2 snippets in 1 day! That's what happens when the husband is watching the Superbowl and I'm bored as hell.
This one is pre-Christian. If you aren't interested in that, just ignore it. :)
Anastasia sat on the worn couch she and her boyfriend... well, ex-boyfriend... José found together at Goodwill. In her hand was a wine glass full of white wine, the bottle sitting empty on the trunk they used as a coffee table. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were swollen from crying all night.
The night before she had walked out in the middle of her shift at the local bar down the street when her boss ended up drunk again and couldn't keep his hands to himself while she bartended. She hated the crowds anyway, but the tips were good and the men liked her quiet demeanor. Her boss had told her it made her mysterious, exciting the drunk assholes that frequented the hole in the wall bar.
It killed her to walk away from such great tips, but as soon as her boss grabbed her between her legs when she bent to grab the ice, she knew it was time. He ended up with a face full of margarita and she even went as far as grabbing the salt off the plate to throw it at his face. Disgusting bastard.
Feeling miserable with herself and her situation, she looked forward to coming home to her boyfriend and curling up with the familiar warmth of his body beside her. She knew he'd be angry that she almost blinded her boss and walked out, but she planned to deal with that after she got some sleep. When she walked into their bedroom though, she found her friend riding her live-in boyfriend like her life depended on it. She forced both of them out of the apartment and since then, she'd been sobbing her eyes out on the couch while she clutched her wine.
She had never felt so betrayed. She had given up her studies so that she could work two jobs to support the two of them so he could concentrate on his studies. In return, he promised to support her through hers in the future. He fucked her over each and every way he could.
In her current inebriated state, she had come to terms with what she realized was abusive behavior from him. He had always put her down, emotionally extorting her anyway he could. There had been a few times he had put his hands on her, but after she threatened to tell her father, that stopped. He was always complaining about her weight, her body, and even her intelligence. Hell, she must have been stupid to deal with that. He was an abusive, jealous prick who caused her to lose her second job as a concierge at the Holiday Inn when he came to work screaming she was fucking someone during her shifts. Last month she had two full time jobs. Now, she had none.
José made her feel so small and unsure of herself, she felt like she didn't deserve better. Even as she was kicking the two of them out, he had told her that he fucked the friend because she wasn't worthy. He said she was shit in bed. The man always got his rocks off though; she never did. She could count on one hand the amount of times José made her orgasm... and they were all in the first few months of their relationship. After that, he stopped trying or giving a shit.
When he tried to blame her for his infidelity, that's when everything clicked for her. She knew she couldn't forgive him this time. She knew she couldn't go on like that. He had made her miserable for so long. She was sick of trying. She wanted to cut her losses... but she didn't know how to start. She had left a teary voice-mail to her best friend, Kate, but it was early. She knew she'd be sleeping still.
She looked down at the picture of the José and her on the chest and kicked it off, letting it fall to the floor, shattering. She couldn't afford the apartment anymore. She didn't even want it, honestly. They were both on the lease and she'd rather just break it. The apartment didn't have good memories with it anyway. Looking around now, just made her heart ache and she began to cry again.
Startled by her phone ringing, she hurried to answer when she saw it was Kate.
"Ana? Ana, what's wrong?"
"José!" Ana cried into the phone.
"Shit. What'd he do now?"
"I caught him fucking Phoebe in our bedroom last night!"
"Bastard!"
"Kate! I don't know what to do! I've kicked him out but I'm jobless and I can't stay here and it's such a mess-"
"Jobless?"
Ana groaned. "Don't even get me started on that! God. What am I going to do? If I go back to my dad's he's going to he so disappointed in me!" She started to sob. "I guess I deserve that though. I need to just pack my things and call him to come get me."
"Don't be silly. Stay with me."
Ana sniffled. "Wha-what?"
"I have a guestroom. Dad won't mind you staying. You know he loves you."
"Really? I- just until I find another job and get back on my feet! Maybe a few months. That would be great!"
"Perfect. Then it's settled. Get your shit packed and I'll send Ethan over there to help you. He's got a key."
"Where are you?"
Kate laughed. "I am spending some time on a beach in California with a guy I met in the club last weekend."
"Kate!"
"Relax, Steele. He isn't a serial killer! I'll be back later today and then I'll be all yours. You can snot on me and everything."
XxXxXx
By the time Ethan arrived, Ana had gone through another bottle of wine and had packed up a few boxes and thrown her clothes and personal items in her large suitcase.
"Hey."
"Hi."
Ethan looked her over and frowned. She looked like a fucking mess. "That bastard isn't here, is he?"
She shook her head. "No. Wine? It's my last glass." She offered him the rest of her wine.
He took it from her. "Thank you, but no." He made his way to her sink, pouring it down the drain.
"Ethan! Don't waste it!"
"You've had enough." Opening the fridge, he searched and found a bottle of water. "Here." He shoved it into her hands. "Drink this."
She pouted. "Why is everyone so bossy?"
Shaking his head, he made his way to one of the boxes. "Probably because you can't seem to take care of yourself right now." Grabbing the box, he cursed when the things inside of it fell through, falling on his foot. "Did you even tape these?"
Ana's lip quivered and she plopped down on the couch before sobbing into her hands. "Maybe José is right. I can't do anything! I'm such a fucking mess. I can't even keep a damn job! I lost both of them within weeks of each other! And I'm such shit in bed, my boyfriend can't keep his dick out of other people! If he doesn't find me attractive, then why can't my boss keep his hands to himself? Of course, he's always drunk all the time... but why can't I just get a break?"
"Hey, hey, hey." Ethan dropped down beside her and hugged her to him. "You're going through a hard time right now. You've got us, though. Kate will make sure you get your shit together."
"I don't know if that's possible, Ethan. José has made me second guess everything! I think he was being nice when he encouraged me to quit school. Maybe he was worried I wouldn't finish! And he was my first. Maybe he's right about me in bed. About my shit body. I went through high school just fine without anyone trying to take me out or get in my pants."
"That's bullshit. You know it. No one touched you because of me."
"What do you mean?" She looked up at him with tear-filled blue eyes and it cut right through him.
Looking away, he cleared his throat. "Me and a couple of my friends threatened the others. We tried to do the same for Kate, but she just went for college guys instead."
"You? You're the reason I didn't have my first kiss until I was seventeen? Why would you do that to me? I went through school feeling so..." She shook her head, unsure of how to explain how she felt.
"Guys only want one thing. They weren't going to fuck you over like that."
"So now I'm fucking 23 years old and have been with one man that was terrible in bed and only managed to get me off a few times!" She pushed away from his embrace. "How dare you take that experience away from me! What I do with my body is my choice! If I wanted to be fingered or fucked by some boy, I should have been able to!"
His eyebrows raised. "You're serious!"
"Yes, I'm serious! I've kissed two boys, Ethan! Only two! Every sexual experience I've had was with a guy who couldn't find a damn clit with a map and whose dick was the size of a tictac! What the-"
Ethan dove for her, covering her mouth with his, affectively shutting her up. Ana tensed against him for a few beats before relaxing, her hands coming around his neck.
He pulled away panting, but left his lips an inch from hers. "Sorry. I... I just didn't know how to get you to shut up."
She grinned. "Well, that worked."
Searching her eyes, he yanked her face back to his by the nape of her neck.
She melted into the kiss, heat pooling quickly between her legs. She had never experienced a kiss like this before and a part of her was aware that it was her best friend's older brother, but she was too emotionally raw from the last twelve hours to care. Her head was a little fuzzy from the wine and he was so warm and smelled so good. It had been so long since she felt wanted and it felt too good to stop.
When she felt him lean further into her, she followed his lead and leaned back on the couch, pulling him on top of her. When he relaxed on top of her and his bulge pressed into her just right, she moaned into his mouth.
"Let me touch you." He said against her lips. "Let me make it up to you."
Her eyes were hooded and she blinked slowly as she tried to grasp what he was asking. When he popped the button of her jeans open, she decided to just go with it and nodded her consent.
His long slender fingers slipped into her cotton panties and she gave a jolt when his index finger grazed her clit.
He smirked. "I have no problem finding it."
"Ethan." She pulled his mouth back to hers so she didn't have to look at him while he played. She didn't know how to respond to him and she just wanted to feel.
When two of his fingers slipped inside of her and his thumb found her clit, she bucked, making him chuckle against her lips. "You like that."
"Don't stop... Ethan, I'll kill you if you stop."
He kissed her lips. "You deserve this, Ana." He moved his fingers faster and she clung to his shoulders as the invisible rubber band snapped inside of her
"Ethan... Ethan!" She threw her head back and cried out, her thighs spasming around his hand.
His fingers slowed and eventually stopped as she relaxed. With her hands over her heart, she panted while he buttoned her jeans back up. "Holy shit, Ethan."
He winked. "You're welcome. Now... where's that tape?" He pushed off of her and went in search of it.
XxXxXx
"Okay, you're all moved." Ethan rubbed the back of his neck while he stood awkwardly in the doorway of Kate's guestroom. It got super awkward in the car on the way to Kate's and it hadn't subsided. "Listen... about earlier... I'm sorry."
Ana chewed her lip. "It takes two. Don't worry about it. A lot happened back there. I was a mess and you were feeling guilty and didn't know how to deal with me."
Tears formed in his eyes. "I don't know if Shelby is going to feel that way."
Gasping, Ana covered her mouth. "Shelby!" Shelby was Ethan's girlfriend of six months. She had completely forgot. "Oh, my god! Ethan, I am so sorry. Shit. I forgot! I am no better than Phoebe!" Ana was sick at the thought.
"Don't say shit like that. You didn't remember. Like you said, it takes two... and I initiated it. Fuck. I have to tell her. I'm a terrible boyfriend." He wiped at the tears on his face.
"We made a mistake. A huge mistake. The fact that you want to tell her immediately shows that you care. You're different. I hope she can see that."
Ethan licked his lips. "You know... there-theres a chance... if she somehow miraculously forgives me... that she won't want me seeing you anymore."
A fresh wave of tears came over Ana, but she shoved them off her face angerly. "I understand. I wouldn't want you to see me either if I was her."
Stepping further into the room and yanking Ana off the bed, he hugged her. "I'm so sorry this happened."
She nodded against his chest. "Me, too."
"If it ever came down to it and you needed me, you know I'd be there right?"
"Ditto."
He ducked down and kissed her forehead. "I'll have Kate keep me updated, Ana."
She pulled away from him. "You know I have to tell Kate what happened."
Ethan winced. "Maybe I'll dodge her phone calls for awhile."
Sighing, she threw her hands up. "It's only right, Ethan. She's my best friend... and you're her brother. A very taken brother. She loves Shelby." Ana shook her head. "If she throws me out on the street, I deserve it."
"She won't do that. She loves you. She'll blame me for it."
Ana couldn't help her small, teasing smile. "I hope so."
Reaching up, he shook up her hair, messing it up. "Real mature!" She batted at his hands and tried to calm the rats nest that was now her hair.
"See you around kid." He gave her one last wink before turning and leaving.
Plopping back down on the bed, she hugged the pillow and tried to fight off tears. The last time he said that, he was leaving for college and it was four years before she saw him again. It was their fault though. They got in deeper than they should have. There was nothing to do now, but deal with the consequences... but she'd always have the memory of that day. It was the best experience she had ever had with a man...and in all honestly... her first experience with a real man. José was nothing but a boy wishing he was a man.
Now, she had to find the courage to tell Kate what they did.
XxXxXx
"What the fuck, dude! This is a joke! This has to be a joke!" Kate paced in the living room after Ana just finished admitting what she did with Ethan.
"Kate, I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. I am so sick over this."
"And neither one of you thought about Shelby through any of this? She's so good for him and he does this to her with his little sister's best friend?"
Ana winced. "I know. I honestly forgot about Shelby. I was so upset and half drunk and it just happened... I hate myself for this."
"You've never been this type of girl."
Ana shook her head. Kate was right. "I know. I'm a disappointment. To both of us. To all of us. If you don't want me staying, I understand. I'll leave."
With a frustrated growl, Kate threw herself onto the couch. "No, don't do that. As angry as I am with you, I still love you. You're going through the worst time in your life and I'm not going to abandon you. There's something I need from you though."
Ana chewed her thumbnail. "Anything."
Kate stared at her for a beat. "You can't see my brother anymore."
Ana's heart sank a little, but she knew it was already a done deal. "I know. We already decided. Out of respect for Shelby."
Kate jumped up at the sound of Shelby's name. "You two better damn well hope Shelby finds it in her heart to forgive my cheating asshole of a brother or we're going to have a whole new set of issues!"
Ana nodded. "I understand."
Kate's hatefire dulled when she saw the dejected look on Ana's face. "I know it's ultimately Ethan's fault. I'm getting angry with the wrong person. Like you said, you forgot and he took advantage of the situation. You were broken hearted and drunk."
"Not that drunk, Kate. Be mad at Ethan for cheating... but don't be mad at him for my sake. I knew what I was doing."
"If you remembered he was with her, would you have done it?"
"Of course not!" Ana felt offended by the question, but she knew she probably shouldn't have been.
Kate nodded, taking a deep breath. Ana's answer made her feel better. "Okay. Good. Let's move on now. We'll order a truck full of Chinese and then you'll tell me everything that's happened with that fucker who cheated on you now."