KAISER

My feet are rigidly affixed to the marbled floor as Daisy scurries down the hall. I unclench my fists as her footsteps fade into the distance. I don't know how to tolerate her.

My chest rises and falls; I can't steady my raging heartbeat.

She does things to me that even I cannot explain. Her scent. Her feigned innocent eyes. Those cupid-pale pink lips. Damn!

I hate her so much for destroying our plans. She could have been mine; I should be kissing her beautiful neck instead of throttling her.

How could selfishness guide her? Why did she choose to lead us down a long, wrong path?

I hate her.

She should know that the day she left, everything changed. How dare she try to claim Cuppy after everything she caused? Does she think she can just walk in and nestle him like she used to?

Nah.

He is mine now.

NINE YEARS AGO

My feet hurt from running, but I'm relieved to have arrived at the safety of my den.

It is an abandoned brilliant green alkaline lake, surrounded by calming nature.

I can hear the distant noise of New Jersey in a comforting tone while the screeching of birds and insects makes it more relaxing.

I come here whenever I have nowhere else to go. It is my fortress. Even Daisy doesn't know about it.

Trying to calm my anger, I squat on my knees until I think I see a reflection of a shadow.

My heart picks up pace, rising and falling against my ribcage.

I stand up and turn around, convincing myself it's nothing harmful. "Hello?" I call, fighting the dread in the pit of my stomach. "Is anyone there?"

I take cautious steps forward until I see a large figure in a black overcoat appearing behind a tall tree branch. I don't dare look up at his face as I begin backing away. I can feel the edge of my pants and shoes getting wet, but I care less. All I want is to get away from the stranger.

I am hyperventilating.

Then, the next step I take is the last one. I have no idea the water has swallowed me; I had increased my speed when the figure did the same toward me.

I can't breathe. The water fills every hole in my body, closing all access needed to breathe. I am not a swimmer; I have always been scared of water, so I never learned how to swim or survive drowning.

I try to push myself up from the darkness underwater, but I can't. I am only struggling cluelessly.

"Mom, Dad," I think. My tears are useless.

I have no one to save me.

It feels like something is drawing me down. I feel a firm hold on my ankle. I can't see their face, but I see a tiny figure and brunette hair. I struggle to help us both, but the person gives me no choice. They are so strong I think they only want to sink me.

For a while, I try to push myself up toward the small glint of light above until my body gives out, and I feel myself drowning in the bottomless lake.

It is deep and dark, bringing fear, anxiety, and a mental anticipation of something I can't quite explain.

"Mom, Dad," I feel alone.

That is all I remember until I feel the sloppy wet clothes all over my face and the chirping sound of crickets.

I cringe with my eyes closed, wincing as I feel too weak to move my body. I flicked my eyes open and found the familiar Rottweiler licking my face, his tail twirling behind him. He is whining.

Daisy hasn't left me. That's the first thought I have when I see Cuppy standing over me.

She's here. The cops lied.

I smile and prop my weak self up on my elbow. The sun has long set, and the atmosphere is getting darker.

I look around; I am situated at the side of the lake.

There is no one around me.

Confusion! That's what I feel. Did Cuppy save me?

PRESENT

"Hey man, who's that hot mama?" Malik sneers.

Acting oblivious and unconcerned, I reluctantly question, "Who?"

"The slender brunette?" His lip arches up, appearing confused. "She has her fucking lady blessings doing things to me, man, bad things, Bruh. Does she mean something to you?" he adds.

That catches me off guard.

"That's Riley's friend. You better stay away." I swallow the bile rising in my throat.

Why do I feel the need to protect her from Malik?

I mean, she used to be my friend. No. She wasn't. It's more that I care about Riley so much. If Malik messes up her boring bonding relationship with Daisy, she will blame me for it.

Malik John is an African American who shares my age; we stand almost the same height. In a short time, he has understood me well, just as I do him. We met at a party I was invited to at a neighboring park. Since then, we have bonded in some ways. We have the same school and the same major.

That's why I know he's no good for Daisy. Not that I care what's good for her. Malik is a spoiled child. His parents had trouble having children, so when they had a surrogate and got him, they made sure he had everything he desired. That means he uses girls like he changes outfits every morning and night. So Daisy won't be his laundry.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure she's quiet. Riley won't know a thing." Malik smirks and turns toward the staircase.

Instinctively, I pull him back by his black-and-white striped t-shirt. He stumbles and almost loses his balance.

"What the fuck?" Malik yells as he steadies himself and stands upright.

Anger and confusion are written all over his face.

She means nothing to me. I only care for Riley.

"I said Riley won't be happy about it."

"Since when do you care what Riley feels?" He scoffs furiously. "You don't give a damn about her feelings, so if you'll excuse me." He inhales loudly and turns back to the staircase.

I can't help but step ahead of him, blocking his access to the staircase. "I'm not kidding; stand down." I snarl.

Why can't he take the simple hint and let it be?

But Malik is stubborn; he will make sure he gets what he wants at all costs. And that scares me shitless.

"What, you like her? Dude, you can't have two girls under the same roof for yourself. Unless you already did." He starts grinning thoughtfully.

I feel all the walls I've constructed harden at his accusation. My shoulders tense while my breathing quickens.

"W-What?" I murmur.

"You had her." He grins devilishly.

My eyes widen at his assumption. "What? You think I'm some pervert or something?" I snort, trying to stay neutral.

His eyes narrow, pinning me with my unease. "You like her, don't you?" he accuses.

"You must be insane; I have a girlfriend." I shove past him to the couch, avoiding letting him see through me if any unmeaning emotion decides to appear.

I don't like Daisy. She has only caused me hell.

A big NO! I can't ever like her. What I feel for her is hate. That's all.

"Keep fooling yourself. We both know you're just wasting your teenage years believing you're dating, but you're not. You just wanted some assurance from someone steady, that's all." He bites, hitting his mark.

God, I hate him for understanding me so well.

"Fuck you." I snap, increasing the volume of my TV.

The rest of the day, I sit on the couch, watching some documentary shit that Riley found intriguing. Malik left a while ago; his dad called, urging him to come.

When Riley returns, she walks in with Vance, helping her with some shopping bags I believe she got with Daisy.

I don't know where she has been for almost the whole day, and she refuses to tell me. Instead, she joins me on the couch and changes the channel to her liking, stopping the interesting thing I'd found on TV.

She wraps us in a knitted blanket even though the heat of August stirs beneath the cover.

Riley is a romantic person, not like me, I believe.

I have no romance in me because I have never witnessed affection. My parents were more focused on making money than on their marriage. With the Estebans as our neighbors, I once had hope in love.

But everything shattered when they left me behind.

"Have you eaten?" Riley asks.

"Have you?" I retort, sounding harsher than I intended.

I should be asking her. What is happening with me? I should be caring for her.

She takes a deep breath and blinks before answering quietly, "Yes."

She always tolerates my asshole behavior. I don't know how she puts up with me.

You don't hurt those who help you. I close my eyes and mentally hit myself against the wall before reopening them. "I'm sorry, okay? I just had a bad day." I explain to her.

"What happened?" She shifts and faces me, worry etched into her expression.

Yes, that's Riley, the only person who has ever cared for me.

I shouldn't talk to her that way. I should focus on making her happy.

So instead of replying, I lean in and press my lips against hers. I kiss her hungrily, nibbling at any chance I get, allowing her to push her tongue into my mouth.

Don't think about the bitch upstairs. She doesn't deserve the attention.

I keep going, not breaking our kiss as I pull up Riley's shirt, revealing her bare chest.

I let myself savor her creamy skin as always, her hard nipples ready for me. My hand slides into her soaking panties, and she moans with pleasure, pulling me closer with her nails digging into my skin.

That's Riley; every time I touch her, it feels like the first time. I'm aware of the present-day effect I still have on her; it excites me yet confuses me.

When I open my eyes, I think I catch a reflection of a shadow on the marbled floor. But when I lift my head to confirm my vision, I see nothing.

I'm sure it was Daisy. She had to see this. She must have seen it.

I fucking want her to see. I know she cares. I saw how she trembled when I cornered her against the door earlier. I felt her breath stop when her eyes dropped to my lips. I didn't miss the goosebumps on her nearly naked body the first night in the kitchen.

She has to care.

And if seeing me with Riley would hurt her, then I will take pleasure in making Riley moan louder than ever.