Hey, sorry for the delay. There has been a lot going on which for the sake of an explaination i may need to post later in an authors note. Anyhow r&r.
xoxo Jules
Chapter 33: "Goodbye Everybody"
Marissas POV: "It's kind of hard"
Temptation.
I was never too good with that. It's like my brain was wired not to say "no" or something. The last thing that I expected, ever, was to see Kevin in Newport Beach California. The run-in between he, Ryan and I was awkward to say the least. It had ended in some threats, and a near fist fight. I basically had to pull Ryan off of Volchok. Anyhow I managed to slip him Jimmys address without Ryan knowing. I told him that I am the third floor balcony on the far left wing. Why did I give him the address? I have not the slightest clue.
There was a soft knock at my balcony door. I half expected it. I didn't even have to peer through the glass to know who it was. I sat up in bed hesitating for a minute. Could I really do this, let him in? He had never treated me badly. At the time in my life that we were together we were the same, and now so much has changed. Case in point, I'm clean.
Sighing I flipped my legs over the end of the bed and made my way to the glass door. He smiled at me through the glass. Something inside me smirked back. As dumb as it sounds something with Volchok is familiar. Everything here in Newport is well, new. And yeah that's a good thing for the most part, but with Kevin I didn't have to fill in the blanks. He was my history and I never had to worry about telling him this story or that story that explains why I am the way that I am because he was there for it all. He never looked at me like I was fragile or breakable which is a good thing, ¼ I think.
He didn't say anything as I pulled the door open. He just stepped inside and pressed his lips against mine. Suddenly, as soon as his lips touched mine the taste of menthol and jack invaded my mouth. I hadn't tasted that in a long time. Trying to catch my breath I pulled back from his kiss, I couldn't dare kiss him back.
"You alright babe?" He asked stroking the side of my face.
I turned my back to him. I was heading to sit on my bed but then decided otherwise. I didn't want him to get any ideas.
"How did you find me?" I asked in a small voice.
"Actually," He said as he propped his ass on my vanity and his feet on the chair, "I didn't even know that you were here. Apparently the surf scene out here is insane, go figure right. Some friends of mine also had some work for me to do out here too, close to Mexico an' all if you see what I'm sayin'"
Yeah I knew what he was saying. He was saying everything that I was trying to avoid.
"I even got a pretty sweet van outta the deal to get me back an' forth over the boarder." He added with a smirk. "So pretty sweet crib you got here." He said as he let his eyes wander around the room.
"It's my dads." I said too quickly
He cocked a brow at me.
"You gotta daddy now 'eh?" He asked with the same smile, I just shrugged in response. "That's straight." He said.
I just wrapped my arms around my body.
"You're looking good Cooper." He said climbing down again from the vanity. "You could stand to eat a sandwich or something but other than that." He smirked at me again, that dangerous boyish smirk that made my heart melt¼
I shrugged wondering whether or not I should tell him.
"Thanks, I've been clean for a month and a half." I mumbled.
Suddenly his expression changed to one that I could not read.
"How'd that happen?"
"Detox?" I responded not quite sure myself.
He nodded.
"That's chill. I just never would'a guessed. It was you and at least bud for life at one point."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar flask. I had a matching one. He tipped his head down as he let whatever vicious liquid that it contained slide down his throat. He held out his hand the me as an offering. I took it, and before I knew what I was doing the warm liquid was burning my throat as well.
"'atta girl." He encouraged me. Taking a step toward me so I was backed against the bed post. I couldn't help but grin a bit as I passed it back to him.
"Nah." He said as he put both of his hands up. "You're clean of everything else. You'll need it more than me. 'sides, I got more where that came from." He smiled at me again.
He had that hazy drunken smile that he used to give me when we would wake up in the morning naked in the back seat of a car, or some mattress in a random hotel that we had shared with twelve other people and just passed out in after we fucked.
"I was about to head out to meet some randoms at the beach. Wanna come with?" He asked
"I cant. If Jimmy came in here and I'm gone he'd flip. I don't want to get sent away again." I lied quickly knowing that Jimmy was long asleep.
He nodded
"Alright. Well you wouldn't beat the crap outta me if I rode through here one day right?" He asked as he rubbed his stubble.
I thought for a minute. It sucks being alone during the day. It couldn't hurt right? We could kick back and watch tv or something¼
"Yeah, you can come tomorrow if you want after 7 and before 2." I offered trying not to show I was at all nervous.
"I'm there."
And with that he slipped out of the door. He didn't ask anything about Ryan. He wasn't threatened which made me feel even worse. He knew that he wrapped me tight around his finger a long time ago and if he wanted to he could have me when he wanted, where he wanted, how he wanted.
The only thing worse than admitting that is admitting that it's true. Or it always has been. For the first time I think that I am falling for someone, like really falling for them, and then this. Ryan means the world to me though¼ . I will never forgive myself if I fuck it up. But Kevin makes me weak, he knows how to push me, how to manipulate me¼ worse, he knows how to make me like it.
Temptation.
My phone started buzzing all over my bed. Ryan flashed on the screen. Sucking back my breath I picked it up.
"Hey!" I said a little too excitedly.
"I was just calling to apologize for everything earlier." Ryan said his voice tired.
"It's okay, really. Just please, don't mess with Volchok he's dangerous." I warned him. It is true, Kevin Volchok is a dangerous man.
"As long as you promise not to see him. I just want you to be safe." Ryan said, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was trying to tell me what to do.
"He's my friend Ryan. I cant just cut him off."
Times like this I feel like Ryan can see right through me.
"Alright Marissa, if that's how you want it. Just be careful¼ "
And with that the dial tone pounded in my ear. I stared down at the phone dumbly for a minute before sending it flying across the room, it shatter into pieces¼ I didn't know that somebody was watching me the entire time from the balcony window.
"Woah Tiger!" Summer said as she stepped in the room.
I swung around to face the door.
"Sum, hey! What's up?" I asked crumpling my hands in one another hoping that she could not smell the alcohol on my breath.
"I could ask you the same thing Coop. How've you been?" Summer asked taking a seat on the vanity where Volchok just had. She sniffed the air "Were you smoking in here?" She asked
I let out the breath that I had been holding in.
"You caught me!" I said throwing my hands up and plastering on a fake smile. "Speaking of," I reached into my bureau and pulled out a pack of Camel Golds. "Lets go outside."
I sighed. I would rather mask the smell of jack on my breath with cigarettes than have Summer suspect anything.
We took a seat on the stairs leading down to the garden. I lit two cigarettes and then offered one of them to her. She nodded as I passed it over.
"Alright Coop, I'm just going to come out and say it." Summer said leaning against the banister where we sat taking a drag of her cigarette.
I cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Alex and I found like a whole zip-lock of coke in your room."
My temper flared
"What were you searching through my stuff!" I yelled flying to my feet inhaling puff after puff. Summer remained still below me
"You know that I would never do that Coop. The drawer was open Alex just ran into it and it was there."
I believed her. Summer was blunt, she always told the truth. I settled back down across from her.
"Who else knows?" I asked in a husky voice
"Only me and Alex." She said meeting eyes with my own "Have you used it Marissa?"
"No! I swear that I have not touched that stuff since I came back from rehab! I forgot that I even had it until just now." That was true, I had gotten a stash and I had been dipping into it but that was before I left for rehab.
Well then summer stood up and walked past me, into my room and opened my drawer pulling out a bag of coke.
"Come on¼ " She said as she walked past me again and down the steps toward the pool, and then past the pool to the ocean. Was she really doing what I thought she was doing?
Summer teetered for a minute at the edge of the water so the tide could just capture her toes. The sky was black that night. Not one star shone through the clouds. Only when I got closer I could tell that Summer was crying.
"Sum?" I asked placing my hand on her shoulder.
She turned to me with tears in her eyes.
"Marissa we need to get this right. I remember when they used to drag you in the Hartford House kicking and screaming. You were gaunt looking and had circles under your eyes, and it was scary! I remember when you would haze out for hours on end and yeah, maybe it didn't matter like this then but through all of this you have become my best friend Coop!"
Now we were both bawling. Summer and I were close, always, but we never really admitted it.
"I'm so sorry Sum, really I am so sorry!" I out of nowhere took the smaller girl into my arms. After a couple minutes of girlish embracing and sobbing she backed up.
As she handed me the baggie I looked at her in confusing.
"The ocean is yours Coop." I looked at her for a moment, uncertain. Then I tossed the baggie up and down in my hand for a minute.
I took a step back and tossed the powder into the mass of ocean that rolled before me. The waves took it out further and further away. I looked back , Volchok was gone, for now, and so was the coke. The only think that remained was summer.
Temptation, ¼ Salvation.
What do you think? Let me knoooooo! Its still a long-ish road for Ryan and Marissa but at least it's getting paved. Again this story is more character development than couple development, although there will be a fair share of coupleness. Alright, and still open for requests! Thank you as well for all of the reviews that i have gotten and the support for this story!
xoxo Jules