Between the Two [COMPLETE]

9~True Crime

It’s been more than a week since Asher and I struck a deal to reveal the truth of our parents and get rid of them. Fate was something we had to grasp in our own hands and deliver. As I examined Ezra all week and Asher informed me of the many quirks he possessed, I’d come to realize I gained the short end of the stick. Asher had more than a year and a half to get to know my mom. And although we hadn’t set a time to get rid of them (Asher insists on graduation), every nerve in my body wanted to figure out the foundations of a plan so mommy dearest would be long gone soon.

Ezra would be harder than I intended.

“My father is a very controlling man and when there’s an idea in his head, he likes to pursue it no matter what, like a dog with a bone,” Asher explained. “You need to gain his trust before we could possibly hurt him.”

The puzzling personality of Ezra continued to expand with new information. He stuck to a rigorous schedule, mainly confining himself to church affairs, board meetings, and event planning for much of the town. When he was home, he spent his time within his office until dinner and on Wednesday, we’d go to bible study. Those were enduring times, the cafe closed and while Ezra taught most of the adults in the first sanctuary, Hazel taught the younger students, the little lambs. The first week was new and inviting; the second week brought boredom and mischief, secretly texting Daphne when no one noticed.

No one except Ezra.

His grey eyes scoured me in the back of the room, an expression of aggravation flashing before vanishing. He made sure I noticed. He always ensured I noticed his presence around the house, at church, and it always brought a sense of dread. He hadn’t punished me since the day I screamed at my mother but he observed me as much as I did him. Did he know Asher and I were planning his demise? Would he scar us to silence if he found out?

Ezra liked to taunt me with the fright and thrill of punishment. When he called for me after spotting the phone, he only grazed my hand placed on his desk, his eyes looming above me with a heated demeanor. Squeezing my thighs tightly, I informed him I wouldn’t do it again. To him, I was innocent, good and pure, as he’d told me once before. There was never a moment within the day I didn’t notice him staring alluringly at me. It made the crude thought of his fingertips touching my core ravish my mind with a blush. And that’s when I knew the best way to get close and gain his trust.

“I’m staying at Daphne’s a little while longer,” I told Asher. Most of his friends were heading out of Daphne’s dorm after watching a movie and finishing our homework together. He paused at her desk where he was gathering his things, eyebrows furrowed. We’d already been cutting it close to six, our curfew time, and surely there’d be punishment. “I’ll be home by six-thirty, seven at the latest.”

A flash of panic touched his face before disappearing. His friends waited by the doorway while I sat back on Daphne’s bed, continuing to munch on popcorn. His voice was deep and rough. “I don’t think that’s a smart decision, Lilah. It’s getting late. Someone might hurt you...”

That someone being Ezra. He couldn’t disguise the angst in his tone of what Ezra or my mother might do to me if I broke the tardiness rule. However, I needed it to happen to get rid of them, to gain Ezra’s trust. “I’ll be alright. Trust me.”

Internally, I knew he destained the thought of punishment and could only imagine the worse for me. When I closed my eyes, I could visualize the jagged scars rolling down his muscular back, my fingers grazing them with an electrifying sensation. I’d been hurt many times in my life--cuts on my arms, sprained ankles, bruises along my body--so I could handle whatever Ezra threw at me. A part of me theorized that he might also be lenient on me, sexualize me more as punishment. I bit my bottom lip at the lecherous thought.

He sighed, pushing back the strands of hair from his loose ponytail. Turning to his friends, “You go on without me. I’ll take Lilah home--”

“No!” I blurted, almost choking on a popcorn kernel. “You need to be home on time.” I didn’t want Ezra to hurt him even more but how could I explain that his father punished me in more pleasurable ways than him. It would make me sound dirty, crazy, maybe even masochistic. “I’ll be better off than you.”

He smirked, waving his friends off who only shrugged and closed the door behind them. Placing his bag on the desk again, he came to sit by me and Daphne on the bed, grabbing a handful of popcorn. He purposely drew his attention to Daphne. “What should we watch now?”

“Oh, a true crime movie!” Daphne suggested, flipping the channel of her television.

Daphne enjoyed mystery and horror movies, piecing together the scenario of “who done it” as a hobby. When I picked up on it, I asked her and she just told me she enjoyed mystery cases and one day wants to be a detective. I knew very little of her home before coming here. Her studio dorm was larger than most dorms, Asher told me, most students sharing space with a roommate. Daphne for some reason was the exception. She didn’t have any memorabilia of family, only posters of music bands and a familiar movie poster of Heather Brookshaw. When I noticed, my heart soared that there was another fan of her movies and tv shows, though she spoke little of it.

Behind Daphne’s back, Asher would intertwine his fingers with mine and play with the strands of hair coursing down my back. Stealing kisses were as far as we’d been and I enjoyed them. Something about Asher lit my heart ablaze whenever he came near, his innocent smile and jade eyes created butterflies in the pit of my stomach. We would never see one another as step-siblings, that was obvious. I believe it was the novelty of him and his sincere compassion for me that struck the most. He felt nurturing and safe and a riddle I wanted to solve meticulously. I’d never gained the attention of a guy this prominently that wasn’t a stepfather. Well, being my stepbrother doesn’t make it any better, does it?

“Oh, yeah, have you guys heard about Mr. Roberts?” Daphne asked out of the blue. I quickly snatched my hand away from Asher’s before she could see, faking a yawn to cover my mouth. “His body was found by the creek outside of town...burnt to a crisp.”

“Who’s Mr. Roberts?” I asked.

Asher answered, “He owns most of the gas stations around town. Well, owned. He recently sold them to the Harrison family.” They both pretended to gag at the name before laughing it off.

I pursed my lips, glaring at both of them. “I don’t know these names.”

Daphne granted me a puppy dog smirk, patting my leg along the bed. “I remember the good old days when I didn’t know s**t about anyone here. Such innocent times.” I rolled my eyes. “The Harrison family owns almost everything but the school and church in Hawthorn. Their son, Matt, in our class, is the freaking worst!”

Asher sighed, sitting up against the bed frame. “Back to Mr. Roberts, I thought he moved downstate to get back with his wife…?”

She shrugged nonchalantly. Talking about a man being burnt to crisps had no effect on her besides pure excitement. “Thought that too until they found a body and DNA confirmed it’s Mr. Roberts. I’m still trying to figure out if it was a morbid suicide or someone else set him on fire. I’m going with the latter.”

“How do you know so much?” I asked. I felt like I was so out of the loop when Asher gave her a knowing grin, wiggling his eyebrows at her while she stuck out her tongue. For a split second, I felt envious of their friendship.

Daphne sucked her teeth while Asher answered for her boldly, “Daph likes flirting with the sheriff's daughter for information, don’t ya?”

“Not flirting,” she quickly replied, her rosy cheeks heating at the accusation. “We’re just friends.”

Asher scoffed. “Yeah, friends with benefits.”

She grabbed a pillow behind her and swung it at him, having to reach over me as he chuckled at the attack. “Asher, what I do with cute girls is my business. Find a cute chick of your own to mess around with.”

When she sat back in a huff, eyes turned away, he caressed the side of my healing neck, ripples of warm pleasure following after his touch. “I’m in the process.” When she turned back around, he looked down at his phone, scooting off the bed with his other hand planted on mine. “We should be heading out now. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Of course. Wouldn’t want to miss Lilah’s birthday,” she beamed at me slyly. “Thought I wouldn’t find out?” Asher said nothing, grabbing his things with his head down. I hadn’t told anyone. Now that I’d returned to my mothers’ side, there was no reason for celebration.

I shook my head, collecting my bag. “Just never a big fan.” The only time I celebrated my birthday was with Nani, heading to the beach for my 17th last year. The memory of eating cake by the beach and running our toes through warm, wet sand made my heart ache for her. “I don’t have anything planned if that’s what you’re wondering.”

She leaned back with crossed arms. “Carter Millen is having a party this Saturday. You should come.”

I tossed my bag over my shoulder, heading towards the door with Asher. “I’ll think about it.”

Walking behind Asher, I waved a goodbye to Daph and closed the door behind me. It wasn’t until we’d walked out the dorm complex and reached his BMW that he finally spoke. “Do you not like your birthday?” he asked, green eyes darkening beneath the streetlights.

“Not really. It’s just like any other day to me.” He unlocked the car doors and we both slid inside, throwing our stuff in the backseat.

His hand brushed a strand of hair off my shoulder, fingers tucking the scarf down and tracing the healing bruises along my neck. Leaning over, he gently kissed my neck, holding me close so I couldn’t pull away. The breath in my lungs froze at his touch for a moment. “Is it because of her?” he whispered, his voice rumbling when he said her. He doesn’t mention her name when we’re alone but I always knew it meant my mother.

My eyes traced the length of his neck, his jawline that mimicked his father's, before allowing the sincerity of his eyes to wash over me. He cared for me, something I only received from Nani and Louie. “I’ve never been a birthday person, that’s all.”

A sneer escaped him. He drew me closer until our foreheads met. “We’re doing something for your birthday, whether you like it or not.” The assertive manner in his voice straightened my spine, feeling my fingers graze the length of his arm. His warm breath hit my lips with each word, my heart jolting in my chest.

This time, I pressed my lips to his, savoring the light taste and rough movement of him. The palm of his hand cupped the back of my neck, pulling me deeper into him. A buzz filled the space between us, heightening our senses, compelling us towards one another. I wrapped my arms around his neck, his body leaning over the gear stick to absorb me more. Asher made me lose myself within him whenever he looked at me, touched me, kissed me. I couldn’t figure out this charming spell he cast upon me but it only made me desire his affection more. His other hand found its way to my thigh, running its way upwards slowly to the hem of my skirt.

When I didn’t stop him, feeling a moan lurch out my throat, he continued, his touch heating my core. Only the sensual thought of his body pressed to mine swam through my mind for those few moments in time. Heated flutters raced up my body, his lips kissing my cheek, down my jaw, the nap of my neck. A tight growl escaped him, vibrating my body against his. His finger found the hem of my panties, his finger sweetly caressing the fabric against my slick lips. A swollen pleasure inside the pit of my gut begged for his tender touch, something I’d never dreamt I wanted, I needed from him.

Pausing, his heaving breaths making me warm inside, he looked deeply into my eyes. His fingers froze against my wet core, a question of yearning brimming in his bright eyes. He yearned for me as much I did for him, this sensation of carnal desire overwhelming the both of us. For a moment, we weren’t damaged or children of sin. We were just Asher and Lilah, two people who needed the burning, compassionate pleasure of each other. We knew each other's pain and, for a few minutes, we could dispel it for one another.

Time stood still for us.

Caressing his cheek in my hand, I whispered breathlessly, “Do it.”