DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to Star Wars or the Ed Sheeran lyics.
"Wish I'd have written it down, the way that things played out
When she was kissing him, how I was confused about
Now she should figure it out, while I'm sat here singing
Don't fuck with my love
That heart is so cold, all over my home"
- Ed Sheeran, DON'T
A quivering mass of tension and dread slithered through her, coiling to its resting place in the depths of her stomach. Drawing in sharp breath, she knew her color had faded, draining, leaving her face cold and pale, but for a moment she wondered if this simply was the figment of her overactive imagination.
Unwillingly she stiffened, her spine straightening, her golden brown eyes widening in stunned disbelief as her best friend's "fiancée" leaned forward, tracing her tongue teasingly across her heavily glossed lips, running bold red fingernails through the perfectly coiffed hair of a man that was not Kylo Ren.
Rey Kenobi was unable to contain her cringe of disgust, watching as Jessika Pava moaned loudly as her lover's hand disappeared beneath her skirt, his fingers eager. The enamored couple gave little regard to the fact that they were in barely out of the public view, simply tucked away in the back of corner of the restaurant.
A thin bubble of hysterical laughter rapidly swelling in her chest as Jessika's newest playtoy lifted his head and Rey came to a sickening realization as to who he was and knew that this betrayal would cut deeper than any before.
With her thoughts whirling, Rey shifted nervously in her seat, her attention drawn across the table to Kylo Ren as he ordered a tumbler bourbon, ignoring the advances of the overeager waitress desperate for his attention.
His long frame was sprawled lazily in his chair, the black shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, pulling snugly against his upper torso, outlining his flat, muscular stomach. The suggestion of male power was emphasized by the strong line of his back tapering down to his lean hips and long legs.
His very stance almost disinterested as he flipped aimlessly through the menu before he looked up and caught her stare, his lips curving in a half-smile when she nervously tucked a strand of silky dark hair behind her ear.
The brown of his eyes swirled together with black in an unusual mixture of lightened darkness as he caressed over her form examining the glossy, mass of chocolate hair pulled in a messy top bun to her sun-kissed slender shoulders, momentarily knocking any form of coherent thought from her mind.
He was all rugged angles and sharp planes from his finely chiseled jaw and long fingers. His mouth was full, strong, sensuality curled his upper lip with a hint of ruthlessness, covered by a day or two's growth of stubble that gave him a roughened look. His charm obscured on a dark side that was both, intriguing and frightening.
She was in love with him.
And his fiancée was fucking his brother.
Rey knew she had two options.
One being too clearly announce that Jessika was a whore and point his attention towards the situation unfolding behind him; or two, be best friend that would once again push her feelings aside and deliberately not hurt him.
Fuck, she swore silently. The high-road was entirely too bittersweet.
All she needed to do was create a diversion. Perhaps faint or throw water in his face to start a fight and cause them to leave.
Anything so that he wouldn't see Jessika and Ben Solo wouldn't be dead.
"Poe, give her your order not your number."
Rey was startled from her thought at Finn's angry tone as he glared rather viciously at his former boyfriend seated next to Kylo.
A tiny smile curled Rey's lips.
The combustible combination of lust and pain that was Finn and Poe may be the exact distraction she needed.
After their bitter separation, Poe had decided to return to dating women claiming they were far less drama than dealing with Finn on a daily basis. Unfortunately never realizing that it was his own inability to put Finn before this lustful attraction and advances he had for men and women had rapidly ended their relationship.
"She's not desperate." Finn snapped at his former lover before muttering sarcastically. "Besides those breasts are incredibly fake."
Perfect.
Poe Dameron drug his gaze away from the well-endowed waitress who leaned forward, her cleavage pressing against the buttons of her shirt, enjoying his attention after being silently rejected by Kylo.
"Oh Finn, don't fool yourself, love." Poe's voice softened invitingly. "There's no need to be jealous. You begged for it once."
Finn set his menu to the side, resting his chin on his hand, his eyes narrowing, ignoring Rey's insistent nudging in his side.
"I don't believe I was the only one begging now was I Poe?"
He drew in a sharp breath, stiffening at Finn's taunting tone.
"Children play nice or you're going in time out." Kylo warned lazily, one hand carelessly resting on the back of his neck, the sleeves of his black button down shirt rolled past his elbows.
"He started it." Poe internally winced at his childish tone.
"Temper, temper," Kylo chided, enjoying Poe's annoyance. "And you're a big enough boy to end it."
"Rey, what?" Finn finally snapped as the tip of her faded Converse shoe connected to his shin once again.
Rey said nothing, instead sharply thrusting her chin forward, silently indicating him to look. He followed her gaze, his mouth dropping open as the sight of Jessika's hand moving across Ben's lap, caressing the bulge in his pants.
"Holy shit," Finn muttered, unable to contain the words as he leaned closer to Rey. "What do we do? He is going to freak out."
"We need to distract him," Rey whispered. "Maybe he won't notice."
"You know, it's not nice to keep secrets." Kylo taunted, his voice was low, his timbre husky. He set his menu down, watching them through narrowed eyes as both Rey and Finn stiffened, grimacing at the shift in his attention.
Rey knew his nature, had experienced the ruthlessness first hand. Finn would be far easier to break.
"What's so interesting that you have to whisper?" he asked softly.
She bit her lip nervously, watching as Finn fidgeted in his chair, a guilty red flushing his mocoa cheeks, stammering uselessly for Kylo's answer.
"Rey's pregnant." Finn's blurted out the words, wincing at the sound of Rey's shocked gasp, her hands quickly covering her mouth.
At Finn's response and her reaction to such, Kylo's body stiffened, his pale skin pulling taunt against his cheekbones, tightening until he was afraid that he would break apart, he couldn't move, he couldn't breathe.
His best friend was pregnant.
When had she met someone, he thought, searching his mind for a time when Rey's attention had not been his. Why hadn't she told him she finally allowed someone to touch her in such a manner.
Why hadn't it been him?
And then the rage grew, a freezing kind of anger that numbed the unreasonable pain of her betrayal. But the rage made it possible to think.
Rey saw his pupils widen in disbelief, and then the chill in his dark eyes was swallowed by pure fire as he glared across the table at her, horrified embarrassment flood back into her cheeks.
"What the hell were you thinking?" His voice was almost soundless. "Who have you been fucking?"
"No one." Rey insisted, her eyes narrowing at the judgment she saw reflecting in his eyes, forgetting her momentary concern for his feelings.
"Who?" Kylo roared, his large hand slamming on the table.
"Poe."
Kylo snarled viciously at Finn's words as he stood, his chair tipping backwards crashing to the ground, his taut body rippling with the involuntary motion of a predator, his adrenaline pumping, muscles tensed. He leaned over, gripping the front of Poe's shirt, yanking his unsuspecting friend forward.
"You touched her. You put your damn hands on her." His voice was harsh, more demanding than questioning as the tenuous control of his temper snapped. "I've warned you. After you broke up with Finn and claimed only women would ride your dick, I fucking warned you."
"What the hell Finn? I never touched her." Poe snapped, his breath constricted as Kylo's hold tightened. "I never would."
"Pregnant really?" Rey snapped annoyed as she rushed forward while Finn shrugged helplessly.
"I panicked." He watched, his eyes rounded at Kylo's anger, a vicious satisfaction filling him at the sight of his former lover dangling uselessly from Kylo Ren's grasp, his toes barely brushing the ground. "You said to distract him. Poe is the perfect excuse."
"Distract him, idiot, not send him into a fucking killing rage."
As Kylo's hands contracted on Poe's throat, Finn laughed lightly, shrugging his shoulders in defeat.
"I'm going to stop talking."
"Heel boy! There is no need to defend my honor." She hissed harshly, thrusting an agitated hand through her hair, resisting the urge to yank on it in frustration. "I'm not pregnant, Kylo, much less by Poe."
"I don't want her," Poe seconded, his voice faint, pausing slightly at the annoyed and mildly hurt glance Rey shot him. "No offense, doll, you're not really my type."
His expression was closed, his face bleak and unyielding, his skin pulled tautly against his chiseled features, his lips compressing into a thin line. Violence and rage burned in the depths of his black eyes, his grip relaxing slightly, as he studied her. Despite his icy rage, his stomach muscles contracted abruptly in reaction to the petite brunette with her luminous eyes glaring up at him.
She was small, almost delicately built, her skin a dusky gold. Her face was sharp with high-planned cheekbones and a stubborn tapered chin pointed to him, silently pleading for him to release their friend.
Her eyes were a deep, fathomless golden chocolate, the kind that a man could look into and forget what he had been saying. There was something exotic about them, other than the richness of the color, there was a shadowed pain in the dark depths, and anger, but most of all a desolation he couldn't quite grasp.
She was his, he thought viciously. Well his best friend. Not Poe's or any other man's for that matter.
"Really, you're not pregnant? Then tell sweetheart," he hissed the endearment through clenched teeth. "Why did Finn the feel the need to announce that you were."
"Don't be mad Ren at Finn's complete lack of sense and horrid lying ability. He was trying help." Rey insisted.
"Help with exactly?" he snapped, his patience rapidly evaporating.
It was then that her laughter rang out. Sultry, loud and pleased.
Rey pressed her trembling fingers to her lips, watching as the sound cut through him.
Taunting him.
Letting him know that he had been betrayed.
"Help you not kill your brother." She whispered hoarsely.
She heard him suck in his breath - not in annoyance - rather that of an animal snarling as he let go of Poe, angrily stalking towards the unsuspecting couple.
"Kylo wait–" Rey started to say, but he paid no attention. Every action of his body indicated that someone was going to get hurt.
Jessika's shrill scream, pierced through the quiet atmosphere of the restaurant. Immediately the attention of the patrons focused on them as Kylo yanked her lover from her, cracking him across the face, blood dripping down his face and onto Kylo's shirt.
"For the love of god, seriously," Rey muttered, rushing across the room with Finn and Poe closely following.
She paused for a moment, enjoying the sight of Kylo's understandable rage, but realized that he was becoming uncontrollable, still smarting from the fact he believed Poe had fucked her.
Sparing a disgusted look at Jessika who was screaming for Kylo to stop only to have her pleas ignored, Rey hooked his arm with her own when he swung back to deliver another punch to the semi-unconscious man. Feeling the extra added weight, he looked over his shoulder with a feral growl.
"Let me go."
"Ren, stop," she said to him in the calmest voice she could muster. Realizing his intention was to shake her off; she quickly stepped in front of him, blocking the source of his rage.
"I'm not finished."
"Yes, you are. What do you plan to do? Kill the stupid bastard? He is your brother." Rey said softly, cupping his face in her hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "He's your twin."
"He's dead to me." His voice was soft, the velvety sound chilling as he spoke.
"And that's fine. That understandably your choice."
Kylo's gaze drifted down to her, the blackened darkness alive with fury and hurt. She began to smooth her hands down his cheeks, enjoying the rasp of the stubble, the gentle caress defusing his anger.
Her hands slipped down his neck as he stepped closer, causing their bodies to brush against one another. He expelled an angry breath, leaning his forehead to hers, their nose nuzzling. She ran her fingers through the raven colored hair at the nape of his neck, twirling the dark strands around.
She was the only one who dared to step close to him in his anger and she was the only he had ever allowed to touch him when he felt as if he were coming apart at the seams.
Realizing that he had gained control on his temper, she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before releasing him, one hand still firmly clasped in his.
A weeping Jessika rushed to Ben's side, pressing a napkin to his bleeding mouth as Kylo gave her a look of disgust and hatred.
"Five fucking years…five years and this is the shit you're going to do to me." Kylo snarled down at her. "I did everything for you and this is the thanks I get." He clenched his fist, needing to still strike out.
"Kylo," Rey warned him softly, not wanting him to make the mistake of hitting her, no matter how much it was deserved.
"You were never there," Jessika accused, her voice borderline hysterical. "Every time I need you, you're either at work or with her," she sent a nasty glare in Rey's direction.
"I'm your fiancée and you touch her more than me."
She felt the ripple of Kylo's body as he stepped forwarded, he was taut, tenae, the long sleek muscles contracting in an involuntary motion as he pulled her behind him.
Rey stared down at Jessika, at the face so much like her own, with acute distaste unable to believe that she was attempting to blame him for her unfaithfulness.
From the moment Kylo had introduced her, they had taken an instant dislike to one another. While Rey had carefully hidden her, Jessika never missed the opportunity to put her down. If it had been up to her, he would have been rid of her years ago.
"For you. I work for you." He let out a harsh, sarcastic laugh at her assumption. "For the diamonds you wanted, the car you just had to have, the high lifestyle you enjoy. I did
it all for you. I gave up what I cared about for you."
"You never gave up anything, Kylo." Jessika hissed. "I asked you to give her up," she indicated to Rey, turning her nose up to her simple tank top and cutoff jean shorts. "And you couldn't even do that. Not even for the woman who claim to love."
"I did give her up until you decided I wasn't for you remember?" Kylo scoffed, his voice hardening as he mocked her. "You were the one who told me to crawl and maybe she would forgive me."
"Of course she forgave you. She's in love with you, you ass."
Rey felt her cheeks burn red as Jessika stated what Kylo was too blind to see.
She had loved Kylo since she was sixteen, but he had never been able to see past Jessika. She had fixed his car, scoffing at his assumption that a girl of her age would never be able to understands the mechanics of his car. She had fixed his car and gifted him to a right hook to his pompous nose for his comments. And in return, he had befriended and protected the orphaned girl from the advantages of her lecherous foster father.
She has been safe until she she wasn't. He had hurt her, sent her running for two years, constantly moving so he had not been able to find her.
But he had never been in love with her.
Kylo felt her body stiffening and instantly knew that she was remembering, reminiscing how he had made her cry.
"Keep the diamond, keep the clothes," He snapped, his voice clipped as he cut through her words. "Be the fucking whore everyone knows you to be, but you'll do it without me. Without my money." He said the words leaning even closer until his nose was almost touching Jessika's. "And without Ben's money, because little bitch boy's money here comes from me. Not mommy and daddy, certainly not himself. But me."
Rey could barely contain her glee as Kylo threw money on the table to pay for any damage and turned on his heel, stalking out of the room, leaving a screaming Jessika behind.
"It was never you Kylo! It always Ben!" she shrieked. "You'll never be more than someone's second choice!"
Kylo stalked out of the restaurant, the doors banging back with the force of his anger, his friends quietly following. He squinted against the late afternoon sun as he walked over to his black Camaro, slamming his hands down on the roof in frustration. He leaned his forehead forward, resting it against the car for a moment as he breathed a calming breath.
For a moment he silently wondered which had upset him more the thought of Poe touching Rey or Ben touching Jessika.
And he knew his answer, but pushed the truth aside in favor of his betrayal.
"Ren," her voice was barely above a whisper as he turned, laughing harshly, his chest heaving, his gaze searing her.
"Can't believe she did that shit," he muttered in the silence. "Five fucking years…"
"Ren, you know this isn't the first time," Rey said softly, placing a comforting hand on his lower back, silently cursing herself as the muscles in his jaw clenched. She often wondered what type of hold Jessika held over Kylo that made him constantly take her back each time she cheated.
"Well there's no argument this time. It's finally over." Kylo stated, turning to face his friends who attempted to not look amused at the same comment had had said multiple time before.
"Right," Rey snorted in disbelief. "We know all she has to do is crook her finger at you and you'll go running back to her."
"You're in love with her." Finn added. "And that tends to make you stupid and blind."
"Leave him alone," Poe snapped, defending his friend. "He never begs for her back."
"She's the one who always comes whimpering for another chance." Kylo said, arrogance creeping back into his tone.
"And you're the ass who takes her back every time." Rey retorted.
"She loves me." Kylo insisted, conveniently forgetting that she had chosen his brother over him.
"God, you are so dense." Rey groaned, pushing her fingers through her hair. "If she makes you happy then by all means take her back and marry her. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life. But you can't be surprised when she fucks another guy as a way to get even with you."
"You're loving this, aren't you?" He snapped, cutting through her words, his wounded pride pricked over her choice of wording.
"Yes Kylo, I love this fact that you've been hurt," Rey rolled her eyes sarcastically. "I just want someone for you that will make you happy."
"You hated her. Go ahead and gloat. Tell me how you knew this would happen."
She stared at him wordlessly, stunned at his outburst against her as his larger frame advanced towards her, his eyes blazing with unreasonable anger. He reached out, grabbing her arm and yanking her forward and she couldn't move as she brought her hands to his lower stomach. Her breath caught in the back of her throat as her fingers pressed into the firm muscles attempting to push him back, but he refused to move, only leaning in closer.
Her gaze dropped, focusing on his pulse that throbbed visibly in the hollow of his throat, his jawline taut with anticipation and she could smell the dangerous mixture of smoke and bourbon on him.
"You always have a witty comeback, Rey, what's wrong?" Kylo reached out, his fingers encircling her slender wrist, forcing her to look at him. "Don't want to admit how much you hate her?"
Shards of pain pierced her, and she twisted suddenly, a gasping cry breaking from her lips. She managed to wrench herself from his grip, bruising herself as she shoved away.
She knew he would never listen to her reasoning right now.
"Kylo," Poe quickly stepped between them, pushing him back. "Back up man, don't do something you'll regret. Look at her, you're scaring her."
Rey's face had paled, her lips bloodless, her eyes blankly hollowed. Her whole body had stilled, withdrawing within herself without actually moving. The ice from Kylo's eyes drained as he realized what he had done as tears glossed the dark surface.
"Rey," he reached out for her, but she stepped back from his hand, wrapping her arms around herself, protecting herself from his next verbal assault.
"Don't touch me," she snapped the words at him, massaging the dark red mark rapidly forming on her wrist.
Kylo's eyebrows drew together as he contemplated her words, wondering what she would do if he did. He reached out only to have Finn slap his hand down.
"Kylo, she said no. You learned what that means with her once. Do you want to push your luck?" Finn reminded him softly of a time he would rather forget. "Do you want her to run?"
Unless she was the first to willingly touch him, Kylo had learned that he wanted Rey to remain in his life than he could not touch her as freely as he once had.
"I'm sorry." The words were wrenched from him.
"I'm sorry you're an asshole too." Rey whispered bitterly, shadows creeping into her eyes before she turned, racing down the street towards her car. "Leave me alone."
She knew Kylo would not follow her.
He never did.