down the hall. Even through all the commotion, she was still cognizant that she had to portray her and Ian were not together.
"Are you okay?" Bryan looked at Ashley.
"Oh fuck you! Get out," she bitched, pushing him out the door, trailing behind him.
When Tony followed them out, Lilith walked down the hall and into the bathroom where Ian stood shirtless, tending to the cut on his chin.
"Are you okay, baby?" she whispered.
"I lost my best security guard, my second highest paid girl, my girlfriend, I have a fucking slit in my chin that'll be purple by tomorrow, you're trying to kill yourself!" His stress driven rant gradually got louder.
"I'm not trying to kill myself." She rolled her eyes. "I'll start working more to make up for Tanya until you find someone else, but I don't know why you have to fire her."
"She's a beater." The perplexity on her face made him smile. He stared into those bewildered eyes, loving that innocent gaze. "She lets guys slap her around during sex," he explained and Lilith's eyes went wide. He put his hand to her face and kissed her eyebrow. "She can't do that pregnant and you're not taking her place."
"No," she breathed and the alarm in her voice calmed him another notch as it reminded him her inexperience was not lost. There was still a world he'd help her discover.
"It's been a really long day, Lily," he whispered, pulling her into his arms. "I still have to deal with Karen."
"What're you going to do?"
"End it." His head rested on the top of hers.
Her heartbeat quickened and a tingle ran through her. She whispered, "Is that what you want?"
"Yes." The confidence in his tone sent chills through her body.
"And then what?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean with us? Are you going to get another girlfriend? How can you just walk away from her when you already knew she was cheating before—"
He interrupted her, contemptuously saying, "She got pregnant and killed it, Lily."
Before pulling away she whispered, "Just think about what you're doing."
Lilith found Ashley sitting at the table crying with a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass in front of her.
"Oh, honey," she whispered, hugging her.
Ashley threw herself into Lilith's arms and sobbed. When Ian emerged from the bathroom he walked into the kitchen ignoring them.
The girls heard his phone ring followed by his stern greeting, "Hello?" Lilith and Ashley looked at each other, then Ian said, "We need to talk." Exiting the kitchen, he was no longer on the phone. "I'm going to go over there."
Unsure if Ian would be back, she drank a fifth of whiskey with Ashley. Both girls were fall down drunk by one in the morning. Lilith stumbled into the bedroom, falling onto the bed and that was where she stayed until the next morning when she woke in pain. Rubbing her sore face she looked over at Ashley who lay just as cockeyed next to her in the bed.
Lilith started to giggle until pain ceased her. "Oh god," she whined, putting her hand to her face then kicked Ashley. "Wake up, you dumb bitch," she mumbled. "I blame this on you." With eyes tightly closed, she held her head.
"Fuck," Ashley groaned, rolling to her back. "I'm so fucking thirsty." A heaving sound had her darting to the bathroom; the unpleasant noise of retching followed.
With a soft giggle, Lilith sat up looking around for Ian. "Ian?" she muttered, wandering into the living room; he wasn't there.
A sigh exhaled from between her lips and her hungover limbs felt like they weighed a ton each while she sulked, wondering if Ian stayed with Karen.
"Shoot," she muttered, remembering her date with Justin that night.
After going to the refrigerator and pulling out the orange juice, she lifted the jug to her lips. As she tilted her head back, Ian appeared from the front door corridor. Her eyes went to his and the guilt on her face from being caught made him chuckle.
It was ten in the morning and he was dressed for work with a bruised chin and a painful looking cut next to his cleft
.
Grabbing a glass, she poured the juice and he smirked. "It doesn't offend me if you don't use a glass, baby. I use my sleeve as a napkin."
With a grin she approached him. "I don't believe that for a second. I vaguely remember you being grossed-out by eating in bed." She gently kissed his chin. "Poor baby." After another sweet kiss she casually asked, "Did you come home last night?"
"Uh, no." He cleared his throat, glancing around. "And by the looks of it, that's a good thing." He nodded toward the empty fifth of Canadian whiskey.
Remembrance of the heavy night of drinking made her cringe. "What happened with you? Where were you?"
"I left Karen's at five this morning, went to the apartment and hit the gym, showered, and went into work for an hour. Now I'm here to see how things are going." He glanced around again.
"Ian," she huffed. "You're not going to tell me? You're going to shut me out?"
"I argued with Karen until five in the morning, baby." He grabbed her, pulling her close. "Not much to tell."
"Not much to tell?" she snickered pushing him away. "Did you break things off with her?"
"She wouldn't let me. I tried but she wouldn't stop crying. I had to take several knives from her—"
"Oh god, Ian." The words breathed from her lips in disbelief. "Should have let the bitch do it," she muttered, pushing past him and walking back into the bedroom slamming the door.
Ashley jumped and groaned loudly. "The fuck, Lilith?" she growled, lying face down on the bed.
"Stupid, stupid man," Lilith muttered stomping into the bathroom.
After taking her clothes off she began to unwrap her arm when the bathroom door opened.
He hadn't seen the severity of the wound until that moment. "Lily!"
"Go to work," she scoffed at him.
"You need stitches!"
"Get out. I cannot believe you," she hissed with condemnation. Looking away, she began to wrap her arm so she could shower.
He watched her struggle with the gauze and stepped in to help. "I'm going to break things off. Lily, you told me to think about what I was doing! You sounded like you didn't want me to break things off with her!"
"I do!" she snapped at him. "She cheated on you, Ian. She got pregnant by another man. She stabbed herself to hide it! How the fuck can you stab yourself multiple times! She's crazy! I thought you were man enough to get rid of something so…so detrimental to your life and your health. You don't care she's cheated more than the one time she admitted to? That means she's probably done it a lot more than you know. She got pregnant, Ian, which also means she wasn't on the pill." Her frustration had her glowing red. "Do whatever you want to do!" With a forceful yank she freed her arm from him and got into the shower. Standing under the cold stream was sobering.
"Lily—"
"Go to work, Ian. I will see you later on!" she snapped at him.
"I'm going to make all this right."
Not wanting to hear his bullshit, she yelled, "Go to work!"
With her sunglasses on as they sat in a diner, Ashley muttered, "This Halloween can go fuck itself."
Lilith let out a giggle. "I'm feeling better. My stomach hurts though and I'm hoping this." Her eyes focused on the plate of food being passed to her by the waitress. "Will help."
"Fuck, that looks disgusting," Ashley groaned at Lilith's plate of bacon, sausage, and biscuits with gravy. "You sick bitch."
Shoving bacon into her mouth, Lilith chuckled. "Mmm, meat."
Force-feeding herself eggs, Ashley grumbled, "Are you going to come to the party tonight?"
"What party?"
"Luxe's huge Halloween party."
"Oh, no, I have plans." To avoid Ashley's questioning glare, Lilith focused on the greasy food.
"With who?" Ashley drawled when she didn't elaborate.
"Justin Borg."
"Oh what the fuck! You're working?" Automatically Ashley blamed Ian.
"No." The devious grin on her lips somehow still made Lilith look innocent.
"Lily! You slutty, slutty slut bag." Blaring laughter rang from her.
"Hey! He can do it." Lilith shrugged coyly. The smile brought on by the thought of Justin softened to a frown from the thought of Ian and Karen. "He didn't break up with her, Ashley."
"What a fucking tool. And you want to marry this man?" Ashley rolled her eyes.
"He's my fucking tool, he just needs to be slapped. So whatever." She shrugged. "He can stay with Karen. I don't care. I'm staying out of it." She tried to end her thoughts there but frustration tore through her. "I just look at it like that bitch has done nothing but hurt him! Am I wrong here?"
"No, you're right."
"And he puts up with it. I mean, he puts up with a lot from me, but this was his idea! I thought for a split second things were going to become just us, you know? Just me and him and we would actually start an amazing life together, but apparently not. So my life is going to be amazing with all the men I find cute and the man I love."
Ashley burst into laughter again. "You two are my favorite fucked up people."
Lilith texted Justin the address to the apartment then grabbed her bloody clothes from the day before.
"Help me," she said to Ashley.
"I have no idea how to get blood out of clothes. In the night, when my period hits, telling me I didn't catch the whore disease, I just throw away the sheets and whatever I'm sleeping in." She shrugged and Lilith stared at her in confusion.
"What?" she managed while wondering where Ashley came up with half the things she said.
"Whore disease. Pregnancy."
"Oh, Ashley." Lilith dropped her head, shaking it.
"What? Anyway, I don't know how to get blood out."
"I don't want it out, I want them torn up. It's my Halloween costume for tonight. I'm gonna be a zombie."
"Oh my god, that's brilliant."
"So help me."
Not lingering on the proof in her hands of Lilith's mental illness, Ashley went hunting for scissors. "Cute shirt, too bad."
Lilith frowned watching Ashley cut into the green chiffon blouse. It was one of her favorite shirts.
"This shit is going to be hands down the sexiest costume of the night."
"I don't want to be a sexy zombie."
"Shut up and turn off that shitty song." Ashley cringed as Lilith's phone rang.
"It's not a shitty song." She giggled, wiggling her head to the Nero song.
"Whose ringtone is that?" The scowl on Ashley's face looked like the song assaulted her with a slap to the cheek.
Just as it stopped ringing, Lilith picked up her phone. "It was my date for tonight."
Ashley's eyebrows raised as she looked up at Lilith who was trying to avoid her speculative gaze.
"Oh yeah?" A grin slid over Ashley's face. "That's the song that plays when Justin calls?"
Not ready to divulge anything, Lilith changed the subject by saying, "You think it'd be my fiancé? Nah, he's off fucking his slutty girlfriend."
"Slutty, fat girlfriend," Ashley threw in.
"Ashley." Lilith chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Stop being catty."
"Whatever," Ashley muttered, focusing on tattering Lilith's jeans. She then started to mumble the words to the song she had just chided Lilith for liking and setting as Justin's ringtone. "How did you know, if I never told."
"You found out," Lilith sang along while heading to her room to call Justin.
"I've got a crush on you!" the girls belted together before letting out giggles.
Justin answered his phone, "So did you find your pizza costume?"
"What! Pizza? I thought I was the pepperoni. Oh don't tell me we're both pepperonis." Lilith grinned.
He chuckled. "I'm going to be a burrito."
"What a clever costume."
"I'm a clever guy, El. What're you really being?"
"What's the worst Halloween costume?"
"A cat."
"What? Really?" She laughed.
"I hat
e when girls are cats for Halloween."
"Not a cat."
"A bride. Also tacky."
"Bride of Frankenstein?" Lilith grinned.
"Not tacky. Hot. Are you being that?"
"No." She chuckled. "I'm a zombie."
"Lame," he huffed.
"Oh, but I'm using real blood!"
"Less lame. Where are you getting this real blood?"
"I'll tell you later. What time will you pick me up?"
"You want to get dinner first?" he asked hopeful.
She grinned. "Not as a zombie. How about I get a pizza and you come up to the apartment?"
"We can do that. I'll be there at seven, cool?" The grin on his face was stretched so tight it hurt.
"See you then."
"Hey," he said before she could hang up. "I meant to ask you why you wanted to piss Jacks off?"
"Stupid story. I'm not mad at him anymore, but I already told you I'd hang out as friends."
"Friends." He chuckled with a shake of his head. "See you at seven. This zombie costume better be phenomenal and the blood better be real."
"You'll be scared."
"I better be."
Lilith convinced Ashley to follow her to the apartment and complete her zombie look with the help of Ashley's artistic talent. As she walked into the drugstore for supplies, Ian called.
She answered, "Hello, Mr. Jacks."
There was an ounce of wonder if she'd still be annoyed with him and that was his answer. He rolled his eyes. "Hello, Mrs. Jacks."
"Not yet, guy," she retorted. "What do you want?"
"Where are you?"
"Picking up antacid for Ashley."
"Your mom's not really having surgery tonight, right?"
Lilith let out a laugh. "No."
"Why won't you be here?"
"Other than not wanting to be around the whore causing you so much loss and misery?"
"She won't be here, Lily."
"I have plans."
Her vagueness was irritating. "Like what?" he snapped.
"With Justin Borg."
"You're going?" The words came from his mouth with such disdain Lilith winced.
"Yes." She nervously bit her lip.